Benjamin Zephaniah Was Born In Birmingham English Literature Essay

Benjamin Zephaniah Was Born In Birmingham English Literature Essay Throughout his collection Zephaniah connects with young people through his use of conversational language and further, introduces a range of topics that can be easily understood by the younger generation. Topics include friends, family, heroes and animals; which arguably has the effect of making poetry fun for young children. Naturally, children tend to enjoy what can be considered as playground jingles and rhymes but despite this can often be intimidated at the idea of poetry. As Talking Turkeys is arguably fun and enjoyable, this as a result helps to stimulate a childs imagination and interest whilst at the same time builds their confidence within poetry. A rather unique feature of Zephaniahs poetry is his use of colloquial language; a good example of this is when he replaces the word there with dere. Further, made up words such as guzzards also add to the humour of the poetry. His poems tend to contain a rather heart-warming moral at the end; Heroes states I say were all heroes if we do our little bit.. This positive message would arguably have a strong impact on the younger readers and encourage them to do well. The structures of Zephaniahs poetry are not complex yet they are rather effective. In Friends the structure is very simple, using four lines to describe each animal in turn, and further using well known characteristics of that particular animal. When talking about a snake he writes I am known to slip and slide. This poem arguably provides visual stimulation and makes the ideas in the poem easily understood for children of a young age. This is reinforced by the inclusion of a wide variety of illustrations. Pictures, designs and photographs are creatively embedded within the poems. The layout of the words in the poem often supports the image. Images consist of collages, pen and ink and photographic studies which add humour and make the poems less daunting to read. In his poem entitled Drivosaurus Rex he uses an image of a T-Rex driving a car which would grab the attention of the young reader. In other poems the illustrations provide the layout of the poem in a fun and imaginative way a llowing for the text to be broken up. Some of his poems within this collection do not reinforce correct grammar and punctuation in that Jamaican Patois is often used. This is rather unconventional, and can be confusing. However, it is also quite charming and clever, and has a tendency to make you want to turn the page and continue reading. There are a range of poems within Talking Turkeys that reinforce this idea such as Little Sister, the self-titled Talking Turkeys and the anti-grammatical According to my Mood in that I have a poetic licence, I write the way I want, I drop my full stops where I like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ highlighting this concept of incorrect grammar and punctuation. Talking Turkeys itself is not written nor performed in Standard English, the rhyming structure is rather simple and generally tends to stay the same throughout. In looking at Talking Turkeys being performed [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4AgPSjzXkw], Zephaniah provides a comic element to his poem in that not only does he entertain the crowd with funny little dances but he also changes his tone of voice in order to be best suited for the poem. This reinforces the point made earlier in regards to the use of Jamaican Patois in that Zephaniah has to almost create this character within him in order to accommodate for the poem. It is clear to see as to why young children would be interested in the poem in that there is a large comedy factor and at certain points throughout his performance he seems to get somewhat distracted from his recital, but nonetheless this adds to the humour of it all. Zephaniah connects with modern issues and introduces new perspectives to a young audience. Talking Turkeysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ relates to different religions and cultures so every child can feel they are a part of society and not feel left outà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The book is for children but the grown-ups will be sneaking off with it. Black Literature Project The effective imagery and informal language work well together and open up a world of possibilities for classroom activities. Politics, veganism and animals are prominent themes, touched upon with varying weight and humour. Zephaniahs words provoke and invoke; he challenges the reader to question societal ideals but also encourages compassion and equality. Irreverence for the academic trappings of traditional written poetry, a loose-foot, streetwise approach to form and to content and a large-hearted humanity, permeate his poetry, and this should ensure his popularity with school children natural inconoclasts for years to come. Errol Ll oyd, quoted in Books For Keeps Talking Turkeys has been reviewed by many critics [http://www.puffin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780140363302,00.html#reviews], it is said that Zephaniah is the reigning king of childrens poetry He has an unselfconscious relish for language and word-play that never strays into the patronising dee-dum-dee-dum-dee-dum territory of so much of childrens poetry: his are poems that bounce up from the page and demand to be read, rapped, sung and hip-hopped aloud. (Independent on Sunday) Further, He brings Jamaican rhythms, the patois of the streets, the perception thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ poetry can be powerful, provocative, street-wiseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ He takes poetry off the page and into urban mouths, turns verse into sassy, beat-filled performance. (The Scotsman) Zephaniahs poetry can however be criticised in that some may argue his poems are too short, but nonetheless that concept is put down to the readers personal preference. Some would also argue that the incorrect use of English could be considered a negative point in that it does not promote to young readers how they should be speaking and spelling. Yet despite this, his use of improper language all adds to the overall effect of his poetry. The majority of Zephaniahs poetry is enjoyed by a wide range of people and as a result there is not much negative comments regarding what he writes, or rather, how he writes.

The Impact of Restaurant Reviews on Customer Decisions

The Impact of Restaurant Reviews on Customer Decisions Table of contents 1. |LITERATURE REVIEW †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. |3| |1. 1. |Restaurant Review Systems Context †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. |3| |1. 2. |Overview of Themes †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. |4| |1. 3. |Peer Vs. Expert Reviews Constraints †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ |4| |1. 4. Impact on Customer Behaviour †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ |5| |1. 5. |Consumer Information Utilization†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ |6| 2. |CONCLUSION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ |9| 3. |REFERENCE LIST †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ |10| Page | 2 1. LITERATURE REVIEW 1. 1. Restaurant Review Systems Context As of January 2013 Yelp recorded 100 million visits on Yelp. om not including the 9. 4 million unique users of its mobil e application, ranking Yelp the 34th most trafficked website in the US. (Wilhelm, 2013). In addition, The Zagat New York guide sold 500,000 copies last year and it now includes 2,050 restaurants from all five boroughs in its 2013 edition. (Talmadge, 2008 ) Ultimately, The Guide Rouge sells around 1. 2 million copies per year in eight countries, and it impressively sold out 120,000 copies in no more than three days, on its first Tokyo 2008 edition (Michelin, 2011).Davis (2009) synthesizes â€Å"Restaurant reviews which, in addition to recording eating experiences, educate and inform us about how to culturally contextualize, judge, and compare eating experiences in both explicit and implicit ways, how to expand our vocabulary and fill up the bank, reviews are an important locus of meaning in the realm of food. † Coherently, gourmets argue that with the absence of writing, food is merely confined to its biological purpose and economic standing. Recording the dining experiences, avoids the quotidian encapsulation and impulses food discourse into the realm of intellectual pursuit. (Davis, 2009 , pp. 13-16)Food, being a vital necessity of human nature, has developed in the last centuries as not only a survival instinct, but a desire that can drive customers to a satisfactory and rewarding emotional experience. (Berridge, 2001 , pp. 234-242) Hence, the advancing phenomenon of eating out and the fast growing pace of the Gastronomic industry, has gained uncountable followers. (Upadhyay, Singh, & Thomas, 2007) The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of restaurant reviews upon consumer selecting criteria. Examine the information quality, and source credibility of restaurant review systems and their influence on consumer’s utilization.Page | 3 1. 2. Overview of the themes Technological advances have brought the ease of accessibility to immeasurable information. Restaurant reviews systems are widely spread, due to the fact that consumers are wil ling to refer to either expert or peer created reviews before a culinary venture, to avoid potential risk or uncertainty over food/service quality. (Choi & Ok). In contrast, Bouton and Kirchsteiger (2001), elaborate on the theory that the existence of favourable rankings might affect consumers by increasing the market power of firms, leading to inflating flexible prices and therefore lowering customers’ solvency power. Bouton & Kirchsteiger, 2011) 1. 3 Peer vs. Expert Opinion Constraints Luca (2011) discusses the criticisms on the reliability of the information obtained from both expert and en masse review systems. Constraints such as the hedonic value of palatability, as a result of the diverse interpretations of quality perception in conjunction with the possibility of stakeholders altering submissions, that will cause biased results. Equally important, the subjectivity of information on peer reviewed evaluations, which normally reflect a non representative sample of custom ers. (Luca, 2011)Concerns in the case of expert reviews, for example the Michelin Guide, include the propensity to cover small segments of a market and the companies’ obligation to comply with mandatory disclosure laws. (Luca, 2011) Furthermore, Geraud et al. (2012) considerate that even expert reviews might be somehow biased; bolstering French cuisine. Notwithstanding, Johnson et al. (2005) attributed the hegemony Francoise, to the long tradition and paramount magnitude of haute cuisine culture in France. Existing literature demonstrates the significance of experts? opinion and social learning, to model consumer criteria.However the Michelin star system, especially in Europe, is to some extent overwhelmingly pondered as the most recognized and respected system for haute cuisine. (Johnson, Surlemont, Nicod, & Revaz, 2005) Page | 4 Generally, three etoile restaurants are led by highly creative and skilled chefs, emphasize on hiring high quality personnel, employ first quality ingredients and secure an exclusive wine list. Nonetheless, the absence of standardized requirements suggest an unaccountably vagueness on the rigorously selected and qualified inspectors’ accreditation criteria. (Johnson, Surlemont, Nicod, & Revaz, 2005)Comparatively, peer reviews also face system imperfections. Anderson and Magruder (2001) encounter that there is a 49% increase on restaurant customer flow as result of a ? star increase on a Yelp rating, yet this ratings are rounded to the nearest half star which might convey an imperfect signal of quality. 1. 4. Impact on Customer Behaviour Bickart and Schindler (2001) highlight the effect that online reviews originate upon customer decision-making process, as they play an influential role providing an interactive venue to share quality perception of a product or service.Conversely, Banerjee (1922) and Bikhchandani (1988) et al. (as cited in Geraud et al. 2012) Localized conformity, fashion and heard behaviour sequence caus es the purchase decision to be purely influenced by prejudice. Following preceding peers actions without contributing an own judgment leads to an information disequilibrium. (Gergaud, Storchmann, & Verardi, 2012) In accordance with Andersson and Mossberg (2004) who suggest that dining experience engrosses much more than good fooD. Gunasekeran (1992) (as cited in Upadhyay et al. 007) concurs â€Å"A restaurant takes the basic drive – the simplest act of eating – and transforms it into a civilized ritual involving hospitality, imagination, satisfaction, graciousness and warmth† (Upadhyay, Singh, & Thomas, 2007) The dining experience is sorted and evaluated in components proposed by empirical qualitative data from first round interviews (Kivela et al,1999). Primary factors empowering diners’ visit intention are the food and service quality, atmosphere, and relevant convenience factors.Restaurant reviews focus and delineate their appraisals in these determini ng attributes to assist customers’ selection criteria process. (Kivela, Reece, & Inbakaran, 1999) Page | 5 Empirical evidence has also proven the assumption of the impact that social learning, thanks to technological diversification, or professional assessment evaluations indeed contain relevant information. (Luca, 2011) Subsequently, growing literature papers link the relation between restaurant revenue boost as the result of favourable reviews. For instance, Geraud et al. 2012) finding on the comparison between the continuity on pricing level from 2004 to 2007 in NYC, considering a priori and posteriori scenarios of the inclusion of the Michelin Guide (2005) in the city, proved a substantial marginal price increase of approximately 37%. Furthermore, Luca (2011) concluded that a one – star increase in Yelp rating leads to a 5 – 9 % increase in revenue. Nonetheless, consumers’ quality perception scope through pricing signalling quality is diminishing as c onsumers’ knowledge widens. (Gergaud, Storchmann, & Verardi, 2012) . 5. Consumer Information Utilization Yet, it is unclear that the consumers’ responsiveness and utilization of the available information which is reliant on the accessibility, simplicity and trustworthiness of the actual valuable content. This hypothesis portrays the Bayesian inference which customers act upon (Luca, 2011). â€Å"Bayesian inference is a method of statistical inference that uses prior probability over some hypothesis to determine the likelihood of that hypothesis be true based on observed evidence† (Mans, 2010 , p. 1) Cai et al. 2008) conducted a randomized natural field experiment proving that assessing consumer options on menu items by providing a forged list of the top 5 selling dishes, reported an increase on demand of 13% to 20%. On the other hand, Kivela et al. (1999) explore the consumer behaviour model under the disconfirmation theory, which construes that customers compar e their own dining experience with some basis gained by direct or indirect previous experiences. This might be obtained from either social or expert assessments, and the assumption that a customer will weight various restaurant attributes based on expectancy theory.Furthermore, they studied customers’ perceptions of restaurant attributes based on demographic characteristics which shape selection criteria. (Kivela, Reece, & Inbakaran, 1999) Page | 6 Upadhyay et al. (2007) research analysis differs from the scheme that Keevela et al. (1999) suggest, since demographic variables have an insignificant impact on consumers’ preference and visit intentions. Conclusion analysis elaborates on the deciding attributes for restaurant selection, quality of food per se being the most imprescindible component.Secondly, service quality which plays a major role in customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction and return patronage accordingly. Location, ambience and other facilities are inclu ded on the deciding factors, but disregard Keevela’s et al. (1999) finding of ambience being the fundamental factor. (Upadhyay, Singh, & Thomas, 2007) Page | 7 Page | 8 3. Works Cited Anderson, M. , & Magruder, J. (2011). Learning from the Crowd: Regression Disconinuity Estimates of the Effects of an Online Review Database. The Economic Journal , 2 . Berridge, K. C. (2001 ). The Phsycology of Learning .In Reward Learning (pp. 234-242 ). Academic Press. Bouton, L. , & Kirchsteiger, G. (2011). Good Rankings are Bad – Why Reliable Rankings Can Hurt Consumers. Centre for Economic Policy Research, 1. Cai, H. , Chen, Y. , & Fang, H. (2008). Observational Learning: Evidence from a Randomized Natural. Yale University. Choi, J. W. , & Ok, C. (n. d. ). The Effect of Online Restaurant Reviews on Diners' Visit Intentions. Kansas State University . Davis, M. (2009 ). A Taste For New York; Restaurant Reviews, Food Discourse, and The Field of Gastronomy in America. New York Universit y , 4.Gergaud, O. , Storchmann, K. , & Verardi, V. (2012). Expert Opinion and Quality Perception of Consumers. Johnson, C. , Surlemont, B. , Nicod, P. , & Revaz, F. (2005). Behind the Stars . Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly , 170. Kim, S. , & Jae-Eun, C. (2010 ). Restaurant Selection Criteria: Understading the Roles of Restaurant Type and Customers' Sociodemographic Characteristics. Ohio State University . Kivela, J. , Reece, J. , & Inbakaran, R. (1999). Consumer Research in the Restaurant Enviornment: Part 2 Research design and analytical methods.International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management , 269 – 281. Luca, M. (2011). Reviews, Reputation and Revenue: The Case of Yelp. com. Harvard Business School. Mans, Y. (2010 ). Bayesian Inference. Machine Learninf Foundation , 1 . Michelin. (2011, November 29). Retrieved from www. michelin. com Talmadge, E. (2008 , August 29). USA Today. Retrieved from Tokyo Michelin Dispute: http://usatoday30. usa today. com Upadhyay, Y. , Singh, S. K. , & Thomas, G. (2007). Do People Differ in

Influence of Cartoon on Children Essay

Cartoons are the most frequent and easily accessible source of entertainment which we provide to children. With the vastness of media and extension of channels, it has become easier for children to watch their favourite cartoons on a single click and at the same time it has become more convenient for parents to provide children with this all-time favourite activity of theirs. Time which was previously spent by children in outdoor activities is now replaced, as now they can be found glued to the TV sets for long hours, peering at all sorts of cartoons, mostly without the supervision of elders who are completely unaware that this might have certain effects on their psychological development later on displayed in their behaviour patterns. There is a wide range of cartoons from fairy tales like ‘Beauty and the Beast’ to action-based cartoons like ‘Ben Ten’ and ‘Pokemon’. Children between the ages of 6-8 have different preferences; girls are usually into fairy tales and animated ‘Barbie’ series whereas boys and some girls even usually have their favourite super hero cartoons like ‘Spiderman’ or ‘Batman’ or action flicks like ‘Bay Blade’ or ‘Dragon Ball-z’. Children are at a stage when their minds are developing and forms impressions easily so parents need to be careful what they expose them with. Children have become much more interested in cartoons over many years and it has become a primary action to some lives. Typically, children begin watching cartoons on television at an early age of six months, and by the age two or three children become enthusiastic viewers. This has become a problem because too many children are watching too much television and the shows that they are watching (even if they are cartoons) have become violent and addictive. The marketing of cartoons has become overpowering in the United States and so has the subliminal messaging. The marketing is targeted toward the children to cause them to want to view the cartoons on a regular basis, but the subliminal messaging is for the adults’ to target them into enjoying the â€Å"cartoons†. This is unfortunate because children watch the cartoons on the television and they see material that is not appropriate for their age group. The Children who watch too much cartoons on television are more likely to have mental and emotional problems, along with brain and eye injuries and unexpectedly the risk of a physical problem increases. Television’s Effect on the Brain and Eyes In December 1997, an episode of the Japanese cartoon â€Å"Pocket Monster† (later renamed â€Å"Pokemon† for international distribution) drew worldwide attention after multiple cases of children suffering seizures after watching the episode were reported (Warner, 2004). Parents began to wonder how the cartoons their children watched affected their mental development. While no former study specifically relating to cartoons has taken place, multiple studies over the years have charted the impact of television on the minds and eyes of developing children. Most eye specialists agree that watching television is not a danger to the eyes, as long as children watch in the right conditions. The room should not be pitch black, and children should not sit closer than five feet away from the screen. Sitting in a dark room or closer than five feet will not damage the eyes, but will result in eye fatigue. (Adams, 1992). As for the brain, there is scientific evidence that too much television can be detrimental to children. The April 2004 issue of the medical journal Pediatrics published a study done by Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center of Seattle, Washington. The study revealed that children who watched three to four hours of television daily had a 30 to 40 percent greater risk of developing attention deficit disorder than children who did not watch television. While no specific program is directly responsible, Dr. Dimitri Christakis, leader of the study, speculates that the speed of the images displayed could affect children’s brains (Today’s Chiropractic, 2004). But does watching television give young children seizures? Yes, and no. A study released by The New England Journal of Medicine in July 2004 found that most children who suffered seizures from that December 1997 episode of â€Å"Pocket Monsters† had epilepsy, or some other underlying condition that would have caused development of seizures, regardless of whether or not they saw that program (Warner, 2004). TV’s Effect on Children’s Behavior Television has long been criticized for influencing our children. People complain that certain TV shows are having negative effects on their children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) both feel that TV does influence the behavior of children as young as one year old. From their studies, the AACAP states, â€Å"Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. This speaks to the impressionable mindsets of young children, who are still learning control of their minds and bodies, and are likely to mimic what they see, as it seems quite normal to them. The AACAP also stresses the need for parents to keep a close eye on what their children watch. They must be there, the AACAP says, to explain that the cartoon character or actor that was shot has not been harmed, but would actually be seriously injured, or die in real life. They should also work to tell their children that violent behavior is not the best course of action to resolve a conflict. The AAP states â€Å"Neuroscientists have shown that environmental experiences significantly shape the developing brain. † This again adds to the idea that young children are very impressionable. They paid more attention to the effect of TV on children in their daily lives. â€Å"Higher levels† the AAP states, â€Å"of television viewing correlate with lowered academic performance, especially reading scores. This may be because television substitutes for reading practice, partially because the compellingly visual nature of the stimulus blocks development of left-hemisphere language circuitry. A young brain manipulated by jazzy visual effects cannot divide attention to listen carefully to language. † TV is a very quick medium. Messages are shot at the viewer as if by an automatic rifle. Their minds must be equally as quick to interpret the messages, and with such a â€Å"two-minute mind†, many messages are misinterpreted, or confused. When the child becomes used to receiving information at so fast a rate, they lose interest in information that is more detailed and methodical, such as the information received in day-to-day schooling. Television certainly does affect the children, who find themselves mesmerized by the bright flashing objects, and rapid assault of messages. It is good to know that the leaders of our medical professions feel that parents and supervisors of children are able to help slow the information down, and explain what the messages really mean, so as to have a more positive effect on our children. Auditory Subliminal Messaging in Children’s Cartoons The lessons that the media conveys to those parts of the mind without conscious perception through the cartoons that people watch, are referred to as subliminal messages. If that’s the Democraitc way, I am voting Republican. † This was said by Meowth in an episode of â€Å"Pokemon† that aired on Monday, October 11th, 2004 at 4:00 p. m. When children watch cartoons, they always pay attention to what is being said. In a child’s subconscious mind, he or she is exposed to auditory subliminal messages that they may never discover, but they will eventually become a part of their lives. Not all auditory subliminal messaging is negative. However, most of these messages have a negative effect on children. The interesting thing about the situation is that these messages are most common in popular cartoons. SpongeBob Squarepants has been on the air since 1999 on Nickelodeon. Today, it still remains popular and new episodes are still being created. It is now 2004 and people are speaking out against the messages that they found hidden in a number of episodes. The main allegation against SpongeBob Squarepants is its use of metaphors in place of profanity. When he is disappointed, SpongeBob will often yell out â€Å"Tartar Sauce†. To an adult ear, that phrase may sound like it is intended to represent a curse word. Also belonging to the Nickelodeon station is â€Å"Rugrats†. It has been on the air since 1991. The show is often seen as prurient or â€Å"sex driven†. The last name of the main characters is â€Å"Pickles† which is a euphemism for the male genitalia. Lou Pickles usually calls his grandson, Tommy Pickles by the name â€Å"sprout†. It has been argued that this nickname is also a euphemism for the male genitalia as well. Angelica Pickles represents the S&M of â€Å"Rugrats† because constantly physically and verbally abuses the babies. Lesbianism is also portrayed in this cartoon. Phil and Lil’s mom, Betty Deville is what we would call a â€Å"Bull Dyke† because she wears a bandana, hangs out with feminine women, yells a lot, and loves sports. When parents choose what cartoons to let their children watch, they want to make sure that these cartoons are appropriate for general audiences. If a parent was to find profane or sexual language in the content of a cartoon, they wouldn’t allow their children to watch that cartoon anymore. People who create popular cartoons are careful to not allow any vulgar content to be incorporated into their cartoons. However, every cartoon can’t be made perfectly safe for viewing by children and some of the verbal content may be mistaken for auditory subliminal messages.

Unethical Drug Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry Free Essay Example, 1500 words

An example of the unethical marketing practices would be the targeted advertising and marketing aimed at arthritic patients and convincing them to take drugs like Vioxx that have longer term side effects on the patients. The way in which drug companies marketed the said drug and its variants (it needs to be noted that most drug companies are into arthritis alleviating drugs) and given the fact that arthritic patients are vulnerable to such offers because of the intense pain that they experience, these marketing efforts reek of immorality and an absence of a conscience on the part of the drug marketers. The example of the marketing practices with reference to the drug above is a useful starting point for the analysis of the broader marketing practices from utilitarian and deontological perspectives. Utilitarianism is a branch of philosophy that advocates the virtues of universal good and causing as much happiness to a greater number of people and promoting social welfare. The pioneers of this school of philosophy were the Eighteenth Century Philosopher and Social Thinker, Jeremy Bentham and his follower John Stuart Mill who was a nineteenth century philosopher. We will write a custom essay sample on Unethical Drug Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The utilitarian’s posit the view that actions should be pursued if they result in the overall good of the people and promote social welfare and happiness for the maximum number of people. By this standard, it is apparent that marketing of drugs like Vioxx is harmful to society at large because numerous studies have shown that prolonged use of such drugs increases the risks of heart attacks and strokes though the drug companies advertized it as safe for the arthritic patients (Markel, 2006). This is one example of the unethical drug marketing practices of Big Pharma wherein they sought to increase their bottom-line at the expense of the patients. This is a clear violation of utilitarian principles where the interests of the majority are not taken into consideration and the actions of the drug companies are intended to enhance the interest of the few (shareholders) and ignoring the interests of millions of patients who were at risk by taking th is drug. Utilitarian thought has been used to justify business actions by invoking the cost benefit approach wherein the benefits to a large section of society are deemed to justify the costs involved as well as the consequences (Halbert & Ingulli, 2008). Hence, the makers of Vioxx, Merck, may claim that their drug is beneficial to many patients and the overall good that comes out can justify the incidence of side effects in a minority (Markel, 2006).