Mass media influences free essay sample

What is mass media and what role does it play in the community? Various media technologies that are used to achieve huge audience applying mass communication is called Mass Media. This communication takes place through such technologies like radio and television that transferred electronically and also through physical objects like books, newspapers and magazines. Moreover, enormous quantities of television stations and newspapers publishers are considered to be called mass media too. The importance of media today is somehow immersive. Never before in humankind’s history have the mass media such considerable impact on society’s life and behavior that happened due to digital technologies. However, from early childhood children sit in front of TV sets watching pictures and opening the world, it’s impressionable. A few years later, becoming older and reading books or newspapers that illustrate pictures of violence, war, sporting exploits and even women’s bodies, closed or not, this all play very important role on the behavior and psychology of young generation. We will write a custom essay sample on Mass media influences or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Only this small list of facts can explain the cause of such and indifferent attitude to their health, life and future. Media have two major tasks: to entertain customer and to create a topic for conversation. Media became an integral part of our life and nowadays it cannot be separated from it. Body part According to the scientific resources mass media consists of the following types: printed (newspapers, books, magazines), radio, television, cable TV, telecommunications, Internet and satellite. Printed mass media used from the late 15th century, radio- from 1910, television- from 1950, Internet- from 1990, and the last but not least mobile phones from 2000. Usually, radio and television are called broadcast media and Internet with mobile phones collectively are called digital media. Benefits of mass media: The wide reach offered by mass media is phenomenal. It can target a global audience. In terms of newspapers and magazines, it can reach a specified target group. Besides, it is easily accessible. Certain types of media have a loyal fan following. This would mean that an advertiser, publication or news channel would have a ready audience. We have the latest news and information at the click of the mouse! The Internet is such a medium that it can give many options for the kind of information required. Television, movies, Internet and the radio are some of the best forms of entertainment. It can be used for educational purposes in an effective manner. Drawbacks of mass media: ?At times, the information reported may not be authentic from every angle. Hence, there may be a misinterpretation of a situation. News can be manipulated to influence the minds of the audiences. For example a particular political party may manipulate reports in their favor, which would indicate the political control in the media. Media bias can occur due to various issues. A journalist or an editor may give personal preference to an issue. A particular event or a celebrity may receive undue importance and set wrong ideals before the youth. It may present an ostentatious lifestyle, which may inculcate wrong ideals amongst youngsters. Unnecessary sensationalism of an issue may project wrong information to the public. Misleading messages may again divert young minds towards a wrong path. Wrong interpretation of news may even blow things out of proportion. This would create further unrest in any place or even violence in case of extreme situations. At times, a particular event or news item may receive too much attention simply because of the lack of important news or snippets. This would again present a wrong idea before the public. ?Certain mass media such as newspapers or leaflets have a very short shelf life. In terms of advertising, it would not serve to be useful for every kind of product or message.

Clean Sources of Energy Advantages and Disadvantages

Clean Sources of Energy Advantages and Disadvantages The pollution through fuel use, technology and many other aspects of civilized life has brought about many changes that humanity was not ready for, including a lessening of resources used for energy. But there are many ways to generate energy using clean sources. Solar, hydro, wind and other types of renewable resources are thought to be the cleanest ways comparing to fuel usage.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Clean Sources of Energy: Advantages and Disadvantages specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A book titled â€Å"Wind Power† takes a look at the conversion of wind energy into electricity which is accomplished through building wind turbines, a simpler way of building windmills. This technology will allow for widespread access and a much higher energy output which will be beneficial for millions of people. The most basic way that a wind turbine works is by using the kinetic energy of the wind and tu rning it into electricity that can be used by humans. It is applied as mechanical, thermo and any other form of energy, which can be used in the agriculture and other places. Wind turbines are considered a renewable source of energy, but the sun also has great connection to the wind. The sun rays warm up the air masses, causing warmer air to rise, and as it cools down in the upper layers of the atmosphere, it sinks, thus causing a cyclical nature of air masses (Morris, 2006). With all the advantages there are also some disadvantages, but the positives highly outweigh the negative sides. One benefit of wind power is its cleanest conversion and/or production of energy. The amount of wind power is a renewable source. It is quiet, safe for people and animals, as well as for the planet. It is a known fact that wind turbines do not need any fossil fuels. The book rightly reminds that windmills can be built on mountains and on the sea, allowing for widespread usage, as the territory covere d by water is enormous. This provides for minimal interaction with human populations and all other living things. An article titled â€Å"Weaknesses  and  Reform  of  Australias Renewable Electricity  Support† talks about the prospects of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and relying on renewable electricity. The qualities of environments in the world are noted and the article makes a particular focus on the energy use industry, its modes and the effects that it has on the surrounding nature and people. The air pollution is already a problem in many countries. Australia has developed many strategies to help reduce toxic air emissions and one of them is to promote and establish clean coal burning technologies and implement them. It is a fact that â€Å"In 2006, Australia was the second, most coal dependent OECD country with respect to electricity generation† (Buckman, 2010). This is an alarming fact, as Australia is one of the most modernized countries. The use of coal is increasing and the rise is considered in the near future.Advertising Looking for critical writing on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When comparing several outputs of electricity, it is clearly evident there are new installments that are being made every day. Solar and thermal renewable sources have a great capacity for generating electricity, especially in Australia. As such, the future is planned to have all aspects of the country involved: industrial areas, private boilers and furnaces in largely populated places. The article confirms that the accumulation of the waste materials and pollution to the environment will constantly grow, reaching levels that will be hard to control. The results have shown a steady deterioration of quality in both types of energy use, but coal usage has shown to be much more detrimental to people and environment. A report on â€Å"Room for Climate Advocates in a Coal Focused Economy? NGO Influence on Australian Climate Policy† mentions the current conditions with filtration systems, plant emissions management and future possibilities. It reasonably states that electricity is the much needed energy source, and its production must be made easy and accessible. The report does provide sufficient insight on the possible ways of using different types of energy. The comparison is made between coal energy and the renewable energy plants. Also, it is easy to see the pattern in changes and effects on the surrounding environment and people working in the energy industry in accordance with climate change (Hall Taplin, 2008). It is acknowledged that the Earth is seeing a major depletion in the natural resources and fossil fuels are becoming a source of energy that must be greatly counted, due to the decreasing numbers. There are many known ways to produce energy that are not so polluting, such as hydro electric stations, wind power , Sun energy and nuclear power plants. This is a legitimate source for renewable energy, but there are negative sides. Unfortunately, some availability is underdeveloped and others sound extreme. Climate change and emission standards are topics that are discussed with real care and people are hesitant to rely on clean energy alone. The most important point to consider is that the accumulation of waste materials and pollution to the environment will constantly grow, reaching levels that will be hard to control. It is difficult to reverse the process, but it can be sustained for longer periods, both waste and energy wise. NGO reports are much needed because these are based on most benefit for the greatest amount of people. The organizations are there for the public, thus the interest in clean energy is shared.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Clean Sources of Energy: Advantages and Disadvantages specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Buckman, G 2010, ‘Weaknesses and Reform of Australias Renewable Electricity Support’, Journal of Australian Political Economy, no. 66. n.p. Hall, N Taplin, R 2008, ‘Room for Climate Advocates in a Coal-Focused Economy? NGO Influence on Australian Climate Policy’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, vol. 43, no. 3. n.p. Morris, N. 2006. Wind Power, Black Rabbit Books, North Mankato, MN.

Describing and explaining the picture attached Essay

Describing and explaining the picture attached - Essay Example There are rough expressions of colors, and a feeling comes that one of the colors has been ripped off at many a places, giving the feel of an old, worn-out painting. The overall look of the painting appears to be flat because the artist has not used vivid colors to distinguish one object from another. The proportion of the size of all objects is regular. Although there is not a clear message in the painting, yet I feel that there is a very deep note, keeping in view the murkiness of the white and black color that rules the painting. There is a sense of gloominess; and, the mother seems sad, but the presence of her baby is a spark of life. The painter has tried to reinforce the truth of life, which is a combination of sadness and happiness, or of dark and light shadows in life. Sadness rules in the painting, as the mother is not able to cope with the stressful moments of her life; while, joy is also there in the form of a

Peers comment w5a1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Peers comment w5a1 - Assignment Example Ye man Cheng also fails to mention the New Urbanists. Ye man Cheng states that the traditional architects and those with modern sensibilities were the ones considered as Urbanists. Ye man Cheng fails to give an example of an Urbanist developing community. One example of an Urbanist community is Seattle in Florida. The post focuses on discussing the principles of Urbanism without discussing the other required areas including defining the problems associated with Urbanism and the Impacts of Urbanism in architecture in the late half of the 20th century. Urbanism results in over planned towns that limit residents freedom to make changes to their homes due to the restrictions by the neighborhood committees about the exterior of the buildings. Urbanism created safe cities that saw people move from the rural areas to the cities. Diandra provides a simple description of the concept of Urbanism and how it started. The post states that Urbanism strove to change the attitude of greediness and not caring about the environment by redesigned the cities and towns. The post also states the pioneers of New Urbanism and the goal of Urbanism. New Urbanists wanted to reduce the amount of sprawl by creating buildings or communities with walk-able distances and also creating parks in the surroundings. The post provides an example of Urbanist town and also gives an explanation of the pros and cons of creating Urbanist towns. The post also states the impacts of Urbanism on architecture in the late half of the 20th century. After the creation of the first Urbanist town, Seattle in Florida, the New Urbanists were hired to do more

The Geopolitics Of The Global Illegal Drug Trade Geography Essay

The Geopolitics Of The Global Illegal Drug Trade Geography Essay One of the biggest problems facing the world today is the production, trade and consumption of illegal drugs. Millions of people around the world are involved in either this trade either as producers, vendors or consumers, despite it being a highly illegal activity with strict and often harsh penalties for even the possession of a small amount of these illegal substances. In this paper we will be discussing the consequences of the global illegal drugs trade in different areas of the world, and whether the legalization and regulation of this trade would be positive or negative. 2. AFGHANISTAN Afghanistan is one of the worlds top producers of illegal substances, in particular opium, and there are many reasons why this is the case. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, according to the CIA world fact book, with a GDP per capita of just $800 and ranked 181st on the UNs Human Development Index second lowest in the world. (CIA World Fact Book, 2009) It is a landlocked country with direct links to Russia and the EU 2 of the worlds largest illegal drug markets with land movement being extensive due to lack of border control. Rugged terrain, with many isolated areas makes government surveillance and law enforcement difficult. Due to this and Afghanistans notoriety for lawlessness, instability and poverty (resulting from decades of war which have ravaged the country) the opium trade has flourished and now a huge proportion of the country is dependent upon its cultivation. It is interesting that under the Taliban regime, levels of opium production were showing signs o f falling, but since 2001 when the USA declared its â€Å"War on Terror†, this level has increased significantly from around 75,000 hectares in 2000 to nearing 200,000 hectares in 2007. So why is the opium trade such a huge issue? Agriculture is the countrys main form of industry and the collapse of the economy forced more and more farmers to seek alternative methods of generating revenue from crops. This came at a time when demand for opium was increasing due to restrictions being made in nearby opium producing countries such as India. Farmers realised there huge profits could be made from the cultivation of opium poppies, with the risk of being caught relatively low due to the reasons mentioned in the previous paragraph, despite it being a punishable offence. In addition, opium poppies are notoriously hardy- they are almost drought resistant compared to legal crops such as wheat. Many Afghans have used poppy cultivation as a means of investment in legitimate businesses due to lack of personal loans resulting from the poor economy; while illegitimate moneylenders have high interest rates and use various forms of intimidation such as kidnapping. The seriousness of t his situation being that many farmers in Afghanistan have little other legal lucrative alternative, and the government is doing little to encourage farmers to do so. There is also significant evidence to suggest that the since the fall of Taliban, they and other terrorist groups are now significantly funded by the drug trade. What then are the options available? The first is enforcement of current laws whilst offering alternative livelihood options. This involves better monitoring of opium growers in the country and eradication of Heroin production factories, and offering farmers incentives to grow alternative crops. One suggestion is substitution with Saffron, another lucrative crop which has proven to grow well in Afghanistans climate. This would also involve improving the infrastructure needed to support legal crop cultivation. The other option which has been suggested is licensing the opium trade. This gives the government much more control over the end use of opium, as it could be used in the production of valuable legal opiates such as morphine. Trade could also be taxed, providing valuable revenue for the undeveloped economy of Afghanistan. Another issue this would solve is eliminating warlords and severing the ties between the drug trade and human/weapons trafficking as it could be regulated and m onitored by government authorities â€Å". (Licensing) combines the best of both worlds. It stabilizes a crucial country in the global war on terrorism and alleviates the pain crisis in AIDS stricken developing countries. It is not a silver bullet for Afghanistans many troubles, but it does pave the way for the country to escape its current development and security crisis† (Kamminga , Van Ham. 2006). This is not necessarily saying that Heroin should be made legal; but is another option that could be looked into with the legalisation and regulation of all drugs, rather than a select few. 3. THE NETHERLANDS The Netherlands government takes an alternative approach to the enforcement of anti-drug laws, believing that drug use is a public health issue, rather than a criminal one; and that there is a difference between soft drugs (cannabis) and hard drugs (cocaine, heroin). A quote which summarises this attitude is â€Å"if a problem has proved to be unstoppable, it is better to try controlling it instead of continuing to enforce laws that have shown to be unable to stop the problem† (WordIQ: Drug policy of the Netherlands. 2010). They therefore employ a policy of non-enforcement towards soft drugs such as cannabis, but will still prosecute users if they are found causing a public disturbance, or pose a risk to themselves or others whilst under the influence of drugs. The Netherlands drug policy has a number of aims which are: To separate the market between hard and soft drugs so that soft drug users do not come into contact with hard drugs To limit the sale of soft drugs to minors To divert profits from the sale of soft drugs away from criminal drug dealers To gain tax from the legitimate sale of soft drugs To use the money gained to assist problem drug users (i.e. Treatment and rehabilitation) and promote awareness and education of hard drugs To prevent soft drug users being criminalised unnecessarily So is this policy working? In the USA where cannabis is strictly illegal and carries severe fines and prison time, 42.4% of Americans have tried the drug, whilst in The Netherlands only 19.8% of the population have tried cannabis, despite it being tolerated and sold freely in coffee shops (Degenhardt et al. 2008) 9.7% of young adults consume soft drugs once a month in Holland; this figure is far lower than the UK level of 15.8%, but higher than in other European countries such as Sweden (3%). The EU average of soft drug users that go on to become problem drug users is 0.52%, in The Netherlands this figure is just 0.3%, and the number of hard drug users is also considerably lower. These statistics show that while levels of soft drug use in The Netherlands is not significantly higher or lower than the rest of Europe, the levels of problem drug users and hard drug users is considerably lower. It is also interesting to note that due to taxes gained from the legitimate sale of cannabis, a round 90% of drug users can be treated effectively. 4. NON-GOVERNEMENT ORGANISATIONS NGOs around the world aim to eradicate problems associated with the illegal drug trade; however without financial backing and access to resources, their policies are often limited. Their strategies focus on influencing government protocol and targeting social issues in a ‘prevention over cure approach. The social aspect focuses on education of the young and those vulnerable to drug addiction, in addition to financing and organising rehabilitation for those suffering from addiction. Strategies also target producers of drugs, particularly agricultural ones. These producers are influenced to cultivate alternative products (such as wheat), both through financial incentives and legal prevention. All aspects of the global illegal drugs trade span over large areas, making it difficult for individual state governments to act effectively. NGOs such as the UN, WHO and the EU create policies targeting drug abuse issues to socially improve nations. High costs and infrastructure requirement s for drugs trade prevention deter LEDCs from acting, as their costs do not warrant their benefits it is the state importing that often suffers the most. So what would be the effect of the legalisation of the illegal drugs trade in regards to NGOs? Effectively there would be dissolution of all strategies to cease and prevent the global trade in illegal drugs. Trade would shift to safer routes through legally disclosed transport subject to scrutiny at borders, so potential would remain for NGO involvement in cases of unregulated drugs being traded across borders. 5. CONCLUSION A quote from ‘The Economist claims that the UN believes thatâ€Å"The drug market has â€Å"stabilised†, meaning that more than 200 m people, or almost 5% of the worlds adult population still take illegal drugs† and goes on to say that â€Å"by providing honest information about the health risks of drugs and pricing them accordingly, governments could steer consumers towards the least harmful ones† (The Economist, 2009). However, the legalisation of drugs is a highly complex and sensitive issue which has many social, political, moral and economic implications. The scale of which is unimaginable and is something which many people feel would be an impossible task. It is a known fact that people around the world produce, distribute and use drugs- as they have done for thousands of years. Perhaps money would be better spent on educating people about the dangers of certain drugs (including legal ones) as well as helping those that have become dependent on either the sale or use of illegal drugs, rather than criminalising those that use them safely, or have little other viable options other than producing drugs. This could also have benefits for those in the developing world who rely on the illegal drugs trade as a source of income, and could eliminate the violence involved with the illegal drugs trade. REFERENCES CIA: The World FactBook Afghanistan. 2009. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html Degenhardt et al. 2008. Toward a global view of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and cocaine use: Findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. PLoS Medicine 5(7) e141 Kamminga, Van Ham. 2006. Poppies for peace: Reforming Afghanistans opium industry. The Washington Quarterly. 30:1 pp 69-81 The Economist. 2009. Failed states and failed policies: How to stop the drug wars. http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13237193source=login_payBarrier WordIQ: Drug policy of the Netherlands Definition. 2010. http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands Ashley White Registration No: 090167133

The Great Gatsby Conversation

In Gatsby’s conversation with Nick, Gatsby, who has many belittling rumors surrounding him, tries to get Nick to sympathize with him by describing himself as a nice person who has gone through â€Å"hard† times, but his attempts are unsuccessful. Because of the rumors, Nick wants to know more about Gatsby because, â€Å"[He] had talked with him perhaps six times in the past month and found, to [his] disappointment, that [Gatsby] had little to say,† which led Nick to believe there was something suspicious about Gatsby. 64) Over the past month or so, Nick had heard many rumors about Gatsby having â€Å"killed a man† (49) and being a â€Å"German spy during [World War I]† (44). Gatsby’s behavior during the conversation strengthened these rumors in Nick’s mind. During their conversation, Gatsby â€Å"hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford,’ or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it had bothered him before† which le d Nick to wonder â€Å"if there was something sinister about him† (65). Whenever Oxford was mentioned, Gatsby was hesitant to continue that conversation, which seemed as though Gatsby was lying about his past and that made Nick even more suspicious. Furthermore, Gatsby did not help erase the rumors from Nick’s mind when Tom and Gatsby, â€Å"shook hands briefly, and a strained, unfamiliar look of embarrassment came over Gatsby’s face,† and when â€Å"[Nick] turned toward Mr. Gatsby, [he] was no longer there† (74). This behavior proved to Nick that Gatsby is trying to hide something from his past and is very uncomfortable discussing it. Although there are topics about his past that make Gatsby uncomfortable, he freely explains his past to Nick. In order to make a good impression on Nick, Gatsby always speaks elaborately and is very nice to Nick. Gatsby says, â€Å"‘Good morning, old sport. You’re having lunch with me and I thought we’d ride up together’† (64). Gatsby explains that he lives like a â€Å"rajah,† but that he has had some hardships and is â€Å"trying to forget something very sad that had happened to [him] a long time ago† (66). Although Gatsby is wealthy, he explains that he has personal problems in order to get Nick to sympathize with him. Then, Gatsby tries to explain his war experience by saying, â€Å"‘It was a great relief, and I tried very hard to die, but I seemed to bear an enchanted life† because he was sad about his incident and by saying he wanted to die, he could get Nick to sympathize with him and forget about the rumors surrounding him, but Nick never does (66). Another way Gatsby tries to explain to Nick he is not a bad person is by showing Nick his accomplishments from the war. The photograph which Gatsby carried around with him read, â€Å"‘Major Jay Gatsby [†¦ ] For Valour Extraordinary’† (67). By doing so, Gatsby proves that he supported the Americans thus trying to erase the rumor of him being a German spy. Although there are many strong rumors around Gatsby, he tries to convince Nick, who believes in those rumors, that he is an innocent, normal man because he is in love with Daisy and wants Nick, Daisy’s cousin, to set him up. Though Gatsby discusses very personal issues that make him seem like the â€Å"common man,† his actions around Nick like having a gambler for a friend and acting suspiciously whenever anything related to Daisy came up, cause Nick to believe that Gatsby was guilty of something.

Drug Addiction Is a Growing Problem in Punjab Essay

1) Throughout the border state of Punjab, whether in villages or cities, drugs have become a scourge. Opium is prevalent, refined as heroin or other illegal substances. Schoolboys sometimes eat small black balls of opium paste, with tea, before classes. Synthetic drugs are popular among those too poor to afford heroin. 2) The scale of the problem, if impossible to quantify precisely, is undeniably immense and worrisome. India has one of the world’s youngest populations, a factor that is expected to power future economic growth, yet Punjab is already a reminder of the demographic risks of a glut of young people. An overwhelming majority of addicts are between the ages of 15 and 35, according to one study, with many of them unemployed and frustrated by unmet expectations. 3) For the Punjab government, the problem is hardly unknown. Private drug treatment centers, some run by quacks, have proliferated across the state, and treatment wards in government hospitals have seen a surge in patients. Three years ago, a state health official warned in a court affidavit that Punjab risked losing a whole generation to drugs. Roughly 60 percent of all illicit drugs confiscated in India are seized in Punjab. 4) Yet when Punjab held state elections this year, the candidates rarely spoke about drug abuse. In fact, India’s Election Commission said that some political workers were actually giving away drugs to try to buy votes. More than 110 pounds of heroin and hundreds of thousands of bottles of bootleg liquor were seized in raids. During the elections, party workers in some districts distributed coupons that voters could redeem at pharmacies. 5) Punjab’s reluctance to treat the drug situation as a full-blown crisis is partly because the state government itself is dependent on revenue from alcohol sales. Roughly 8,000 government liquor stores operate in Punjab, charging a tax on every bottle — an excise that represents one of the government’s largest sources of revenue. India’s comptroller found that liquor consumption per person in Punjab rose 59 percent between 2005 and 2010. 6) A sociologist in Amritsar, surveyed 600 drug addicts in rural and urban areas of Punjab and found that they were usually young, poor and unemployed. He said that most villages did not have health clinics but did have three or four drugstores, which often made sizable profits selling pills and other synthetic drugs to addicts who cannot afford heroin. 7) Opium has a long history in Punjab, and was commonly and legally consumed here before India and Pakistan gained independence in 1947. Today, Punjab is a primary gateway for opiates smuggled into India from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Opium is also grown legally in India for medicinal purposes, and some of the crop arrives in Punjab on the black market. 8) The problem is prevalent in middle-class enclaves, where some users are hooked on heroin. One impoverished neighborhood of Amritsar, called Maqboolpura, is known as the Village of Widows — because so many young men have died of drug abuse. 9) In Kazikot Village, about a two-hour drive from Amritsar, a local nongovernmental organization tries to prevent the spread of H.I.V. by regularly distributing clean syringes to addicts. The group’s workers say there are 48 hard-core addicts in the village (out of more than 2,000 people) but that many other people use drugs. Government officials have sponsored â€Å"camps† here, with health officials providing antidrug information or trying to persuade addicts to undergo treatment — neither of which, villagers say, has been successful.