The BEAST = Peeta Mellark

Amy Gamez

English 113B

Professor Christolear

May 3, 2012

                                                        The Effects of Media

            Media is a worldwide source to inform people or keep people entertained. In today’s time there are different types of media from television shows, to social media in the internet. People have developed new ways to communicate, inform, and entertain but the negativity in the media affects people in the way media portrays news or entertains people. In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games demonstrates the negativity that media has on the people of the districts by making them watch the Hunger Games and see the violence that the games portray. I believe that media nowadays has negative effects on people because of the new television shows and also of what can be accessed on the internet.

For instance,in The Hungers Games media has a negative effect on people because the Capitol shows the Hungers Games which is a violent game. The negativity in media that the Capitol projects from the games affects the families or the districts as a whole in a negative way because they have to see their children die on television. Katniss a tribute from District 12 says, “The brief sense of home I had that one night with Rue has vanished…I open the parachute and find a small loaf of bread… This bread came from District 11” (Collins 238). Katniss has seen Rue die and the idea of home has gone away but District 11 saw everything that Katniss did for Rue and as a token of gratefulness they send her bread.  District 11 has felt the pain and witnessed the death of one of their own tributes. The districts and family members see their children die in the games just like District 11 saw one of their tributes die in the games. The negativity of the games affect everyone as a whole.

 Also, the tributes manipulate the cameras in their own way which could be negative causing conflicts because the tributes can make a person believe something that is not true. For example, Katniss one of the tributes says, “As I hike along, I feel certain I’m still holding the screen in the Capitol, so I’m careful to continue to hide my emotions…What to make of it all? Has Peeta revealed his true colors? How does this affect the betting? Will we lose sponsors? Do we even have sponsors? Yes, I feel certain we do, or at least did” (Collins 165). Katniss manipulates or plays with the camera so that people do not see how she feels and that it does not affect potential sponsors. Katniss also thinks if Peeta has revealed his real him or if he is still acting a fake. Katniss does not display much because she does not want people to believe that she weak and wants them to believe that she can win the games. Katniss is certain that Capitol is watching her and in manipulating the cameras she can affect people from distinguishing what is real or fake and also she can keep them entertained.

            Furthermore, the Hungers Games themselves is negative because the games display death, and violence but the people of the Capitol find it entertaining to see young tributes fight to the death until one tribute is crowned victor. For example Kantiss and Peeta two tributes from District 12 say, “Why don’t they just kill [Cato]?” I ask Peeta. ‘You know why,’ he says, and pulls me closer to him. And I do. No viewer could turn away from the show now. From the Gamemakers’ point of view, this is the final word in entertainment” (Collins 339). The conversation that Katniss and Peeta have demonstrates that the people from the Capitol like to see the violence that the games themselves have to offer. Katniss says that she knows why the Gamemakers do not kill Cato one of the tributes from District 2 and the reason is that people of the Capitol will be seeing the death of that one tribute which will be entertaining in the eyes of the Capitol. The Capitol’s main media is the televised games which offer entertainment that the people find amusing and will not miss one bit because they want to see blood and pain that the tributes go through. Media that portrays violence and deaths is entertainment that should not be seen. The negativity can affect people because violence and death is something that should not been seen as entertainment and it is inhumane.

            In contrast, many people would argue back that media is positive and that it informs people about global problems or of situations in one’s own state. Someone would also argue that media itself has evolved in the past years rapidly and that it has had a positive effect on people because they get the chance to communicate with people from other places and that media is not simply only about entertainment. For example someone would argue that Facebook has had a positive effect on people because a person has the chance to communicate with people from other countries or with family members that live in other states.

            Some would agree with “How Social Media Is Having a Positive Impact on Our Culture” by Josh Rose, Rose argues that what social media has brought in the internet is “complex and interesting than we often give it credit for.” Rose also mentions that, “The machine does not control us. It is a tool.” Rose saying that the machines do not control a person it could be true but many people spend a lot of time on the internet checking if they notifications on their computers or cells phones. Rose also says that the internet is complex and interest how so is it interesting? Is the internet interesting in the fact that people can communicate with each other or that certain thing can be found on the internet. Not everything that internet has to offer can be secure or trusted.

            Therefore, I would argue back that, even if social media has had its positive affects it still has its negatives effects. For example a popular social media, Facebook, can cause a lot of problems in a person life because many people put up too much personal information. People on Facebook can tag other friends and put the location in which they are which could be a bit dangerous because someone will find you at that specific location. Another example is random people like to befriend a person on Facebook and someone might not know the history of that certain person. Facebook is not the safest place to put up some much personal information and meet new people.

            In comparison, “Tragedy Helps Highlight the Good (And Bad) Effects of Social Media” by Johnny Shaw, Shaw argues that after the quake in Japan people were putting false information on Twitter, Mixi and Facebook. Shaw says, “But it’s not been all good new regarding social media. Twitter, Mixi and Facebook started to be the place people shared dubious, if not just down right delusional information.”  People were sharing false information that could have led or did lead to people believe that something more serious was happening. Not everything that people display on social media can be true just like Shaw mentioned that people were posting false information after the quake. Once again the false information is negative because people cannot trust everything that is said on social media websites.

            Similarly, in Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, the novel demonstrates that media in the Capitol has had a negative effect and lead to false accusations. Peeta one of the victors and tribute from District 12 says, “‘Oh, I’m not too upset to answer that.’… ‘I want  everyone watching- whether you’re on the Capitol or the rebel side- to stop for just a moment and think about what this war could mean’” ( Collins 25-26). Peeta is being interviewed and he speaks to the people of the district to think of the consequence that the war could bring upon them. Later on after what Peeta has said people see him as a traitor; “Behind me, I can hear the accusations against Peeta building. The word traitor, liar, and enemy bounce off the walls” (Collins 27). Katniss is the speaking and she hears people calling Peeta names because the Capitol has televised calling for a cease fire. Peeta calling for a cease fire was seen as negative among the people or rebels because the rebel believed that Peeta was on their side. The Capitol has made Peeta look as if was in their side and made the rebels feel betrayed with what was side even if it was for both the rebels and the people of the Capitol.

However, also today’s TV shows are not all informative like The Jersey Shore which is televised on MTV. The Jersey Show is show to entertain people which displays a group of people living under one roof which full if drama and some drunks. The Jersey Shore is not an informative show because partying, drinking and bad behavior does not inform people but simply entertain.

On the other hand, some many argue back that some shows may be informative for example 16 and Pregnant which shows girls that are pregnant at a young age and are having difficulties in their life. People that watch 16 and Pregnant would say that show also informs that parents are supportive and the young girls continue with their education even when pregnant. I do not believe the show has a great impact on many of the teenage girls because young girl are still getting pregnant. The show might want to have a positive effect but it does not display the teenagers that have more difficult time when they are pregnant and have parents that do not support them at all.  They also do not display that many of the teenage girl that are pregnant drop-out of school and do continue with their education. The show might want to have a positive impact but the negativity of the show is that not everything easy as seen in the show.

            Media can be either informative or entertaining but it always has negative effects on people. As seen in The Hunger Games the tribute manipulated the cameras or the Capitol makes people look as if they are traitors. Also the negativity of the media in the Capitol affects the people of the districts and families members of those tributes that were killed in the games. From today’s shows and social media not everything is true and informative like The Jersey Shore and things that are posted on Facebook.

Work Citied

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. Print.

Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010. Print.

Roses, Josh. “How Social Media Is Having a Positive Impact On Our Culture.” Mashable, Inc., 2005-2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.

Shaw, Jonny. “Tragedy Helps Highlight The Good (And Bad) Effects Of Social Media.” Advertising Age 82.12 (2011): 4. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 24 Apr. 2012.

Rachelle Paguia

English 113B

03 May 2012

Professor Christolear

­­Media: Real or Not Real

            In the media, I watch a lot of different points that influence people and their lives. I want to explain the negative and positive points of media, where people are influence to follow. In the negative outlook, people are persuaded because of need to be uniquely different or the want to downgrade someone to feel the superiority. While, in positivity provides beneficial help by the news coming in faster, learning new materials, voicing out with opinions and many more. Throughout the essay, I will convey the persuasion that media has on the people by negative and positive points through the use of the reel world The Hunger Games and other real sources. In which, I believe media manipulates people’s lives to be different, to feel the authority and losing their lives and minds to media.

            One of the positive aspects that I have seen in reality television shows and movies gives the people hope and dreams to follow. The similarity that movies and reality shows has are by allowing ordinary people to dream and hope through auditions. Ordinary people are another way for calling folks who did not grow up in the luxury and dreams bigger from a farther away home. The auditioning process starts out with the producers of a movie or television show, where citizens are to be tested upon their talents. Within the thousands of people who audition, the producers choose a handful of citizens from the impression they gave. Just the same as the show American Idol, where producers will travel nationwide and hold auditions for soon-to-be singers. The producers give the joy to the hopefuls who passed the audition and these hopeful folks get closer to their dream.

However, I have to argue the hope that the producers give to the people who audition because not all get the chance to follow their dream. Hope is not the only feeling that producers give to folks auditioning but depression and low self-esteem. The depression and low self-esteem comes from the rejection that producers show to the auditioning folks. Some producers go as far to being very harsh to the people by saying ‘there is no hope for you here’ and many more downgrading phrases. The insulting words said to the rejected folks by the producers are embedded in their brains and think that they are not good enough, which with depression and lacking in self.

On the contrary, people learn new abilities by looking up in the internet, learning new materials or from television shows for their own interests. Mainly, teens and children find their interests of learning something they cannot because of other problems or payments. For example, my classmate learned how to play the cello for a few months through the help of YouTube and became part of my high school orchestra class. Not only does children and teenagers benefits from learning but also the adults, who missed out learning when they were younger and fulfilling their interests to the height of the their years. Adults can learn how to speak different languages from Rosetta stone. Learning new things are beneficial because learning makes the brain work and help when the time comes for use.

Furthermore, as one may argue that filmed media has positive features like the life lessons or hidden messages within the movie or show. Take for example, iCarly is teen sitcom, which had different lessons or hidden messages within each episode. Even movies have messages that are bundle in the film, through numerous combinations. The hidden message acts as lectures through the televised screen of many dramatized happenings and well-made props for the film to be true as possible.

Nonetheless, I must argue that not all shows or movies are great examples of life lessons. I believe that filmed media has barely any life lessons now because of the reality shows like the Jersey Shore. The show is located in New Jersey, where group of Italian Americans live together in a house; their living is all about intimate relationships, unreasonable brawls and drinking alcoholic beverages. The Jersey Shore cast portrays vulgar “lessons” to children to live their lives by drinking alcohol, have unreasonable fights, and go clubbing and many more reasons to just have fun early on in life. To which, I see as a negative point because I believe eventually the fun will die down but there would be nothing left after all the crazy fun.

In addition to the harmful media, that reality television shows are supposedly reality of a group of people but producers are tricking their audience to think so. In reality shows, lies the reel show of scripted lines, edited parts and trained to have a perfect close-like real life. For example, in Pinoy Big Brother, a Filipino reality show, a group of people are housed together for months without the freedom to go out. Inside the house, the cast work and live together with the challenges that are set up by Kuya, big/older brother, where they will be shown to tolerate, work, and fight one another. Not only do the cast have to work and tolerate each other but they are also to train to sing, act and dance; then, end with a winner by text votes. The training set up for Pinoy Big Brother cast and other people are focused on appealing the audience of who is the best and with the winner will gain the popularity and arrogance.

Despite, the people who may dispute my position, that the positive outlook in media’s persuasion to people is the fast news spreading throughout the world. The fast spread of words and/or happenings that come from across the seas via internet or news channels that present to the people. Wide spread news is beneficial, which comes from the news room or social sites; the news can be a heartwarming difference and/or a warning for something ahead. News like ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel), a Filipino news channel, and/or Good Morning America, where news anchors informs the people of the current state of the world, nationwide and local events. People are informed about the happenings of the North Korean missiles pointed to the Philippines from ANC and/or seven dead in Oakland, California School shooting from KTLA-5. The news being wildly spread allows people know the current status of the love ones they have across the world, which makes the world smaller because of the closeness of knowing the outcomes of the human race.

Moreover, media is helpful to the world because everyone is closer together by news, opinions and newly learned things. The media is the way that makes the world closer to one another to know the disasters, problems, triumphs and more of other countries. The world being a smaller place benefits everyone because there is an alliance to help one another and lesser fights. Together every citizen can work to together for the future to take care of the earth.  

On the other hand, I must say that not all internet information spread is that helpful. The news spread is not all beneficial because some may be all an act or rumor. For people, may take certain pictures or information and alter the report to sound true. After Katniss volunteers, main character of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, she walked up the stage. Katniss wants to show of herself to be strong “because this is upsetting [Katniss] and [she does not] want to cry. When [the Capitol] televise the replay… [Katniss will] be marked as an easy target. A weakling (Collins 23).” Katniss stood strong for volunteering in place of her sister to the fight to the death because she does not want to be noted as easy. In having thoughts to be strong, Katniss is influence to look good and strong for the camera since she does not want to be known as an easy target. Just like in the real world, people act up in front of the camera because folks will rather be perceived in a good angle, while citizens may and/or will feel different. In another scenario in the book, Katniss is training to be true and happy, though she is not, with Haymitch for the interviews before the games. Katniss holds onto her hostile personality that Haymitch is aggravated by her response. Haymitch then says “Then lie! Make up something! (Collins 117)” Haymitch tries to turn Katniss from hostile to appealing for the audience because if she does not, she will not get any sponsors. Not everything in reality television shows is real for people are trained to be likeable.

            Besides the untrue truth of reality television shows is the portrayal of actors/actresses and/or cartoons, where children and teenagers imitate. Teens follow the trends of their idols by admiring style, money/fame and more. For example, teen girls start wearing skimpier clothing upon seeing actresses wear the same clothing, which makes the manufacturers make more of the same clothing to follow the trend for money. Same goes with children copying cartoon and wanting to be a superhero, the children imitating to fly and get hurt in the process. Teenagers and children follow their idols but they do not know that they will face danger in their lives.

In spite of one might say that imitating is natural for children to learn. Children imitate adults they look up to and children immediately think of whatever adults can do, they too can do it. Children are innocent beings they still do not know what is wrong and right. Even teenagers do the same as children because they still need guidance to reach their adulthood. Teens may know what is wrong and right but they do not completely know everything that adults know. For teens, they still seek the help from adults because they are scared to growing up older and not knowing anything.

Nevertheless, I must disagree with the positive point because children may be innocent or teens are not yet mature and seeking for guidance is not an excuse for media. Teenagers and children follow the leader not because people are with the trend of the adults by. Not only does clothing is replicated to follow but the money and fame. Teens chase the money and fame for they see the luxurious living of the actors/actresses they idolize. For instance, shows like 16 and Pregnant, are the stories of teen girls becoming mothers. But 16 and Pregnant portrays the true life that the teens have to go through during young age as parents. The teen moms are not trained to act but get fame and money for their struggles of being a mom, which probably makes other teen moms want to follow along for the money. Media’s reality stars exposes an easy way to earn money and manipulate that they do not put much hard work by showing up to takes, which others will want to join in for the easiness of acting “real.”

Not to mention, media makes people different because of the fame, which I see as a negative point to people’s lives. Fame crafts people to be different from the average person because of the luxury and attention recognition gives. In popularity, formulates people to act different because people want to experience and be “uniquely” different from others. I believe that fame is a waste for when popularity is gone, and then nothing really happens. Look at Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan for the scandals and arrests they get, they get bail for opposing the law countless of times for they have the fame and money to get out.

            In resuming media, other than reality television show, the other focus is the social networking of Facebook, Tumblr and other sites. Social networking works as a place of blogging news about self or the world. In space of internet media, social networking lays the unknown for the strangers lurk around. Strangers of people who have a creep intent to contacting teens through alias names, fake information or by using teenagers personal information as way to get to closer.

In websites, some are quite not secured places where people disguise themselves with different names and gives out false information. In one certain social site for writing fan fictions called Winglin is a place where people can write a fan-based fictional story. Winglin is mainly dominated with screen named author or an anonymous author and writing whatever theme he/she wants to write about where most stories consists of Asian pop-culture. With the alias names that people put in sites like Winglin, Facebook and other networks people are able to impersonate someone and probably hurt the people the alias person befriended.

Whereas, someone may oppose to my argument of that social networks helps the people by bring out their talents. Winglin.net is similar J.K. Rowling and Currer Bell is for being unknown writers of Harry Potter series(J.K. Rowling), Jane Eyre (Currer Bell), and many more. In hiding under pen names, Joanne Rowling penned herself “J.K.” for a fact that her publishers thought that her series would not be popular among the boys, while Charlotte Bronte penned herself as Currer Bell because she wanted her literature to be taken seriously. In social media sites and books, are written upon the interests of people towards what they like and authors use screen/pen names for the sake of themselves and their work.

Even so, MySpace which is like Facebook, was found numerous dangers for pedophile to get in contact with teenagers. From msnbc.com, Rob Stafford did an article report on MySpace to “Why parents must mind MySpace,” because several headlining sex crimes during 2006. In the article, Stafford and Dateline, a news magazine show, looked around the site and “[they] found scenes of binge drinking, apparent drug use and [many more] (Stafford).” Also, they found certain pages of teens who are “potentially even more dangerous (Stafford)” because of listing of very personal information the teens have on their page. Even without the listing the personal touches of teens, there is still danger. For internet lawyer Parry Aftab “kid who [do not] list their names and address can provide enough information [with information like] the kinds of bands and boys they love – for a pedophile to [con into the lives of the teens by means of using their profile] (Strafford).” So, with dangers around each corner, no one is sure enough for social networks to be safe because pen names and including too much/too less of information still attracts people.

Additionally, social sites are not only dangerous from strangers but people who are close by the words and messages posted on the wall/page of a targeted person. The targeted hurt young adults face in Facebook and other social websites are through the written texts of fellow classmates because they are deemed as different and an outcast. Young adults become mentally damage/scared for such drama of hurting words still occurs in the website. Upon the hurt inflicted on a certain person, the person may perceive his/her life as worthless and may do something drastic. For example, in Utah, a 17-year-old boy, Jack Reese committed suicide because of a speculation to an anti-gay bullying in school. The bullying or other terms to make teens feel bad about them may and/or not take on the harsh words and/or actions afflicted to them.

Media is not all that great for people are hurt upon the negativity spread through sites by words. Other than harmful words inflicted to people but actions from television shows are replicated by children and followed by teenagers because they thought of the actions to be cool. Additionally, addiction is one of the negativity that influences people to not think and move away from future. Negative media sways citizens away from themselves by being attached to social sites and living life with the media.

In my opinion, I slowly found the some negatives that manipulate people, then, immediately I took notice of the positive outlook, which has negatives included. Just as the spread of new is good but also bad because of the harsh words that may contain in the news, in which, may become rumors. The rumors become the talk and the person who hears the rumor may and/or will get hurt from the cruel talks about him/her. Such positive outlooks and other positive outlooks have harm within that hurts folks. Media is negative because of the influence that creates citizens to think to better than what they are currently or to be solely different from others. I believe that media is harmful because media makes people stray away the path for their future, a future of living happily and whole-heartedly.

                                                          Work Cited:

AFP “US warns North Korea missile aimed south.” channelnewsasia.com Asia Pacific News. Article 1; 24 March 2012. Web. 28 April 2012.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2008. Print.

Ortiz, Jorge. “Students hid during shooting at California school.” usatoday.com 02 April 2012. Web. 29 April 2012.

Santillano, Vicky. “Seven Famous Female Authors Who Used Male Pseudonyms.” divinecaroline.com 2009 Web. 28 April 2012.

Strafford, Rob. “Why parents must mind MySpace.” msnbc.msn.com. Article 1; 05 April 2006. Web. 02 May 2012.

Wong, Curtis M. “Jack Reese, Gay Utah Teen, Commits Suicide after Allegedly Being Subjected to Bullying in School.” huffingtonpost.com 29 Article 1. 29 April 2012. Web. 01 May 2012.