Are Children Growing Up Too fast Essay - 693 Words

ESSAY – ARE CHILDREN GROWING UP TOO FAST? I. SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION A multiplicity of literature is available through recent researches which suggest that the current generation of teenagers is very different from children their ages in the past, given new manifestations in their behaviors when compared with their previous generations. Is this true or not? A compelling argument will be made by this Author to show that in his perception that children are growing up too fast. THESIS STATEMENT An examination of trends in current teenage behavior; in order to prove that children are growing up too fast. II. SECTION 2 MAIN BODY Hymowitz (1998) discussed his experiences of a daughter who in his generalised assessment â€Å"morphed†¦show more content†¦My own experiences having raised three children, two girls and a boy have shown that access by them to technology such as the computer, other technological devices and access to the internet and television programming have contributed to aspects of their own self development which were not available to their predecessors and in my own considered judgment, based on these developments allow for a level of maturity beyond their young ages. Given the observations on growing p too fast, as discussed above and inclusive of research and findings by Hymowitz (1998) which articulated on trends observed n the society in which his daughter grew up, supporting discussions by the Sunday Sun ( 2011); Hughes (2009); Wilson ( 2008) and my own experiences in observing the phenomena of children maturing at an earlier age than their predecessors, I submit and support the thesis statement that children are growing up much faster currently than their predecessors based on the evidence provided in the discussion which support such conclusions. III. SECTION 3 CONCLUSION The phenomena of young children developing a more matured status as opposed to their predecessors have been noted by a number of researchers. This development have been attributed to a number of factors related to technology, exposure to activities through various technological means which enhance their own education and even the attitude by parents, which allow for a more maturedShow MoreRelatedChildren Growing Up Too Fast1762 Words   |  8 Pagessociety, parents are challenged with the ability of children to grow faster than ever before. Tweens are moving closer and closer to teens, and fulfill these adult-like roles. The media plays a major part in this dilemma, along with the need to fulfill major responsibilities, and the lack of family presence. The media is one of the biggest proprietors when discussing the state that our children are in, and why they’re unable to play children roles. It’s not hard for a child to get access toRead MoreDon t Blame The Eater1173 Words   |  5 PagesBlame the Eater†, David Zinczenko tells the reader that kids are suing fast food companies for making them fat. He tells the readers that the consumer is not necessarily at fault, the food industry is the true culprit. Zinczenko argues that children are not at fault and the fast-food industry is to blame for selling unhealthy food with inadequate nutritional information available. The problem of children eating too much fast food has become a national crisis, causing an increase in childhood diabetesRead MoreParents, Schools, and Society Must Fight Childhood Obesity Essay examples1183 Words   |  5 Pageshaving an excessive amount of body fat or a high BMI, body mass index, not just being overweight. The real concern here is the young age of many children who are obese. Childhood obesity is a problem that will continue to rise if not dealt with immediately. The future health problems obese children face is real and we need to act now to teach our children healthy eating and active lifestyles at home, school, and in society are essential to living a full productive life. But it is difficult to manageRead MoreObesity : Obesity And Obesity917 Words   |  4 Pagesall play a huge role in obesity. However, the question is, does fast food play a big role in America’s obesity problem? Fast food is always an unhealthy choice. Mandal aforementioned that fast food is high in calories, saturated and trans fat, sugar, simple carbohydrates, and sodium (2). One fast food meal takes up the entire 1,500 calories you are supposed to intake in one entire day (Muntel 2). For the American’s who rely on fast food everyday, they are eating way over the recommended daily calorieRead MoreObesity Is A Growing Global Health Problem1473 Words   |  6 Pages In America the obesity rates has become a debatable topic. Obesity is a growing global health problem. Obesity is typically results from over-eating and not enough exercise. â€Å"In our modern world with increasingly cheap, high calorie food such as fast food or junk food, natural foods that are high in things like salt, sugars or fat, it is no wonder that obesity has rapidly increased in the last few decades, around the world† (Shah, 2010). Obesity rates have reached a constant level in January 2010Read MoreFast Food and Obesity1681 Words   |  7 PagesIs Fast Food Causing Obesity or Are We? Obesity is a growing problem in America that has serious consequences for us and our children. Some would argue this growing predicament is due to the poor choices made by the fast food industries and the unhealthy foods they have available to the public. Others like the Center for Consumer Freedom, would argue that it is not only their choice to eat healthy or unhealthy but also every individuals right as Americans to make that choice without the interferenceRead MoreEssay about eating disorder1347 Words   |  6 Pagesthere a strong connection between the fast food industry and the growing rate of obesity among young children? The answer is yes- fast food consumption is a large contributor to increasing child obesity risks and the effects of long-term health problems in the future. Children are bombarded by fast food advertising on a daily basis which lure them into wanting fast foods in addition to the great taste. The rapid growth of child obesity is in step with the growin g fast food chains and market. The realizationRead More Childhood Obesity Essay1742 Words   |  7 Pagessmoking. If current trends continue, today’s kids could be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents (Clinton, para. 3 2011). Children may not understand the complexities of food intake or obesity but they continue to be affected by the issue. The reality is that if a parent enables their kids to make poor eating choices as children; they will struggle as adults to make the right eating choices. Many factors contribute to childhood obesity but the major factors are living sedentaryRead MoreTeen Obesity Essay1378 Words   |  6 Pagesincreasing especially in the United States. It has now become one of the most serious health challenges of the 21st century according to unitypoint.org. In the last 3 decades, teen obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled among adolescents. Why you might ask. Well, children become overweight and obese for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. Only in rare cases is beingRead MoreSuing A Fast Food Restaurant1503 Words   |  7 Pagessuing a fast fo od restaurant because of how unhealthy is making your body? Well in his essay â€Å"Don’t blame the eater† David Zinczenko talks about children that are trying to sue McDonalds for making them fat. Growing up with divorced parents and a mother who worked long hours, Zinczenko was left with no other choice but to turn to fast food restaurants in order to sustain himself. He describes how it’s easy for kids to put on weight and turn obese by eating junk food. He argues that fast food restaurants

The Effects Of Divorce On Children Through My Research...

Introduction I would like to study the effects of divorce on children. I am mostly interested in my research methodology focusing on identifying the issues holistically that might be detrimental to the psychological or physiological health of children. I want compare the different experiences that each family has when dealing with divorce and measuring how each child copes with the separation of their parents. I would conduct a research design that is based not only on the issues that are related to divorce, but also the possible measures that could alleviate such impacts. I will focus on identifying issues that might be detrimental to the psychological or physiological health of children through my research methodology. My research†¦show more content†¦I could also conduct a field experiment and conduct the interviews in a natural setting such as the participants’ home, the work place, or an environment of their choosing. It will be randomized based on the process o f selecting the sample from different ethnic groups and based off of their economic and societal status. I will select a total of 100 individuals from ethnic groups based on the level of their high or low income. Subjects for this study would be selected using probability sampling. I would use a random selection technique that would include people from different ethnic groups, socioeconomic status’ and societal status. The process of randomizing would come from drawing the sample from different ethnic groups, based on economic and societal status. The study is purposive, consisting of 300 children whose parents have been divorced. Longitudinal designs are helpful in determining patterns. It is very beneficial for research studies involving cause and effect, in this case how divorce has an effect on the family. When you can gather data over longer periods of time, you have a better chance of having more concise results because you can access long term changes. Overall, the big gest disadvantage to longitudinal research designs is time simply because it is a lengthy process to collect all of the data. You also have to have a large sample size. There are great advantages to doing a field study. When you choose to do an interview and you choose toShow MoreRelatedDivorce : The Impact It Has On The Family1541 Words   |  7 PagesDivorce: The Impact It Has On the Family Introduction Marriage is a sacred communion between two people that vows to love each other until the end of time. No one gets married with the intent to divorce. Unfortunately, marriages are challenged with acts of infidelity, change in family incomes, and many other factors. These factors most likely lead to divorce. Divorce perpetually deteriorates the family and the relationship between children and parents. It can lead to negative effects of the familyRead MoreWhite Peoples Perceptions on Divorce Essay1096 Words   |  5 PagesWhite Peoples Perceptions on Divorce White peoples perceptions on divorce differ from those of Asian origin. From living in a multi- cultural community it has become apparent to me through my experiences that divorce has become more socially acceptable amongst white people then Asian people. I want to test and explore possible reasons behind these evident changes in attitudes. I would also like to investigate the impact factors like secularisation and legislationRead MoreHow The Age At Marriage Influences A Couple s Likelihood Of Getting A Divorce1573 Words   |  7 PagesRESEARCH OBJECTIVE I plan to study how the age at marriage influences a couple’s likelihood of getting a divorce among married individuals in Canada. This is an important topic to consider as families are a common social unit in society and they collectively influence many aspects of social society. I hypothesize that age is an important casual factor in the likelihood of divorce as it is commonly associated with other facets of and individuals life such as experience; income; attitudes toward marriage;Read MoreThe Effects Of Early Educational And Extra Curricular Activities On The Overall Development Of Children Essay1529 Words   |  7 Pagesprovide a critical examination of the research by Anne R. Pierce regarding the effects of early educational and extra-curricular activities on the overall development of children (Pierce, 2002, p.39-43). The three flaws analyzed from the article Who’s Raising Baby? Challenges to Modern-Day Parenting, are the lack of supporting data analysis, presen ce of confounding variables, and lack of statistical evidence to support the claim. The strength of the research is found in the use of multiple credibleRead MoreThe Theory Behind The Age Related Positivity Effect1479 Words   |  6 Pagespositivity effect? Is it a hearty personality that fosters this age related positivity effect? Does the wisdom of life, and the many lessons, tears and triumphs, teach some individuals the skills needed to obtain this positivity effect as they age? Andrew Reed and Laura Carstensen completed a research paper entitled; The theory behind the age-related positivity effect, published in frontiers in psychology, September 27, 2012 (Reed Carstensen, 2012). In this study age related â€Å"positivity effect† is definedRead MoreThe Effects of Broken Home on Child Development4813 Words   |  20 Pages THE EFFECT OF BROKEN HOME ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT (CASE STUDY: ISOKO SOUTH L.G.A. OF DELTA STATE) BY OBOGO PATIENCE (NCE 2008/10/917) SCHOOL OF PRIMARY EDUCATION. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL STUDIES FEDERAL COLLEGE EDUCATION (TECHNICAL) OMOKU P.M.B 11, RIVERS STATE DECEMBER 2011 Title page i Certification ii Dedication iii Acknowledgment iv Abstract v TABLE OF CONTENT vi CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Background of the Study 2.1 State of the ProblemsRead MoreThe Reasons For Marrying Enter The Union With The Motivation2702 Words   |  11 Pageslove and companionship, but also the practical aspects of survival, protection, and perhaps the expectation of children. When a couple experiences high levels of commitment towards one another, both partners feel safe and devote efforts to ensure the marriage will succeed; however, there are factors that may contribute to the dissolution of a marriage and lead to the possibility of divorce (McGoldrick, Carter, Garcia-Preto, 2011). According to Carson Casado, difficulties faced by couples canRead MoreEffect of Single Mothers Stress on Quality Child Care2712 Words   |  11 PagesSouthern Luzon State University Lucban, Quezon In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements of the Subject Research Method EFFECTS OF SINGLE MOTHERS’ STRESS ON QUALITY CHILD CARE IN LUCBAN, QUEZON Submitted by: Sheila Marie Sale Submitted to: Prof. Marissa Cadao CHAPTER I PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING This chapter deals with introducing the nature of the study as the reason why the researcher chose this topic. This also contains the general problems that he wanted to find answers to, the importanceRead MoreEffect of Single Mothers Stress on Quality Child Care2697 Words   |  11 PagesSouthern Luzon State University Lucban, Quezon In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements of the Subject Research Method EFFECTS OF SINGLE MOTHERS’ STRESS ON QUALITY CHILD CARE IN LUCBAN, QUEZON Submitted by: Sheila Marie Sale Submitted to: Prof. Marissa Cadao CHAPTER I PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING This chapter deals with introducing the nature of the study as the reason why the researcher chose this topic. This also contains the general problems that he wanted to find answersRead MoreAfrican American Daughters And Non Residential Fathers : A Qualitative Exploration9462 Words   |  38 PagesChapter 1 Introduction I spent the majority of my life being raised by a single mother due to my parents’ divorce. Because of my parents’ divorce, my mother stated firmly that I had changed and became a difficult child. I remember rebelling, suffering with low self-esteem and self-worth and blaming myself for the absence of my father. It was not until I was well into womanhood that I found peace within myself, as well as with my nonresidential father. Through the preparation for this study, I have a better

Network security and business Free Essays

Company X is reputed to be the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of sportswear (sports shoes and vestments) and sports equipments with its headquarters situated in Oregon, Portland metropolitan area. The company presently accrued 16 billion US dollar worth excess revenue in 2007 only. In the year 2008, that company is credited to have recruited 30,000 employees globally, while at the same time maintaining its status as the sole grand crown holder of the Fortune 500 title as far the state of Oregon is concerned. We will write a custom essay sample on Network security and business or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this essay, the vulnerabilities experienced by the company shall be looked at in respect to network security which entails working towards the protection of information that is passed o0r stored through or within the computer. The company was founded in 1964 and then later re branded in 1978. The company is so well established that it does not only sell its products under its own company name, but it also does so through its subsidiaries. In addition to this, company X also owns other sports companies. In an effort to realize expansion, company X extended its services to run retail stores under its name. As a result of this, the company X has approximately 19,000 retail departments in the US alone. In the same vein, the company sells its products to about 140 countries globally. The company has been traditionally sponsoring sportsmen and women around the globe and has very distinct logo and slogans. The slogans used by this company unlike those of the fellow competitors, made it to the top five slogans of the 20th century, and was accredited for this by the Smithsonian Institution. In 1980, company X had hit the 50% market share mark in the the United States, being only 16 years old. The most recent type of inventions by this company involves the production of new models of cricket shoes which in comparison to their competitors, are 30% lighter (Bernstein, 1996). The company seeks to maintain its vibrant market and maintains its upper hand against its competitors by producing products that are appealing to the tastes of the materialistic youth. The sports wear company produces and sells assortments used in sundry and diverse world of sports sch as basket ball, athletics, golf, American football (rugby), tennis, wrestling, skating, football and skate boarding, among others. The company X having become a global entity, also faces many problems that come with expansionism. The troubles touch on cases of workers’ rights in relation to the occupation safety and health matters. These cases are more distributed in the developing economies than in developed ones. Conversely, there are also issues about social responsibility that border on the environmental safety in relation to the production processes and wastes produced by the company. The problem also stretches to its outsourcing vendors, who together with the company have been challenged by critics to work towards carbon neutrality. Critics have also dismissed as lies the claim by the company that it increased the salary scale of its workers by 95%. These critics posit that the company seeks to always exploit its workers, of whom 58% are young adults aged between 22- 24 years, while 83% of the workers are women. Half of these workers in these companies are said   to have gone through their high school educational programs.   Because few of these people have work related skills, critics maintain, the subsidiaries of company X are reported to be using this state of affairs to exploit their employees by issuing them very minimal wages (Mc Nab, 2004). Again, it is reported that out of company X’s contract factories, 20% deal in the casual production of of the products. These factories are always bedeviled by cases of harassment and abuse (of which the company has moved in to sort out the situation by liaising with the Global Alliance in order to review the first twenty one of the most notorious factories. The company also set up the prescribed code of conduct so as to inculcate social responsibility among the workers. Spates of continual human rights abuse nevertheless continued to persist. In Indonesia for example, 30.2% of the workers of company X are reported to have been victims of exploitation. 56% of these workers are said to have undergone verbal abuse. In about the same spectrum, 7.8% are reported to have succumbed to unwanted sexual comments, while 3.3% are said to have been abused physically. In Pakistan, the matter deteriorated to cases of child abuse and the conscription of child labor. For instance, in the same country, the issue came to the global attention when pictures were displayed, portraying children knitting football which were to be then sold by this company. Another matter that haunts this company X is the protection of information, or commonly called by the corporate world and the computer science and management as network security. Of recent developments, concerns over privacy have soared, and become subject to public furore and debates when it was found out by security experts after conducting a research in the University of Washington, that company X’s iPod sport kit had the ability to track people . Initially, the surveillance system that works through the company’s iPod sports kit had been designed to allow the user (mainly the sports person) of this facility to take note of the calories that have been burned, the speed, the distance covered and the time dispensed when undertaking sports activities. The kit was fitted with a transmitter that was designed to be stuck on the shoes and the iPod’s transmitter. The tracking is made possible by the fact that the transmitter relays particular ID. Although the problem first seemed minuscule due to the fact that the information could only be accessed from a 60 feet away shoe, yet it was found out later that more problems, it seemed would set in since the surveillance or tracking system was then fed to the Google maps (Sloot, 2003). In order to bring in ameliorations in this matter, comprehensive laws are being proposed so that company X and its counterparts who use these systems can be forced to beef up security into the models- a measure which these companies are ignoring. Some related speculations are also rife that the company’s retailing contractors   are using the RFID tags for tracking their consignments and keeping track of the stock market. This problem is hydra headed since apart from the obvious fact that this may scare away potential customers, it still has exposed the company to anti company X campaigns which have widely been   activated and managed by the Caspian organization in the US. Customers will shy away from the products since the communication system of the company X seems to have been compromised in its CIA (confidentiality, integrity and availability) of information security. Confidentiality portends that only the permitted authorities access information, while integrity ensures that information stays only within the precincts of the authorized handlers. Availability on the other hand demands that those who are authorized access information are be able to so do efficiently and quickly. The external leaking in and out of confidential information can be very costly and should always be avoided Company X is working out to ameliorate this problem. On 5th March 2008, in Oregon, it held a meeting in which the departmental heads and subsidiary representatives met, and analyzed the extent of the vulnerability (they had already come into the board meeting, having known the nature, and the extent of the risk). As an immediate contingency, company X decided that it was going to suspend the sale of the iPod transmitters as a measure to instill risk avoidance. Having also become aware that there was also the danger of information systems being invaded by hackers, (as was seen in the 31st July, 2007 when in Pakistan tens of its computers succumbed), consensus was arrived at that all computer systems in the organizations adopt the man- in- between technique by adopting the firewall computer security system that will be able to detect the nature of the on coming information. On another front, the company X agreed that it was to globally look at its wireless networking: the technology that the supports the connectivity of each computer to a specific network or networks. This does not portend coming up with a new system of networking, but bolstering the configurations and the security systems. New and stronger RAMs( Random Access Memory ) were bought and have already been set in place.   This will ensure that the roiter system within the company’s area of jurisdictions are very strong and very fast in detecting anomalies (Raquet and Saxe, 2005). The computer technicians in company X suggested that the leaking of the company’s secret information could be due to the fact that the computer connectivity in Pakistan could have been in the open mode configuration. These technicians elaborated that open computer mode connectivity allows anyone even without the building to access information from an open mode configured computer. The situations becomes more vulnerable in the present day due to the portability of the computers (laptops and palm tops). Open mode wireless computers have a preset name that makes the computer to, on being turned on, start broadcasting packets which prompt all wireless devices within the precincts about the availability of connectivity (Albanese and Sonnenreich, 2003). However, should the computers be switched on to closed configuration, the beacon packets are no longer broadcasted by the access point. It was also discovered that although the headquarters were already filtered, yet not all of the subsidiaries were. It is an this backdrop that the computer technicians under the aegis of the company’s information and technology department recommended that the Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP)   be introduced to ward off even the most sophisticated hackers. Wireless Encryption Protocol ensure that the data that is being relayed is not in the readable format, but instead, it becomes only readable after being decoded in a backward manner on being received. This leaves the data unreadable on being captured in between transition since the data is still encoded. The hacker is frustrated unless in possession of the knowledge about the   original address. Conclusion. As a concept, network security is very important in the realization of a company’s secret information. Good and comprehensive network security keeps secret information from flowing outwards to unwanted parties, while at the same time, enabling efficient flow of information within an enterprise. The systems of communication ( the hardware, the software and the orgware ) is also adequately protected. Company X would accrue higher returns if it enhanced all of its network security systems within its disposal. References. Albanese, J. and Sonnenreich, W. (2003). Illustrations on network security. US: Mc Graw Hill. Bernstein, T. (1996). Internet security designed for business. US: Wiley. Mc Nab, C. (2004). Assessment of network security. US: O’ Rielley. Raquet, C. and Saxe, W. (2005). Advocacy and governance of business network security. US: Cisco Press. Sloot, P. (2003). International conference of computational science. How to cite Network security and business, Essay examples

Psychological Experiments Essays - Psychology, Behavioural Sciences

Psychological Experiments Why do psychologists do experiments? Psychology is very hard to define due to it's very nature and the wide range of topics that it covers. No two books will give exactly the same definition of 'psychology' or what subject matter it covers. However most definitions would suggest psychology to be the 'scientific study of behaviour and mental processes.' An astonishing variety of topics is covered under this definition for example topics can range from 'obesity' to'living with a divided brain', from 'expression of aggression' to 'childhood amnesia'. No one today can afford not to know psychology as it touches every aspect of life. For example: How does the way your parents raised you affect the way you raise your kids? What effect does stress have on your immune system? How effective is psychotherapy when treating depression? How should instruments in a nuclear power station be designed to minimise human error? Can men care for infants as ably as women? Psychologists work on these and many more questions which need to be answered as through psychological theories and research we can learn to better understand ourselves, what motivates us and how to handle situations in a better way although each situation and the individuals involved in it are unique, some things could be applied to real life. For example parents may learn that reward is better than punishment when handling their kids. Also such theories and research have and will continue to influence laws concerning a number of areas such as capital punishment, pornography, sexual behaviour (for example sexual deviancy) However as most questions like the ones mentioned above relate to the 'psyche' (a totality of inner experience lacking in spatial dimensions) the problem is: How do external observers investigate someone else's psyche systematically if they cannot understand it with their senses? Behaviourism, a movement in psychology, maintains 'we cannot study the psyche at all because its immateriality renders it inaccessible to measurement.' This is where experimentation comes in. An experiment is a 'method of investigation in which the researcher manipulates the situation in order to bring about a change in the research participant's behaviour.' Behaviourists, use cause-effect methodology to measure the directly observable: the environment and behaviour as this is essentially the only way one can get an insight in to the answer of any of the above questions. However many psychologists object to this exclusively behavioural definition saying that a complete denial of the psyche prevents them from making inferences about the phenomena behind behaviour. If psychologists can explain behaviour by referring to consciousness, cognition, thought or emotion, then they can risk a much richer range of predictions about behaviour. Thus many psychologists regularly construct theories about the psyche, but still choose to base them on the experimental observation of behaviour played out in measurable environmental circumstances. Therefore experiments are essential as they allow determination of cause and affect as psychologists are interested in finding about more about human behaviour and the mental processes that underpin it. For example if we wanted to find out if "absence really does make the heart grow fonder" (Does 'absence really make the heart grow founder?). Is it enough simply to look around and make informal observations and on that basis come to a conclusion we feel happy with? Of course in one sense it is, and as naturally inquisitive people, we do this sort of thing all the time as a means of forming our own opinions. But the fact of the matter is that such a process inevitably leads different people to different conclusions - because we each focus on different information, have different experiences, have different agendas. Thus some people think "absence really does make the heart grow fonder" while others think the opposite, that "Absence leads the heart to wander"; or "Out of sight, is out of mind". To know which is correct or when each is correct and, more importantly, why, we need to act as scientists, not lay-scientists. Using the scientific method to answer such questions differentiates psychology from other disciplines that address similar questions. The scientific method is a procedure for acquiring and testing knowledge through systematic observation or experimentation (e.g., through use of empirical methods) and plays an essential role in achieving the goals/objectives psychology has set out for itself. Psychology sets out to:- scientifically study behaviour and mental processes promote human welfare Research is 'any honest attempt to study a problem systematically or to add to man's knowledge of a problem' (Penguin Dictionary of Psychology) The goals of psychological research are: describe

Violence and Television essays

Violence and Television essays Boink! Boom! Crack! The sounds of the fight scene rage on. Many have fallen in this particularly bloody battle. The good guys have taken their losses but struggle on to what is seemingly a victory. Their aggression is fierce and helps them. Fires consume the background; men and women lie on the ground in pain. Even if it werent for the bombs, missiles, bullets, etc. that are flying around, hand-to-hand combat would have got the better of them. It was a classic battle scene when looking back at it, a true testament of blood, hell, and gore. This may sound like a heroic made-for-TV movie shown only on primetime in the hopes of recruiting a mature audience. But it is not. In fact, it is just another Saturday-morning special of GI Joe, The Real American Hero, that I watched with my brother and cousins. We were religious followers of the show, tuning in every week to see how Sergeant Slaughter, Duke and the rest of the gang would handle the likes of King Cobra and his cronies. GI Joes early morning time slot encouraged kids, like us, to tune in every weekend. While eating our CheeriosTM and Frosted FlakesTM we got a dose of some real fightin action, in excess of fifty violent scenes for the morning: there is more than enough to fill the appetite. The truth is, violence on television is on every single day. It takes its toll on society, especially children. The damage done by violence on television is detrimental and confirmed by statistics, case studies, and personal experiences. Fistfights, shootouts, car crashes, rapes... Take your pick. Violence is everywhere on television, sometimes gory and gruesome, other times clean and remote. It is not just the Saturday morning cartoons; clips from action-adventure series, the nightly news and MTV are interwoven with violence and extremely mature content. Prime-time programs can average eight hostile acts per hour; children's shows four t...

30 Problem Words and Phrases

30 Problem Words and Phrases 30 Problem Words and Phrases 30 Problem Words and Phrases By Mark Nichol Tried-and-true words and phrases are convenient, but they are also truly trying as with clichà ©s, when a writer relies too heavily on stock usage, the resulting prose is tired and uninspired. Watch out for the following deadly usages. 1. After having: â€Å"After looking around, I chose a seat† is fine, and so is â€Å"Having looked around, I chose a seat,† but â€Å"After having looked around, I chose a seat† is redundant. â€Å"Having† means that the action has already been performed, so the context is clear that the writer is writing after the fact. 2. Aged: Identifying the age or age range of a person or a group with this word puts the subject(s) in a category with cheese or wine. Write â€Å"50 years old,† for example, instead of â€Å"aged 50 years,† or â€Å"ages 21–34† rather than â€Å"aged 21–34.† 3. Aggravate: To aggravate is to make something worse, not to bother, annoy, or irritate. 4. And also: And and also are redundant; use one or the other. 5. Anticipate: To anticipate is to foresee (and perhaps act on that foresight), not to expect. 6. Anxious: To be anxious is to feel distressed or worried, not eager. 7. Approximately: How about using about instead? Save three syllables. For scientific or technical references, approximately is fine, but it’s a bit much in most other contexts. 8. As to whether: â€Å"As to† is extraneous; use whether only. 9. At this point in time: Omit this meaningless filler. 10. Basically, essentially, totally: Basically, these words are essentially nonessential, and you can totally dispense with them. 11. Being as/being that: Replace these phrases with because. 12. Considered to be: â€Å"To be† is extraneous; write considered only, or consider deleting it as well. 13. Could care less: No, you couldn’t. You want to convey that it’s not possible for you to care less, so you couldn’t care less. 14. Due to the fact that: Replace this phrase with because. 15. Each and every: Write â€Å"Each item is unique,† or â€Å"Every item is unique,† but not â€Å"Each and every item is unique.† 16. Equally as: As is superfluous; write equally only. 17. Was a factor, is a factor, will be a factor: If your writing includes one of these phrases, its presence is a sign that you’re not done revising yet; rewrite â€Å"The vehicle’s condition is a factor in performance,† for example, to â€Å"The vehicle’s condition affects its performance.† 18. Had ought: Had is redundant; use ought only. 19. Have got: Got is suitable for informal writing only; if you’re referring to necessity, consider must rather than â€Å"have got,† and if the reference is to simple possession, delete got from the phrase â€Å"have got.† 20. In many cases/it has often been the case: Reduce the word count in statements containing these verbose phrases by replacing â€Å"in many cases† with often, for example. 21. In the process of: This extraneous phrasing is acceptable in extemporaneous speaking but unnecessarily verbose in prepared oration and in writing. 22. Is a . . . which/who: If you find yourself writing a phrase like this, step back and determine how to write it more succinctly; â€Å"Smith is a man who knows how to haggle,† for example, can be abbreviated to â€Å"Smith knows how to haggle.† 23. Kind of/sort of: In formal writing, if you must qualify a statement, use a more stately qualifier such as rather, slightly, or somewhat. 24. Lots/lots of: In formal writing, employ many or much in place of one of these colloquialisms. 25. Of a . . . character: If you use character as a synonym for quality, make the reference concise. â€Å"The wine has a musty character† is better rendered â€Å"The wine tasted musty, and â€Å"He was a man with a refined character† can be revised to the more concise statement â€Å"The man was refined,† but better yet, describe how the man is refined. 26. Of a . . . nature: Just as with character, when you use nature as a synonym for quality, pare the phrasing down: Reduce â€Å"She had a philosophical nature,† for example, to â€Å"She was philosophical.† 27. Oftentimes: An outdated, unnecessary complication of often. 28. On account of: Replace this awkward phrase with because. 29. Renown: Renown is the noun (as well as a rarely used verb); renowned is the adjective. Avoid the like of â€Å"the renown statesman.† 30. Thankfully: In formal usage, this word is not considered a synonym for fortunately. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial Expressions75 Synonyms for â€Å"Talk†25 Idioms with Clean

Alternative investments consistently provide higher returns as well as Essay

Alternative investments consistently provide higher returns as well as diversification benefits to client portfolios Discuss this statement highlighting the most common types of alternative investments - Essay Example e negatively influenced – no matter even the limitation in these products’ performance is high or low; the examination of the investors’ preferences under normal market conditions has led to the assumption that alpha returns is likely to be preferred as an investment tool instead of beta return. The nature and the performance of this investment product can be used in order to explain the increased interest of investors on alpha returns. However, under the influence of the current financial crisis, the attractiveness of alternatives and structured products has been reduced showing the strong dependency of investment decisions on the market conditions. In order to understand the increase in clients’ preferences on alpha returns it would be necessary to refer primarily to the characteristics of the specific investment; in accordance with Dorsey (2007, p.5) ‘alpha often is a virtual catchall for the return generated by an alternative investment that is not considered to be related to equity beta’. The above type of alternative investment seems to be preferred by investors – instead for the beta return; this differentiation on the investors’ preferences can be explained by analyzing the characteristics of the specific two investment products. The term beta return reflects ‘beta is the amount of return for a security or fund that is explained by its benchmark or component benchmarks’ (Dorsey, 2007, p.6); in other words, the main difference between the alpha and the beta return is that the former focuses on the factors influencing the performance of a specific investment while the latter r efers to the market prices in general. In this context, the alpha return is likely to be preferred by investors as it offers a clearer view on the potential performance of a particular investment; the identification of the price of the market to which an investment is related is of secondary importance for the investors of the particular market. From another point