Haunting Of Hill House Essays - English-language Films,

Haunting Of Hill House Throughout a person's life they will do something very ignorant or say something very stupid hundreds of times. Most of the time it is because they are trying to impress somebody or change their ways to make someone or others accept them. The story "Haunting of Hill House" has great examples of people changing just to fit in. The author Shirley Jackson, who died in 1965, was one of the most brilliant writers of her time. She was widely acclaimed for her hair-raising stories and novels of the supernatural. Although the "Haunting of Hill House" fits this description perfectly with its eerie description of supernatural tales of the happenings of Hill House; there is a more to it than hauntings. The story starts out with three guests being invited to the house to monitor any out of the ordinary occurrences in Hill House. Throughout the story the guests experience some ghostly moments. However during this one of the guest named Eleanor changes her ways to fit in with the guests. Her actions show that society's views on a person can lead that person to things they would never have thought of. One example would be when Eleanor told lies about herself and her past. Another example would be when Eleanor went around the house alone having no fear. Finally Eleanor became open and spoke out what was on her mind. An example of society's views on a person leading them to things they never thought of was when Eleanor became a liar and lied about her past. Today a lot of people are pressured so much by society to be a certain way they will lie about themselves to fit in with those certain people. In the story Eleanor feels that she does not fit in with the group of people who are staying at Hill House. She is a person with a lack of confidence so she feels she has to lie to feel accepted. "Theodora came through the bathroom door into Eleanor's room; she is lovely, Eleanor thought, turning to look; I wish I were lovely." This quote shows the lack of confidence she has. One of Eleanor's lies was when she told the others she lived alone in an apartment. This is not true because she lives with her sister and her boyfriend in a house. The reason she told this lie was because Theo lived in an apartment with a friend so she felt Theo would not accept her. Throughout the story there were instances where everyone in the house had an opinion of something. Eleanor would not tell anyone about the way she really felt because she didn't want anyone to reject her. So she would say what everybody else would say. If Theo favorite color was blue, so was Eleanor's. If Theo hated something so did Eleanor. Eleanor would have never thought she had to lie to fit in. Being pressured to fit it she felt she had no choice but to pick an identity the others would like. That is one example of how society's views on a person lead them to things they would have never thought of. Another example of society's views on a person leading them to things they never thought of was when Eleanor lost all her fear of Hill House. There are a lot of instances where people try to be someone they are not and are still not accepted so much they stop to care about everything else. This happened to Eleanor. She felt so isolated from everyone else and felt she stopped caring about everything. She did not think of the fear she had of Hill House. She didn't care. Since the others rejected her she felt the only thing she had was the house. Eleanor quotes," I Have broken the spell of Hill House and somehow come inside. When Eleanor first came to the house she hated it. She was scared of every room and would not dare go anywhere alone. Since she felt isolated from the others she felt apart of Hill House. One night Eleanor got out of her room and quietly went out of her room and roamed the halls alone. She knocked on doors and would wake everyone up. The others finding Eleanor's room empty went searching for her. The house that Eleanor would not dare explore alone felt like home to Eleanor. The house was all Eleanor had left. Eleanor felt the others did not accept her even when she

102LON_Week_Presentation_-_Formative_Feedback_Form Essays

102LON_Week_3_Presentation_-_Formative_Feedback_Form Essays NOTE TO ALL STUDENTS: Please use the information above to review & improve your future group work. 102LON Week 3 Presentation Peer Assessed Formative Feedback Student Name & Id 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. DATE: During the presentation the group provided evidence of (please tick): Excellent Good Average Poor Not evidenced Overview of how group members view their emotions Evidence of understanding what emotional intelligence is Evidence of personal development and reflection on emotional intelligence & the importance of it to organisations Evidence of independent research/work carried out towards the presentation Evidence of personal learning and personal development planning for the presentation (confidence during delivery) Students overall presentation/communication skills/ability Clarity/coherence of the presentation Overall Comments/Areas for Development: NOTE TO ALL STUDENTS: Please use the information above to review & improve your future group work. Please use this separate page for additional comments.

Relevance of Technology Pull and Push Debates Essay

Relevance of Technology Pull and Push Debates - Essay Example The paper concluded that the presumed assumption that market demand was important than technology push was ill-conceived and was not supported by any evidence. The conclusion practically undermines the policy notion that market demand brings about innovation and thus, the government is not required to intervene because innovation will be taken care by the market. Since the publication of the Mower and Rosenberg’s papers, there have been attempts to identify through survey research the factors that affect or influence innovation. These attempts have also led to debate whether market pull or technology push has greater significance in innovation. Mower and Rosenberg have indicated that those terms (market pull and technology push) lack precision, and they vary in meaning between research projects. Thus, they make comparison a difficult process (Howells 1997, p1210). Ottoson (2004, p279) argues that in order to solve one section of the problem, two forms of organizations must exi st; innovation push project organization to cater for the new innovations and a process-centered organization to take care of the current market demands or needs. According to Ottoson (2004, p280), the aim of innovative development is to create products that can be retailed. After the products have been sold and used, re-engineering is done to make sure that the market need or demand is generated. It is important to note that innovative development has not gained much attention because the main focus has been on re-engineering and engineering details (Ottoson 2004, p280). Most of the companies continue to function on a flawed supposition that demand... In the 21st century, market pull is common in the pharmaceutical industry. This report stresses that the growth of economies, industries, and corporations is accomplished through the application of services and products that relate to scientific and technological changes. There are researchers who argue that demand-pull leads to inventive activities. Other individuals such as Gaussling define demand-pull as the method through which there is direct response to the clear market demands. Rothwell’s innovation models explain, clearly, the meaning of technology push and market pull. According to the model, technology push is characterized by basic science, design and engineering, manufacturing, marketing and sales. On the other hand, market pull is characterized by market needs, development, manufacturing, and sales. This essay makes a conclusion that the technology pull strategy has been widely successful to a point that many have tended to believe that technology push is a waste of effort. This notion is, however, far beyond the truth considering the level of success that technology push has drawn for numerous companies. In fact, several companies thrive on innovation beyond what the customers actually need. In respect of these findings, both technology pull and push are important in the business environment and can draw pleasant result for businesses as long as they are properly and judiciously applied and implemented.

Human Resource Management and behaviour theories Essay

Human Resource Management and behaviour theories - Essay Example According to the study conducted it can be noted that the HRM landscape is changing due to various internal as well as external pressures. This can be illustrated by aspects related to HRM performance, HRM best practice as well as strategic human resources management. On the other hand, it can also be said that the changing HRM landscape is closely tied to the aspect of organisation or employee behaviour hence the HR manager has a significant role in deciding the intervention mechanisms that may be considered in using key performance management tools to drive organisational performance. Thus, the manager has a role to identify the needs of the employees and try to fulfill them in a bid to enhance their performance and the organisation as a whole. Strategic human resource management theorists confirm that human resources practices transform into high-performance work practices if HRM and organisation behaviour frameworks have been propagated. It is also believed that there is a correl ation between HRM practices such as recruitment and selection, employee training and development and employee/organisational behaviour tools such as motivation, employee engagement, empowerment and commitment. According to Combs et al, the Human resources are considered to be effectual and liable for company’s growth and progression, lead to increase in productivity and will surely control the costs as well. As such, this essay seeks to critically evaluate the influence of HRM practices and organisational behaviour on organisational performance.... According to Combs et al (2006), the Human resources are considered to be effectual and liable for company’s growth and progression, lead to increase in productivity and will surely control the costs as well. As such, this essay seeks to critically evaluate the influence of HRM practices and organisational behaviour on organisational performance. The changing HRM landscape organisational behaviour rhetoric The changing landscapes of HRM and organization behavior rhetoric have evolved over time and have had a significant impact on the performance of the employees as well as the organisation as a whole. Earlier, personnel management was primarily concerned with influencing the efforts of the employees towards the attainment of the company’s goals of realizing its profits and the needs of the employees as well as aspects related to their behavior were not given significant priority. During the current period, it can be noted that HRM turns out to be a supporting pillar for the employees and look towards their betterment. Changing HRM landscape leads to tremendous change in the way organisations operate and the managers have a duty to look for these changes. Thus, Michael & Susan (2008) suggest that HR professionals are constantly challenged to meet three competing aims: Striving to be cost effective by reducing the cost of operating services to meet the increasing demands of line managers and employees address the strategic objective of organization Apart from these various influences such as, adoption of technology in HR practices, outsourcing, transactional or routine activities, allocating more responsibilities to line managers are some of the factors characterizing the changing landscape of

Effect Of Marine Tourism And Diving Market Tourism Essay

Effect Of Marine Tourism And Diving Market Tourism Essay Introduction Marine tourism is a temporary movement of people to destinations out side their regular situation and activities within a marine setting. Marine tourism being a constituent of the tourism division is deemed to be growing swiftly both in stipulations of its size and its worth. This expansion in marine tourism is mainly important as such actions come up in places that could be measured to be peripheral in spatial, sequential and financial provisions. The peripheral environment of marine tourism destinations means that these places have been holdup behind in terms of their financial and communal growth. The marine tourism business acts as a chief role in making the World Heritage spot to a broad variety of guests. Aim Exploring the effect of marine tourism and diving market on people choices on their holiday destination Objective The objective of this research proposal is to analyze the trends and forecast of the marine tourism industry. This will be done by examining development in marine tourism growth globally. Factors encouraging people to go to coastal destinations A characteristic shared by many coastal destinations is a wealth of pristine coastal and aquatic environments for example most of these areas have the variety, ecological aspects and landscape features that are extremely sought by marine tourists. Examples of species around the world consist of cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises and whales) species of birds and fish, sharks, crocodiles sea lions seals, penguins, and polar bears. These species have a tendency to be attractive to the tourist because of being large and exhibiting fantastic behavior. The Activities at these coastal regions also influence people visit. They include; oil painting and mosaic making; jewellery assembly to cup cake decorating; artistic writing and photography; and cookery workshops, which are run by local citizens who are passionate concerning their focus and about where they reside. Creative workshops take place in exciting unique sites including the workshop leadersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ residences and backyard studios, many close to the marine. The creative workshops also present opportunity for people to enthusiastically participate in. Other activities that include species of plants and animals include guided rock-pooling activities. There are exciting self-sufficient shops selling local arts and crafts, art and theatrical venues, amazing galleries and vibrant music, at these seaside regions. There are also creative actions like Whitstable Oyster, Herne Bay, Festival Fuse in Medway and Whitstable Biennale, Broadstairs,Canterbury, and Deal Festivals which attract marine tourists. People working and living on these coastal regions provide skills that ensure segregation and local distinctiveness. Tourists visit these destinations to engage in leisure activities such as shell gathering, the aroma of salt air, the whack of the cottage screen door, the creepy elevation of a huge breaker, and sand all over the place. Tourist go on holiday to marine destination for relaxation and break: To stroll the walk on the seashore of a barrier island, construct sandcastles, stare over the hazy Adriatic from the holiday lodge with an arbor of fragranced jasmine. Some visit for adventure for example the boating tour to visit a puffin settlement on a natural creek, the walk atop surf-battered bluffs and the scuba push downward a sea cliff of coral. Others visit these destinations to see the coastal landscape and nature for example the rising seas; dwindling wetlands; oil drilling and shipping path offshore; garbage rinsing onshore and the air travel. 2. Exploring the reasons of increasing the marine and diving tourism Increasing the marine and diving tourism increases potential for expansion in the tourism division, and the marine tourism division as an input tourism factor that can naturally benefit from this growth. This also makes the tourism division to benefit from improved communication and transportation technologies. These enhancements can include better access to information concerning tourist destination and actions, and similarly outstandingly enhanced admission to tourism places by way of additional resourceful transportation. Enhanced transport efficiency can in turn make traveling quicker, extra direct and cheaper while improving admission to substitute settings. Diving tourism breaks has witness highest demand from local and international divers. It also aims to confine foreign tourist visitation thus boosting the tourism division 3. Identify typologies for diving tourism The growth in diving tourism has been encouraged by increased accessibility to training, apparatus as well as dive spots, and partially because of the negligible investment involved in taking-up scuba diving as different from other activities 4. Identify the top destination of diving tourism and marine ecotourism The North Sulawesi Watersports Association Formed in mid 1998 has agreed to support the North Sulawesi as a first-class marine tourism destination through development of high principles of service and security and sponsoring more ecologically aware water sports actions within the Bunaken National Park. The Turneffe Flats has for a time long been acknowledged as one of Belizes premier sea water flutter fishing, scuba diving and marine tourism destinations. This is located on the Turneffe Atoll, the major and mainly biologically varied coral atoll in the Caribbean, it specializes in finer service for a restricted number of tourist. Turneffe Flats is known as one of the Caribbeans leading saltwater dash fishing destinations. The variety of the brine flats fishing sets it at a distance from other destinations and the prospect to seize bonefish, allow and tarpon makes Turneffe Flats one of the rare. The atolls of Belize are charged along with the worlds best dive marine tourist destinations. It has perfect coral reefs, plentiful marine life and temperate Caribbean seas. There are hard to believe snorkeling is a basis of the parcel with a large variety of snorkeling options. The destination has several bird species that have been identified with West Indian Manatees. 5. Studying   the impact of the marine tourism on the destination Marine tourism makes logic of unity between host and tourists A big significance of marine tourism is generating feelings of resemblance between tourists and their relatives and friends with members and society in destinations. The understanding of calling other peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s places amplifies the feeling of solidarity and the force of the desire to contribute. Tourism is an important part of the local economy in many developing countries. Marine tourism is necessary to the livelihoods of huge parts of the destination population. Marine tourism contributes directly to the local economy, for example the informal division, directly profiting, the craft sellers, juice pressers, fruit sellers and local guides. Various destinations coastal areas face turn down marine industries. Marine ecotourism presents a means of realizing strategies for financial renewal, employment establishment and sustainable growth values, and improves the natural surroundings in which it exists. Marine ecotourism denotes ecotourism actions happen in the coastal region, in the marine surroundings. The marine and coastal surrounding is a collective global resource. More rigorous collaboration among neighborhood and nations on marine ecotourism guarantee the ecological qualities on which this tourism depends are sustained and improved. In most waning fishing neighborhoods in the European Union Atlantic Area, there is a similarity of possibility for the growth of marine ecotourism. The road and rail network for example, housing is largely already there in often dilapidated seaside resorts The biggest confront is the need for a transformation in the mindsets of policymakers within the various divisions that force upon marine ecotourism, as well as the populations with the prospective to widen tourism in the form of legitimately sustainable marine ecotourism. There is a necessity for events that understands in the local circumstance and with the confined stakeholders, without whose hold up and participation; no marine ecotourism would be legitimately sustainable. Marine ecotourism proposals should be optimistic to evolve at the confined community level. The basic major explanation for the expansion of marine ecotourism, it that it takes appropriate concern of the supply base which is the solution to preserving its wider reimbursement. Relating the profits of ecotourism to preservation guarantees that the interdependency is correctly recognized and taken into explanation in the preparation and organization of marine ecotourism. The available legal and other official methods have a significant responsibility to play in preparation and supervision for a legitimately sustainable marine environment. These require to be enhanced by a variety of unofficial and charitable actions in order to realize stability between top to down and bottom up advances. Increasing the statutory approach with charitable policies can tackle the inadequacy that official rigid configurations tend to display in value of the unique troubles inbuilt in preparation for legitimately sustainable aquatic ecotourism. The actions of marine ecotourism depend straightforwardly on the sustained accessibility of high excellence marine surroundings in which to function. The marine surroundings create a center of attention to tourists and grants them with ecotourism familiarities for which they are enthusiastic to compensate. In case marine surroundings are broken, tourists can longer desire to stay in the area concerned. Marine ecotourism has a tough incentive to check the marine environment upon which it relies, and it is vital to distinguish this in the expansion, preparation and running of such behaviors at a local point. The development issues that are fundamental in the preparation and organization of legitimately sustainable marine ecotourism reside in a problem area that requires partnership, than effortless collaboration. These problems are adequately difficult beyond the capability of any single person to decide them, dictating partnership between stakeholders. Marketing should prioritize the surrounding protection or else can serve to compromise the intended and run marine ecotourism actions. Accountable marketing of marine environment at the local stage should embrace the idea of surroundings and socio-cultural improvement, as well as local contribution and managing of marketing actions. The marketing of maritime ecotourism should be reliable with the main beliefs of sustainability. The ecotourism attitude grants a unique accountability on ecotourism familiarity providers to guarantee the inclusion of appropriate and efficient analysis of the marine environment. Visitors should also be well-informed about their probable collisions on the surroundings. Civic establishment are accountable for making sure that nautical ecotourism contributors are properly educated, and efforts made to make certain that local stage strategy makers, planners and other stakeholders fully appreciate the idea and reimbursement of marine ecotourism. Evaluating whether maritime ecotourism is being efficiently designed and managed calls for screening in short and long-term. This should be carried out with consideration to the efficiency and suitability of the dogmatic and charitable arrangement in place, the maritime ecotourism reserve base, the class of the merchandise and significantly, the reimbursement to communities. Crack and flaws in official preparation and guidelines means at a local level, unpaid arrangements should be made in working towards a sensible combination of official and unofficial procedures. This can also assist move charitable structures towards official appreciation, thus giving them power. This can be attained through licensing systems and revenue generating fees On the destination stage, marine ecotourism can be made as a product harmonizing existing festival activities as a naval ecotourism ingredient can be established to most seashore holidays if the funds and systems are present. This can decrease the overall worldwide warming repercussions as people take less but longer holidays. It can have more advantage in dropping the period of more traditional structures of tourism action in cooler destinations. Many countries all through the tropics account instances of how marine tourism has had outcomes in reef dilapidation. Terms of tourist amenities causes reefs to be mined for construction material choked by residue released in the creation and poison by ravage disposed from the finished, performance growth. Tourist growth attracts a profitable deal in marine junk which degrades reefs. Oceanic ecotourism has demonstrated itself capable of creating socioeconomic paybacks for destination coastal communitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ different parts of the world. For example, the socioeconomic impact linked with whale watching, which is a financial actions are both considerable and prevalent. Marine ecotourism is able of making peripheral coastal areas with a growth option that sustainable other actions for economic prospective. Marginal regions tend to rely on inadequate variety of economic activities in sustaining the living of their local society. The general activities in these areas are sea, sand and sun tourism and sea fishing for profit. The marine ecotourism also helps in the redistribution of income and the necessitate to invest in infrastructure.

Crimes Against Children

Crimes Against Children Child abuse has been a major social concern only since the 1950s but adults have victimized children throughout history. Children are the most vulnerable of all groups which is why child abuse victims are of great concern to society. There are different forms of crimes against children, child abuse, physical or sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. Child abuse is the neglect of or violence against children. From 1998 to 2000, 367,000 children were harmed by their parents.Physical abuse includes intentionally beating, biting, burning, strangling, hitting, kicking or shaking a child. In the 1060s the term â€Å"battered child syndrome† was coined. This is a condition where a child suffers serious physical injury usually inflicted by their parents or caregiver. Sexual abuse of children is particularly offensive and is the least commonly reported form of family violence. Unfortunately child sex abusers are family members and friends or neighbors of the victim. In many cases the child has a trusting relationship with the abuser.Emotional abuse is more subtle and involves power or control to harm the victim’s sense of self. Tactics such as verbal threats, social isolation, intimidation, exploitation, terrorizing a child or exposing him to family violence all serve to diminish a child’s self-worth and can cause impaired psychological growth. Child neglect is the chronic and repetitive failure to provide children with food, clothing, shelter, medical care or protection from harm. It constitutes the largest category of child abuse offenders.Fifty-two percent of all child abuse cases in the Unites States involve neglect. Parental alcoholism, drug problems and other inadequate social and family functions are among the factors affecting the child’s response to victimization. More needs to be learned about the long term consequences of childhood victimization. This article discusses what is known from past studies and also present finding of more recent research. Child maltreatment has physical, psychological, cognitive and behavioral consequences.These include minor injuries to brain damage and even death, low self- esteem, depression, substance abuse and suicide attempt. Cognitive effects include attention problems, learning disorders and poor school performance. Behavior issues range from poor peer relations to physical aggression to violent behavior. Males and females react differently to abuse. Males tend to externalize their feeling and are more likely to develop conduct disorders, while females tend to internalize their feelings leading to depressive disorders.Practices of the community and the justice and social services systems may have long-term effects. Children who are members of racial or ethnic minorities often meet with discrimination. Researches have suggested that victimized children are more likely to develop behavior problems in adolescence and may be labeled juvenile offender s. Abused and neglected children score lower on IQ tests and usually fail to complete school which leads to menial and unskilled jobs. Interpersonal relationships are also affected by child maltreatment.Frequent divorce and separation are more common in abused and neglected people. Childhood abuse also increases the risk of being arrested for violent crime. The psychological and emotional fallout for abused children include suicide attempts, antisocial personality disorder and alcohol abuse or dependency. Abused and neglected children may exhibit aggressiveness and behavior problems in childhood, delinquency in adolescence and antisocial and criminal behavior in adulthood.These children, as adults, may be more prone to become abusive themselves. Recent research indicates that child neglect especially at an early age causes substantial problems. Some forms of early neglect lead to â€Å"severe, chronic and irreversible damage†. There are many mechanisms by which abuse and negl ect affect a child but finding a single mechanism that explains all cases of abuse and neglect is highly unlikely. Both the textbook and the journal article agree that childhood abuse causes substantial problems later in life.

How Did Mass Media Influence Adolescents and Children in the Last Ten Years? Essay

TV Media’s Influence on Child Development http://www. cleancutmedia. com/tv-shows/tv-medias-influence-on-child-development â€Å"Several risks to pediatric health are literally staring children in the face. It’s time to call the doctor. † Want to share this old, but great article from the Harvard Medical Alumni Bulletin. Very interesting points about how media cuts into many issues such as obesity, eating disorders, attention disorders, violence, sex, and drug use and how Medical Professionals need to deeply consider how much media has an influence on the development of these. As this fairly long article is well written, I will simply excerpt huge chunks of it. I’ve copied out significant paragraphs and bolded the main points. Hope it is helpful. Full Article  Here. The most important thing we’ve learned, So far as children are concerned, Is never, never, never let Them near your television set†¦ They sit and stare and stare and sit Until they’re hypnotized by it†¦ Did you ever wonder exactly what This does to your beloved tot? His brain becomes as soft as cheese His powers of thinking rust and freeze He cannot think—he only sees! the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory TV Media on Child Development The Oompa-Loompas’ cautionary song about the hypnotic effects of television on children may have seemed alarmist in 1964 when Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was first published, but now its lyrics seem almost understated. In Roald Dahl’s story, television addict Mike Teavee pays for his obs ession by getting shrunk to the size of an actor on a television screen. Dahl exaggerates the effects of excessive viewing, but for children glued to media screens today, the consequences may be more insidious and just as hazardous. Decades of research have established that television and other screen media—movies, the Internet, and video games—constitute a powerful environmental influence on children’s health and development, according to the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston. American children aged 8 to 18 spend an average of 6 hours and 21 minutes daily using media—more time than they spend in school or with their parents. And the risks of so much time spent in thrall to their screens are serious. More than 2,200 studies have linked media use and aggressive behavior. By age 18, a child will, on average, have witnessed 200,000 acts of violence, including 18,000 murders. Children’s programs—shows that one would expect to be free of violence—average 14 violent acts per hour, 8 more than adult programs. For adolescents, the influence of violence in media may even prove fatal: the top three causes of death among 15- to 19-year-olds all involve accidental or intended violence. Media’s Influence on the Mind Like the Oompa-Loompas, Michael Rich ’91 understands the powerful clutch media can have on the mind, especially the mind of a child. So well has research documented the connection between watching violence on television and aggressive behavior, he says, that the correlation is â€Å"stronger than those linking calcium with bone density and passive smoke with lung cancer. † Rich, a pediatrician and former filmmaker who worked for two years with the famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, directs the Center on Media and Child Health. Much of Rich’s research has focused on the dangers stemming from the violence depicted on television and, more recently, the violence that permeates video games. One 2004 study by another group compared the physiological responses of adults playing four different video games, two with storylines and two without. The researchers found that story-based video games led to significantly more character and game identification and increased physiological arousal. Other studies have documented how such physiological responses can lead to aggression. â€Å"If you watch a violent show and a half hour later go to a store where someone cuts you in line, you’re more likely to respond aggressively,† Rich says. â€Å"Over time, small incidents accumulate and form patterns of violent behavior. What matters is that you learn from what you experience. † And by learning, he means the hardwired kind. â€Å"Brain mapping indicates that media violence is processed along primitive survival pathways and stored in long-term memory,† he says. In other words, we embed media violence deeply in our brains. In work with functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, Rich’s team has discovered that â€Å"the brain regions activated when viewing violence onscreen are the same ones that light up when those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder relive their traumas. † Alvin Poussaint, founder of the Media Center at the Judge Baker Children’s Center and an HMS professor of psychiatry, says that the way children learn from television can cause another form of lasting harm. â€Å"If children watch ‘edutainment’—shows that teach through song and dance—they begin to associate learning with an entertainment format and expect that format when they go to school,† he says. â€Å"But teachers aren’t going to sing and dance for them. So then children complain that school is boring. Compared to the fast-paced, exciting shows they’re used to on television, it is boring. Nothing will meet that standard. Television constantly ups the ante. † Some of the newest research suggests that television and the multimedia world in which children simultaneously watch MTV, listen to iPods, and chat on the Internet may be contributing to the increase in diagnoses of attention disorders. Rich believes that fMRI studies on attention, which are only now just getting started, will help establish whether a connection exists. Certainly, researchers have found a correlation between media use and reading. â€Å"Kids who watch the most television don’t do as well in school,† says Poussaint. Television is not the best way to learn; it’s too passive and noninteractive. † A 2003 study found that toddlers and older children with screen media in their bedrooms learned to read later and read less than those with no screen media in their rooms. The Oompa-Loompas begin to seem like prophets. Media can be a Good Influence on Development John Livings tone ’58, a pediatric psychiatrist at McLean Hospital, an HMS assistant professor, and a consultant to the television industry, is campaigning for PBS to embed emotional literacy in its new programming and for the cable industry to embrace health-risk standards. Television shows can model positive ways for handling feelings,† he says. â€Å"Social learning research shows that when children watch likable characters struggling with decision-making, they can learn better impulse control, especially when they see the realistic results of the choices the characters made. † The power of prosocial programming can be so strong, Livingstone adds, that even violent content—when portrayed realistically and in the context of outcomes—can be beneficial. â€Å"If it’s handled well,† he says, â€Å"violence with consequences can promote socially responsible behavior. Let’s say a show features a gang of kids on a street. In one scenario, a gang member remarks that a passing kid looks like a wimp and says, ‘Let’s punch him out. ’ The group beats him up. † â€Å"In a better scenario,† Livingstone says, â€Å"the gang member remarks that a passing kid looks like a wimp and says, ‘Let’s punch him out. ’ But this time a likable gang member speaks up against the plan, then another and another. Half the group takes off in protest. The other half beats the boy up and later faces legal and parental repercussions. The program could retain its dramatic tension while modeling a socially acceptable option in the teenager’s world. † Change Media Intake, Change Everything Else Strasburger, who researches media’s effects on children and adolescents at the University of New Mexico, also wants to promote media literacy, but finds it difficult to convince physicians, parents, and teachers that the issue should take priority. â€Å"When I consulted with the National Parent Teacher Association,† he says, â€Å"its leaders had a hundred concerns on their list, and media literacy was nowhere near the top. They wanted to talk about obesity, eating disorders, and bullying, but didn’t realize that media affect all those problems. Many parents and teachers believe media have a minor influence. That might have been true when they were growing up, but it sure isn’t the case now. † Poussaint adds that parents should play an important role. â€Å"Parents need to watch television with their children and explain what’s make-believe,† he says. â€Å"Commercials are especially insidious, because children don’t begin to understand the persuasive intent of ads until about age eight. Commercials also pit children against parents. Television tells children a particular candy bar will make them happy and, when parents refuse to allow it, the children see their parents as denying them this happiness. † Strasburger says some of this work can be done in school. â€Å"We need to teach kids skepticism about advertising and television programming,† he says. â€Å"They should understand, for example, why a commercial or show airs when it does. We already have a system in place for teaching media literacy: sex and drug education programs in schools. Both could incorporate media literacy, and teachers could take the lead. †