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Presentation

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7hylblc3bebv124/Prison%20Presentation.pptx?dl=0

Here’s a link to my presentation for tomorrow. 

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Extra Credit

I submitted a review.

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Assignment #7

After reading the article “Diamonds are Bullshit”, I found it a lot of details very surprising. For instance, the decreased value of a diamond after it is purchased. I had no idea that it worked like a car. I do not think a lot of people know that, or there wouldn’t be such a demand for diamond engagement rings. I was never familiar with the history behind the engagement ring. I thought it started before the 20th century, but did not think it was due to pressure from advertisements. It makes sense though, back then, especially after the Great Depression, men felt as though they need to prove their worth by getting the most lavish ring for their significant other to show his love. Which solely was dependent on how many carats were in the diamond. That’s what girls dream about all their life, getting the diamond engagement ring and being able to show it off. I believe that it is more of an investment if the engagement rings are passed down from generation to generation, because of the sentimental value that is carried along with it. When I first got engaged, a lot of my friends were shocked that my fiancé didn’t get me at least one carat and were in a way chastising him for not doing so. It ended up being a .93, but he picked the diamond that had the best cut, color, and clarity. To me, that says more than a carat size because the other 3 C’s are more often over looked. I understand that it isn’t an investment because of market value, but my fiancé was very proud to be able to get me my ring from all his hard work. Having a diamond engagement ring has become the social norm, but recently a lot of couples have been incorporating other stones to be different and find they are more affordable. This shows that as a population we are not letting advertisements tell us what we should be purchasing as a sign of our love.

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Assignment #6

I found that article on “When they Imprison the Wrong Guy” was very interesting because you see the quick judgement that officials make for an arrest of suspects in crimes without looking at the evidence fully. At the time, there was not a practice of DNA testing so they could not confirm that Michael Morton was not the suspect. But it stated that the officials were leaving out important evidence and testimony that helped Morton’s case but left it out of the case which resulted in a quick ruling of guilty. I thought it was also shocking that when DNA testing did become available that the officials originally did not want to administer it but instead a lawyer’s organization called the Innocence Project that fights for people that are wrongfully convicted found that he was not a match for the blood found on bandana at the scene of the crime with his murdered wife. The same DNA was found another homicide crime scene after Morton’s conviction. This has happened a lot in the past due to the lack of technology in sufficient evidence and forensic testing. Even so, some of the wrongfully convicted are given the death penalty. Therefore, if you do not have proper evidence and assurance that a person is 100% guilty than how can give the death penalty? Michael Morton could share his miserable experience in prison, since he didn’t get the death sentence. We need take a close look at how the justice system is conducting their investigations and make sure they are taking the necessary steps to administer justice, and convict the rightful people committing these crimes.

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Assignment #5

I agree with the message that Hamilton Nolan is proposing about introducing prices for medical visits in advance to consumers so that they can then receive the best healthcare for one’s income. There is no transparency on what procedures cost before you go to your visits, and you will not know these costs until you receive the bill in the mail. Then how do you know what the procedure should really cost? Is that a fair price for what is being done? I recently had to go to the emergency room because I felt a weird pain in my abdomen, and it wasn’t anything serious. Especially not to go to the emergency room, but I couldn’t get an appointment with any doctor on short notice. When I got my bill, it ended up being thousands of dollars for only two tests, and to walk into the emergency room was $3,000. Why? If I had known how much my bill was going to be beforehand, then I would have considered waiting another day to see if I still had the pain then decide if I wanted to go seek medical attention. I understand that you should always seek medical attention if you are ill, but you should have the freedom to shop around and see which doctor would be to your best benefit.

If the Canadian healthcare system moved to the United States, I think it would be a good step in the right direction for Americans. This would be regarding Medicare being available for everyone in Canada and medical care is free. In the United States, Medicare is only for the elderly. As Olga Khazan shows in the article, the good news is that it would prevent a lot of infant deaths and a tremendous amount of money in healthcare spending. She then goes on to state that the free healthcare would bring in more people that would not seek medical attention due to the overwhelming cost in the United States. Yes, Canadians spend more time waiting for the medical services compared to the United States but we could say that, that is better than all the money we are spending on healthcare. Another trend that I think we should implement from Canada is that pharmaceuticals are negotiated at a federal level, rather than a private level practiced in the United States. This would lower the price of these drugs that people rely on. I believe the United States should learn from the Canadians and implement a healthcare that is similar in steps but what works best for the American people.

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Assignment #4

It is very troubling to realize that majority of my food choices are not marketed as they seem. For example, when a carton of eggs is advertised as “free range” it really means that the chickens are tightly packed into a long shed with access to a five-foot door if they choose to venture out. But, why would they? They have all that they need in the shed, food, water, etc. If organic chickens were to go outdoors then they would have a greater chance of obtaining infections because  they are not being provided with antibiotics like conventional chickens. It would be to the farmer’s disadvantage and therefore would want to prevent this from happening. The image and labeling that consumers, in addition to myself, get from these stories about the farms and animals producing the products, can be very convincing to people that do no further research. I am among the consumers have played into the pastorals that these farms portray and often buy “free-range” or “cage-free”, thinking in turn it would be better because it was advertised and marketed that way. The same message can be said for dairy cows that produce milk that is certified organic. The cows go through the same process as the chickens being confined to a small area, and not able to graze. Now I see that lots of different marketing labels are skewed in the interest of the company because organic and more humanely raised/grown products are in high demand. I would rather support a small farm than a large corporation because I can have the comfort to know that my food is being properly produced/raised.

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Assignment #3

Obesity is a growing concern in America, due to the influence of the food advertising, family lifestyle, and general lack of knowledge of proper nutrition. Specifically, the rates of childhood obesity have “doubled and tripled, respectively, over the past 3 decades.” (Roblin, Lynn 1). “Poor eating habits, including inadequate intake of vegetables, fruit, and milk, and eating too many high-calorie snacks,” (Roblin,1), respectfully contribute to the potential of developing diet-related illnesses or obesity resulting from poor diet and lack of exercise. The most common form of communication of unhealthy foods to children occurs through food advertisements, which have been traced to appeal more towards children and adolescents. In a manuscript written by Jennifer Harris, et al., she discusses that “[e]very day, children view, on average, 15 television food advertisements, and an overwhelming 98% of these ads promote products high in fat, sugar, and/or sodium.” (Harris, 1).

However, not all food advertisements are promoting unhealthy food choices. For instance, there is a growing trend among people using social media who have began to positively influence healthier food alternatives and documenting their food choices. Amanda Vogel explains this dynamic by stating: “Experts agree that social media posts can have an impact on how people view nutrition . . . [p]osting about food on social media can inspire smarter food choices. You can provide recipes, education, grocery-shopping tips and more.” (Vogel, 1). In addition to Vogel’s statement, Christopher Holmberg shared how social media has been influencing food. Holmberg says that “[w]hile blogs dedicated to exercise view food as fuel and vitamin packages, people following recipe blogs tend to emphasize the pleasure and indulgence associated with eating.” (Holmberg, 1).

An individual’s “family lifestyle” can be described as the “social norm” of living at that person’s home. And, in turn, a child’s “food habits and choices are influenced by family, caregivers, friends, schools, marketing, and the media.” (Roblin, 1). For example, if a child was raised to eat foods that are high in fat with lots of sugar on a regular basis, then this child will more likely than not continue to eat those foods later in life, continuing to make poor nutritional decisions “inherited” from his or her parents or guardians. This lack of education regarding nutrition and health creates a vicious cycle of generations of people who make poor decisions when it comes to their health. If adults, as well as children, were well informed of the different aspects of their diet, including good food sources, etc., then the risk of diet-related illnesses would be less prevalent in America. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, “added sugars make up about 16 percent of the average American's diet, well over the recommended 10 percent. Many of these foods offer little nutritional value while contributing to weight gain. Being overweight increases your risk of developing a host of chronic health conditions including heart disease and high blood pressure.” (Rodgers, Chris Dinesen, 1).

Nutritional information is widely available through government agencies, such as Dietary Guidelines, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, product labeling has improved the way people view food products with the breakdown of their components, one would also say that they are elaborate and confusing to understand. Product labeling was first introduced to, “inform consumers of vital information ranging from the product’s fat content to claims that its consumption may decrease the likelihood of diseases such as cancer.” (Parker, Betty J., 1). The importance of teaching the general public on dietary food choices and in turn promoting a healthy lifestyle are essential to progress as a species.

                                                  Works Cited 

1. Harris, Jennifer L. “Television Viewing and Unhealthy Diet: Implications for Children and Media Interventions” Health Commun. 11 Nov 2009. Pg 660-673.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2829711/. Accessed 08 June 2017. 2. Holmberg, Christopher. “Food and Social Media – A Complicated Relationship” Huffington Post, 05 March 2014, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-holmberg/food-and-social-media-a-c_b_4898784.html. Accessed 08 June 2017.

3. Parker, Betty. “Food for Health: The Use of Nutrient Content, Health, and Structure/Function Claims in Food Advertisements”. Journal of Advertising. Vol. 32, No. 3 Fall 2003. pp. 47-55, https://www.jstor.org/stable/4622167?seq=1#fndtn-page_scan_tab_contents. Accessed on 08 June 2017.

4. Roblin, Lynn. ” Childhood obesity: food, nutrient, and eating-habit trends and influences”. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, vol. 32 no.4, pp. 635-645, http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/H07-046#.WTgeJmgrKUk2007. Accesses on 08 June 2017. 5. Rodgers, Chris Dinesen. “How Food Choices can Positively and Negatively your Health.” Livestrong, Dec 2005, http://www.livestrong.com/article/444928-how-food-choices-can-positively-negatively-affect-your-health/. Accessed on 07June 2017. 6. Vogel, Amanda. “How Social Media Influences The Food Message”,Idea Health and Fitness, Nov 2016, http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/how-social-media-influences-the-foodnutrition-message. Accessed on 07 June 2017

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Assignment #2

Some questions I have thought of regarding Americans and food are:

1. How is the media influencing Americans about food?

2. What type of foods are Americans eating most?

3. Why is american food so bad for you?

4. What is the USDA doing for Americans in regards to the dietary guidelines and food consumption?

5. How can Americans differentiate what is false or misleading advertisement regarding food?

 Thesis: If advertisement companies were not purely motivated by increasing revenue, then they would not be driven to push unhealthy foods leading to the obesity epidemic in the United States. 

After I came up with the 5 questions over the subject American and food, I decided to use my first question to start my research process. I gathered information from all three search engines that were available. I found that the articles I found on the library database were most helpful even though I had to narrow down my searched quite a bit. I ended up using the keyword combination of “usda influences on food choices”, which gave me some good sources. When I searched on Google I found lots of articles that pertained to my search criteria of “media influences on food in america”, but it took me a while to go through and the most reliable sources. A lot of the articles stated statistics about different nationalities in America that were affected by media and I felt as though that was veering off of what the question was asking. I wanted to find out how the media was advertising different food commercials and how they have a negative impact on America as a whole. I ended up finding a total of 15 sources that I relied my information on, from there I narrowed down to the best sources I acquired and finished with 6 sources that I have listed below.

1. Harris, Jennifer L. “Television Viewing and Unhealthy Diet: Implications for Children and Media Interventions” Health Communication. 11 Nov 2009. Pg 660-673. 2. Holmberg, Christopher. “Food and Social Media – A Complicated Relationship” Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-holmberg/food-and-social-media-a-c_b_4898784.html. March 2014 3. Parker, Betty. “Food for Health: The Use of Nutrient Content, Health, and Structure/Function Claims in Food Advertisements”. Journal of Advertising. Vol. 32, No. 3 Fall 2003. pp. 47-55. 4. Roblin, Lynn. ” Childhood obesity: food, nutrient, and eating-habit trends and influences”. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/H07-046#.WTgeJmgrKUk 2007, 32(4): 635-645. 5. Rodgers, Chris Dinesen. “How Food Choices can Positively and Negatively your Health.” Livestrong. http://www.livestrong.com/article/444928-how-food-choices-can-positively-negatively-affect-your-health/. Dec 2015. 6. Vogel, Amanda. “How Social Media Influences The Food Message”. Idea Health and Fitness http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/how-social-media-influences-the-foodnutrition-message. Nov 2016.

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Assignment #1

To start my research on hashtags I searched with the first phrase on the assignment “history and evolution of hashtags” on regular Google and I did not find very many creditable sources such as databases or school studies compared to Google Scholar. It was a little difficult to find a credible source at first, until I narrowed my key words. When I would find credible sources, I stored all of them on a word document in MLA format, then saved that to a folder on my desktop to refer to them easily. Some keyword combinations I used for my research where: “The first hashtag”, “who originated the hashtag?”, and “how the hashtag has evolved”. I found a lot of very useful sources to attach to my MLA folder. I would keep up with my different keyword combinations by opening a new tab for each search, that way I would keep track of each source. I relied more on sources from Google scholar because of how many credible sources I found. 

Hashtag Sources

1.       Ahmad, Ifran. “Infographic: The Evolution of Hashtags - #socialmedia.” Digital Information World, http://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2014/11/the-history-of-hashtags-infographic.html#ixzz3JSgtv9pW. Accessed 6 June 2017.

2.       Brown, Heather. “Good Question: How Did The Pound Sign Become A Hashtag?” CBS Minnesota. http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/11/07/good-question-how-did-the-pound-sign-become-a-hashtag/. Accessed 6 June 2017.

3.       Chakelian, Anoosh. “#History: the journey and many faces of the hash symbol.” NewStatesman. http://www.newstatesman.com/sci-tech/2014/06/history-journey-and-many-faces-hash-symbol. Accessed 6 June 2017.

4.       Chang, Hsia-Ching. “A new perspective on twitter hashtag use: Diffusion of innovation theory.” Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology. Vol 47 Issue 1. Nov 2010. Pg 1-4.

5.       Darling, Meredith. “Evolution of the Hashtag” Social Media Delivered. https://www.socialmediadelivered.com/blog/2012/01/30/evolution-of-the-hashtag. Jan 2012.

6.       Edwards, Jim. “The Inventor of the Twitter Hashtag Explains Why He Didn’t Patent It.” Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com/chris-messina-talks-about-inventing-the-hashtag-on-twitter-2013-11. Accessed 6 June 2017.

7.       Huberman, Bernardo, et al. Social Networks that matter: Twitter under the Microscope. FirstMonday. Vol 14. Number 1-4. Jan 2009.

8.       Mars, Roman. “The Many Meanings of the Hashtag (It Represents Lumber Yards on Swedish Maps)” Slate. http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/12/17/_99_invisible_on_the_evolution_of_the_hashtag_by_roman_mars.html. Accessed 6 June 2017.

9.       Saxton, Gregory D., et al. “#AdvocatingForChange: The Strategic Use of Hashtags in Social Media Advocacy” Advances in Social Work. Indiana Univeristy School of Social Work. 2015.

10.   Smith, Gene. Tagging: People-Powered Metadata for the Social web. Berkley: New Rider Press, 2008.