...SPIRITUAL LIFE AND BELIEFS I do not really have a defining moment in my life where everything changed and gave up drugs and drinking and turned towards God. However, I do have a moment where I turned to him but it isn’t big and grand. Sometimes I wish this was different, sometimes I wish I had some big grand story but then again. I have been immersed in God’s life for all my entire life and I can’t complain about that. I was born in a very spiritual family with parents who had very clear and strict rules when it came to church. After I was born, as soon as I was able to recognize my surroundings I was in church. I remember a few instances when I received some spanking for trying to lie my way out of going for Sunday school. However later on I became quite an active member of every club in Sunday school, be it drama, music and even became a Boys & Girls Brigade leader. However as I grew older and past the Sunday school age, I started losing my way as I tried to figure out where I fitted best. I started moving from church to church following my friends as I tried to fit in. At this point is where I came to appreciate the importance of family worship. A person who has a meaningful plan for his children has to invite God in to his home in order to lay a firm foundation for his family. It’s at home where children should gain the true education since it’s the very first school all children must begin from. Despite thinking I’m all grown...
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...every episode following, resources that can be utilized if you become or are pregnant and need support services. Hampton effectively convinces her audience that teen pregnancy is a life changing experience through the ABC Family’s hit show the Secret Life of the All American Teenager. As Hampton directed a show that resembles these hardships and possible outcomes of having the responsibility of being a teen parent, she goes in depth about the different events and obstacles that may be faced. Parents are so strict when it comes to their teens becoming sexually active that when they become sexually active they feel that they can’t talk to their parents putting them at a higher risk for teen pregnancy due to the miss use of contraception. Secret Life was created to spread awareness about safe sex and the responsibilities of being sexually active. Throughout this show Hampton demonstrates the difference between adoption, abortion, and miscarriage. By having each represented in an episode and having different characters throughout the show act these situations out. Also showing the different effects it has on the girl, significant other and family. Most importantly, teaching safe sex. Not only towards teenagers between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, also to parents. In episode one of season one, ‘Falling in Love’ is the main idea and is the opening episode for this show. All of the main and reoccurring characters are introduced....
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...Teenage Pregnancy: Acceptance as Pop Culture Our society comprises of many gender niches and roles. Women are sisters, daughters, and most importantly mothers. Motherhood is one of the most cherished roles that a woman can take on. In the past, women were meant to be seen and not heard as their value depended on their ability to bear children and raise them thoughtfully. Even though that has changed and women are expected to gain an education and lead a career, motherhood can still be a main part of their life. However, motherhood does spring upon on some by surprise. Teenage pregnancy in the last few years have been on the rise and has become a problem for some to live up to that expectation of an education and career (Peck). In the past, teenage pregnancy was a taboo. However its discussion has become more widely accepted. Through analyzing the Candie’s Foundation ad in the October 2011 issue of Teen Vogue, it can be seen as an example of the shift in perception of teenage pregnancy in the United States. The Candie’s Foundation is a philanthropic branch from the clothing line Candie’s. The clothes from the Candie’s brand are meant to appeal to teenage girls who dress girly and traditionally feminine. Focusing on the same demographic, the foundation was founded with the goal to raise awareness about teenage pregnancy in 2001, according to their website. The print ads from their current campaign mainly feature female celebrities such as Fergie, Hilary Duff, Ciara, Hayden...
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...Social Issues in Advertising: Bonus Assignment 1. Advertising Promotes Materialistic Values Materialistic values are values that deal with possession. It deals that as people we want things that we can touch and feel like shoes and furniture.(2) Advertising is everywhere and many people would agree that it promotes materialistic values. I would have to say that I also agree advertising promotes materialistic values. Advertising contributes to a sense of wants and needs of items. For instance, when you are exposed to store ads and billboard the particular item portrays this luxurious lifestyle or ideal world. Most people can relate to this feeling. According to George Zinkhan, as a society, we are no longer involved on what we need but what products we want to have. (2) Everyone is familiar with the saying “money can’t buy happiness” well advertisements lead you to believe otherwise. Buying into a brand gives you a sense of belonging and a misinformed judgment. For example it creates the illusion you are like the woman in the poster and your life is perfect, fueling the fire of materialism. (1) Advertising Does Not Promote Materialistic Values Although some people would agree advertising promotes materialistic values, others would say all the commotion over advertising is because of the social aspect. (2) Throughout advertising history, a focus has been given to selling products with a promise of social acceptance, because not being accepted socially is a major individual...
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...the population who have achieved self-actualization would have increased. While there are no studies to ascertain whether this is or is not the case, there are a number of factors to be taken into consideration that act as barriers to self-actualization which I will now discuss. In the past 50 years, society in which we live has made a shift to being one that in largely concerned with materialism. As a result of this, from a young age individuals are becoming more and more materialistic and are focusing on obtaining the latest electrical gadgets, cars and footwear. The media plays a large part in this. Today even without leaving our house we are subjected to materialistic images on the television and in the newspaper, all of which subliminally affecting how we prioritise our needs. The media not only drives our desire for materialistic goods, but it also plays on our basic needs for ‘self esteem’ and ‘love and belonging, all of which is intrinsically linked. For many people, especially teenagers and adolescents, they believe that if they acquire these material goods then they will gain social acceptance from their peers, thus meeting their need for love and belonging. Similarly, for others who buy into the ideology of ‘retail therapy’ they feel the need to purchase material goods they have been sold through...
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...the population who have achieved self-actualization would have increased. While there are no studies to ascertain whether this is or is not the case, there are a number of factors to be taken into consideration that act as barriers to self-actualization which I will now discuss. In the past 50 years, society in which we live has made a shift to being one that in largely concerned with materialism. As a result of this, from a young age individuals are becoming more and more materialistic and are focusing on obtaining the latest electrical gadgets, cars and footwear. The media plays a large part in this. Today even without leaving our house we are subjected to materialistic images on the television and in the newspaper, all of which subliminally affecting how we prioritise our needs. The media not only drives our desire for materialistic goods, but it also plays on our basic needs for ‘self esteem’ and ‘love and belonging, all of which is intrinsically linked. For many people, especially teenagers and adolescents, they believe that if they acquire these material goods then they will gain social acceptance from their peers, thus meeting their need for love and belonging. Similarly, for others who buy into the ideology of ‘retail therapy’ they feel the need to purchase material goods they have been sold through...
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...The book “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” by Thomas C. Foster has offered a great to deal of insight to anyone who reads it. He takes the key principles or the foundations to understanding literature, and simplifies them to be understandable to a teenager. He includes many references to pop culture which further entices his readers. The purpose of “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” is to encourage teenagers to take an interest in literature. This book helped me interpret “Araby” written by James Joyce. You can apply the skills from chapter one (Hero’s Journey) to the story “Araby”. The hero’s journey is evident in “Araby” because it helps the reader see the moral of the story, materialistic goals will never fulfill a person, and makes this clear through the stated quest (to buy something from the Araby bazaar), the way the story ends and the slowly revealed true reason of the stated quest....
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...Teenagers...what images and words come to mind? If you are like most People, the first houghts will be negative:wild,irresponsible,immoral,violent. For generations People have complained about young people, but today the intensity of concern and the level of fear seems deeper than the “when I was young” lessons of our grandparents. Much of the public’s critique of teens revolves around parents’ perceived inability to be involved with their children and teach them the right values. It is not just the elderly who question the lack of values they see in our youth; parents of teenagers share the same concerns. The Current Environment for Youth As we begin a new millennium, the mood of the nation is optimistic. Most public opinion polls show high consumer confidence, strong satisfaction with the country, and a belief that the nation is on the right track. At the same time, people are very worried about the nation’s youth. “Education” has been consistently ranked as the top issue facing the nation, and the few polls that ask about children and families show a high level of concern for them. Adults have questioned teens’ values for generations and there is certainly a wealth of public opinion data that looks like generational griping. For example, in 1989, adults were asked to compare the youth of the 1980s to teenagers twenty years prior, and adults responded that “today’s youth” were much more selfish, materialistic, and reckless than a generation before. A decade earlier,...
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...promotes the various celebrities in popular culture, while rarely promoting the materialistic lifestyle of humanitarians, if it exists. Glamorous actors, singers, and athletes are more often used to sell products. The public (and in particular, celebrity worshippers) view the celebrity as having more material possessions, and envy the happiness that they perceive comes with that...
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...the population who have achieved self-actualization would have increased. While there are no studies to ascertain whether this is or is not the case, there are a number of factors to be taken into consideration that act as barriers to self-actualization which I will now discuss. In the past 50 years, society in which we live has made a shift to being one that in largely concerned with materialism. As a result of this, from a young age individuals are becoming more and more materialistic and are focusing on obtaining the latest electrical gadgets, cars and footwear. The media plays a large part in this. Today even without leaving our house we are subjected to materialistic images on the television and in the newspaper, all of which subliminally affecting how we prioritise our needs. The media not only drives our desire for materialistic goods, but it also plays on our basic needs for ‘self esteem’ and ‘love and belonging, all of which is intrinsically linked. For many people, especially teenagers and adolescents, they believe that if...
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...Introduction One of the remarkable transitions in Cambodia began in 1993. It was the economic reform switching from planned-economic to open-free economic market. Since ever, Cambodia gradually boosts the national economy by allowing private possessions and foreign investment. This is a signal of democracy in the nation. To be a democratic country, such rights and freedom must be given to the masses. It is well-known that people want to be equal before the laws and live in a happy life. However, one barrier to newly democratic country—Cambodia—is the citizens. More than half of the Cambodian population is under a poverty line, meaning they are insufficient not only in property but also in education. This situation is not good enough for Cambodians to get influence from the world. Being connected with globalization, Cambodia demands a higher standard and a good quality of production. Among those marketing competition, the most attractive and popular product is high-tech materials. Again, the other half of population might be able to afford such materials in order to live in the society. The society is affected by materialism, which considers possessions more important than values, and its effects range from psychological to economic. Materialism is sometimes used as a status symbol, causing people to purchase items they cannot afford, simply to fit in with an affluent crowd, or to keep up with the people around them. Materialism, although a motivating force in today's world...
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...not agree. In a general overview, there are many cases that supports or contradicts the statement, so let us go further into this issue and take a stand. The teenage years have often been considered as the carefree years, free of worries and responsibilities. Being carefree has also been cited as one of the reasons that made teenage years the best years of one’s life. However, to what extent is that true? In my opinion, the best indication of being carefree is stress levels. According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, American teenagers experience their highest level of stress on an average of 6.5days per month. This is considerably low compared to countries like China and Singapore, where the competitiveness resulted in teenagers experiencing high levels of stress more often. Comparatively, studies have shown that people in their childhood or retirement years experiences far less stress than teenagers. However, despite these facts and figures, statistics cannot account for the truth as different people have varying perspective on the definition of being carefree. In truth, the fun and relaxing lifestyle that we all endear for is...
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...everyday life for weeks or longer. It is normal for a teenager to feel sad or have uneasy feelings. When it doesn’t go away or stop, that is when it becomes a problem. It is actually more common in teens to go through depression. Grades, school, social status with peers, family, or life are some of the reasons why someone can be depressed. Holden Caulfield, from the story “The Catcher in the Rye”, was depressed because of some of these causes. He wasn’t able to find happiness and had severe guilt. The symptoms for depression can be really easy to spot. It is a change in behavior that you may see in someone. Depression symptoms can be different for every person. The more symptoms you have, and the longer you have them will more likely be that you are going through depression. All the symptoms will vary depending on what a teenager is going through. These are symptoms of depression: feeling hopelessness, appetite or weight changes, sleep changes, anger or irritability, self-loathing, concentration problems, and unexplained aches or pains. Other symptoms are excessive feeling of guilt, skipping school, sudden drop in grades, withdrawal from friends, and feeling sadness. Just like the way there are different causes for depression, there are also different way people will get treated for this. What may work for one person might not work for someone else. It will take time for the treatments to start working and the teenager to show improvement but it will work. For no underlying...
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...Introduction The Good and Bad Effects of Peer Pressure to Teenagers Peer pressure is commonly applied to younger people especially to us teenagers. Responding to peer pressure is a part of growing up that some teenagers more likely to give in. Peer pressure is the only thing that all teens have in common and some of them can't escape it because it’s almost everywhere. Peer pressure is the way that people influence another individual to take an action or adopt certain values to be one of their social groups. Teenagers are very quick in making their own decisions and judgements. When communication is lacking at home, teens may seek it among their peers instead to their parents for them they know that their peers are always right because they're feeling what you also feel. You think all of you have a lot in common. This outcome indicates that teens may find it more difficult to control their behaviors when their friends are around. They are visible and expressive when it comes to their peers but when it comes to their own parents they are invisible. They always keep in their minds that their parents will never understand them as their peers do. In the bright side, it can also have a positive effect. Peer influence is not necessarily bad at all times. Fellowship with other youths can also sharpen our personality and make us a better person. They can also be a good instrument for us teenagers if those peers have mature and healthy attitudes. They often...
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...How many times would you say you thought, “I need that bag, or those shoes” because everyone else has them? How many people do you speak to that know who you are as a person and not just the ‘things’ you like or the types of food you don’t eat. Is it possible that you could, unwillingly and unintentionally be superficial? Good morning everyone and welcome to the mindset of modern society, materialistic and consumer driven. Today, the desirable consumerist lifestyle outweighs the instinct of compassion, which only proves my point that the inherent values of consumerism force you all; yes you, to be insensitive. The Australian poet Bruce Dawe wrote The Not-So-Good Earth during the Vietnam War, about these values influencing the response towards those suffering in other countries. The text involved a family watching a peasant riot on television and contrasted “bodies going under the horses’ hooves” with “he did a terrific job” to try to warn you all about your mindlessness and yet, decades on from Dawe’s words, it seems few have listened. The oxymoron is to reinforce the idea that society is changing and now, through consumerist symbols such as the television, the disadvantaged are viewed as entertainment. You are not alone in this, I must admit that I am also a guilty party, but I believe we all need to change this insensitivity, a mere characteristic of an acquisitive mindset, to avoid the generalisation of humankind as having a consumer driven identity. We, as a whole...
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