For Your Further Education

Here are the blogs that I would certainly recommend if you seek to broaden your horizons:

1. Tired of all the spam that you get and don't know why all these messages keep coming? Check this out: http://victoriaturz.wordpress.com/. Victoria explains what viral marketing is - a process that has been rapidly growing recently. She also suggests some interesting videos, so it is easy to comprehend the topic plus explains which means are now suggested to stop the danger of viral marketing. 

2. Want to learn how media actually works in Russia? Read this blog: http://censorshipmediarussia.blogspot.cz/. Liudmila is originally Russian, who has an independent prospective on a current state of media in her native country; not influenced by TV/radio/newspapers. It is a highly useful blog for those who like being shocked or surprised by discovering how things actually work with media in other parts of the world.

3. Feeling pressure to being put into beauty standards? This blog is a huge supporter for you: http://tkachevapolina.wordpress.com/. Palina explains how much impact media has on shaping our perception of beauty, and presents sad sides of a beauty promotion in media: anorexia, children models and psychological disturbance.

4. Seeing how your children/younger siblings keep playing video games and developing concerns? Right you are! To realize that your concerns do have a ground, check this blog: http://brianconnollymedia.wordpress.com/. Brian offers a deep analysis of how video games can trigger violence and what impact they have on people.

5. Starting to blindly believe in standards created by TV? Urgently check this blog that will totally change your mind: http://xdowningn.wordpress.com/. Nick explains how heavily TV impacts our perception of reality in such terms as beauty, gender roles and many other spheres of life. 

Picture retrieved from:

http://fitnessmarketing.com/2010/04/the-only-fitness-marketing-numbers-you-need-to-know/

Take a Look!

Finally, not all the ads about fast food are exclusively bad. Take a look at this powerful video, promoting not to feed children with fast food:

I admire such works for its strong messages, and I sincerely believe these types of ads should be promoted much more. What do you think?

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K3F_53Sn34

How I See It

     Media. In the informational era it seems to be one of the most powerful tools to influence society; if not the most powerful. People might be divided into those who believe that media is an evil creation and those who worship it and feel grateful for information it provides; yet the influence of it is out of any doubts. There are certain aspects of life that might seem to be influenced by media in a negative way, such as violence, sex, sports, and so on; however, they all can be debatable. We can argue that media triggers violence, because considering the amount of wars in previous times, the world at this very moment is not such a violent place. We can also disagree that media corrupts politics, because although some countries might use its power for brainwashing, an overall increasing spread of information help in shaping democracy. What we cannot argue about is that a rapidly increasing popularity of unhealthy nutrition does take place with the help of media, and the effects it may cause is disastrous. Dr. Gabriel from New York City Pediatric Center claims that, "fast food is a cause of high cholesterol in children as they head into adulthood" and that, "advertisements [of fast food] need to change" (GPM Pediatrics 2014). The scarier thing is that we cannot yet fully assess long-term effects, because unhealthy nutrition is a relatively new tendency. However, I am almost sure that the growing generation will have more health problems than the previous one. Maybe fast food once a week or once a month is not so damaging. But it is so much promoted in media, which nowadays almost everyone seems to listen to, that inevitably people keep consuming it and harming their health. 

Undoubtedly, every medal has two sides, and healthy nutrition is promoted in media - sometimes. Such popular women's magazines as Glamour or Cosmopolitan are famous for its "healthy recipes" that encourage women to feed their families with healthy food. However, what these magazines probably do not fully realize is that a usual promotion of fresh, healthy organic products that they usually focus on does not normally suit an average person - they simply are too expensive. Women's magazines might spend hundreds of pages encouraging to go and buy organic food; yet these promotions would be probably unnoticed after a happy lady in a bright commercial says that her hamburger lunch just for 1,5 dollars made her the happiest person in the world. What, in my opinion, we lack nowadays is a sense of "quality of life" and concerns about our future and future of a growing generation. I can say from my experience: being a student demands time and dedication, and when the deadlines are due, you really are in a hurry almost all the time. Therefore, preparing a healthy meal can take more time and money than simply ordering fast food and eating it on the way. Especially seeing on TV or on a street banner that prices in McDonald's have decreased again can give you a feeling that you get both a cheap and a pleasant meal. Yet the ads that trigger you to buy fast food do not care about health effects - their goal is to grab your attention and make you buy the product. Which every one of us at some point was guilty of.

What I am really trying to say is that media does negatively affect our food choices because it is built on the advertising and the latter does not have a moral code. Media has succeed in making people believe that by buying fast food they save their time and money; what it forgets to mention is the most important thing - our health. My suggestions to the society would be not to pay so much attention to the media's promotions of food: it cares about selling, not saving your health. And choose quality over quantity: after listening that life would be better after having a hamburger, take a homemade sandwich and pave yourself a longer and a healthier life. 

References:

GPM Pediatrics. "Children Confused by Healthy Fast Food Ads; Brooklyn Pediatrician Offers Insight". finance.yahoo.com. 9 May, 2014. URL: <http://finance.yahoo.com/news/children-confused-healthy-fast-food-073800254.html>

Picture retrieved from:

http://welltree.org/eating-out-on-a-raw-food-diet-made-easy/

For Further Research

For Further Research...

Here are some links that can provide more information about how media negatively influences what we eat.

1. http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Health-and-nutrition-labels-may-have-negative-impact-on-taste-expectation-Study

The following link contains an article called "Health and nutrition labels may have negative impact on taste expectation: Study" which explains how labels being promoted so much affect our perception of food. Negatively.

2. http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/health/article/20957/The-Medias-Impact-on-Childhood-Obesity/

This link is concerned about obesity problems during childhood: it explains that it is caused very often by media and how food companies witty trick children into unhealthy food style. Also it warns that food commercials should not be taken seriously, and reveals the marketing secrets of "bad food promotion".

3. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/media-body-image-and-eating-disorders

Finally, this link provides information on which effects exactly media does have on our nutrition and health. The problems touched in the article are disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and so on. The article also suggests that media affects not only women (as can be stereotypically thought), but also very often men.

Picture retrieved from:

http://www.lehman.edu/orsp/

Current Events II

Children Are Confused by Healthy Fast Food Ads!

Recent studies have provided very interesting and at the same time shocking results: children, being exposed to fast food ads promoting healthy food, get confused and cannot pick the healthy choice! The link of the article is: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/children-confused-healthy-fast-food-073800254.html, and it states, that "Dr. Michael Gabriel of GPM Pediatrics, a New York City Pediatric Center, comments on this study by saying that advertisements need to change" (GPM Pediatrics 2014). Dr. Gabriel claims, that healthy options for fast food restaurants is a great idea in the first place, yet "if children cannot identify the [healthy] alternatives, it is nearly pointless" (GPM Pediatrics 2014). And the results of the studies show that children could not distinguish between "Fresh Apple Fries" presented by Burger King and simple French Fries, which, in my opinion, is a disappointing and disastrous tendency. I remember myself, growing in a town with no fast food restaurants and as a results no fast food ads whatsoever; and I was a happy child eating fresh food and homemade meals. Nowadays children cannot distinguish between greasy oily French Fries and Fresh Apple Fries? 

The article also suggests that it is crucial for parents to provide a communication between them and children about nutrition.  I totally agree that it should be responsibility of parents to protect children from so many fast food ads and as a result from forming bad eating habits. Undoubtedly, fast food companies are not that cruel just influencing children to have hamburgers for lunch all the time as it may seem from the first prospective; and they try to offer healthy choices, such as milk, juice and fresh vegetables and fruits. Yet, this article shows that the ads, aimed to promote this healthy choices are not that effective as the fast food ones. So the problem nowadays is to find a strategy to persuade children to buy Apple Fries instead of French Fries. I do hope it will succeed.

References:

GPM Pediatrics. "Children Confused by Healthy Fast Food Ads; Brooklyn Pediatrician Offers Insight". finance.yahoo.com. 9 May, 2014. URL: <http://finance.yahoo.com/news/children-confused-healthy-fast-food-073800254.html>

Picture retrieved from: 

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/fast-food-and-child-obesity.html

#foodporn

#FOODPORN

Here is an interesting link how our food preferences change with the social media: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/food-porn

A growing trend nowadays is called "food porn" and apparently it actually does influence what we eat a lot. Those who frequently use Instagram are certainly aware of this trend, however to find out more information follow the link above.


Picture retrieved from:

http://socialnewsdaily.com/9597/food-porn-trend-not-waning-instagram-and-facebook-are-foodie-hubs/

What the Experts Say II

Experts' Opinion

Apart from medical analysis of connection between media and such diseases as anorexia/bulimia, it is impossible not to mention obesity: what we actually do eat. 

A very useful link in this case would be: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/4/756.full

This article written by a group of pediatricians including Dr. Strasburger, Dr. Jordan and Dr. Donnerstein, states, "Numerous American and international longitudinal studies (one of them as long as 26 years in duration) have shown that media use is contributing to the current epidemic of obesity worldwide" (PEDIATRICS Vol. 125 No. 4 2010). The article claims that there are many ads in media promoting fast food, which do affect children's perception of food, and adds that simply there are too many commercials of food in general that make people eat and usually eat unhealthy. The article also states that, "Randomized, controlled experiments have provided evidence that exposure to junk food advertising has an impact on children's food beliefs and preferences"  (PEDIATRICS Vol. 125 No. 4 2010). Which, therefore, serves as a proof that media does influence what we eat in a negative way.

 And how preferences are changed with the help of media is presented in the next post. 

Reference:

Strasburger, Jordan, and Donnerstein. PEDIATRICS Vol. 125 No. 4 April 1, 2010 

Current Events I

Lady Gaga's Photoshop Scandal

Who many people look up to are celebrities: we often want to have their lifestyle, their wealth…and their bodies. Celebrities' life might seem perfect from the first prospective: they  almost always smile and look happy; no doubt while people use them as role models. Yet, it is important to understand that the image presented by media is often altered. Which means unrealistic. Which means impossible to achieve. And here where the problem comes: apart from the fact that media often tricks us into eating unhealthy, very often it might prevent people from eating at all. Celebrities are in the lime light in this concern: it's them who are the role models, and it's them who are being photoshopped and given unrealistic looks, which are then perceived by ordinary audience.

 A famous singer Lady Gaga was recently again involved in a photoshop scandal: http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/lifestyle/big-issue/cosmo-reports/lady-gaga-photoshopped-ribs-mario-testino

She publicly fought with anorexia and bulimia several times, and just now there are revealed photographs of 2009 year of her real body and the edited picture presented in media. On the last one the skin is much cleaner and shinier, and the color is slightly changed; but what is more important: the image of her ribs is added in order to make her slimmer, even though she is obviously skinny enough anyways. The question occurs: why is it done this way? Sincerely, why? Lady Gaga always claimed that she is against photoshop in media, yet it is really hard to believe that these pictures were edited without her concern. If so, another question occurs: don't celebrities understand how much impact they, being in media, might have on ordinary people's lives and choices? Don't editors realize it either? The main goal here is to make a picture more beautiful. Yet, these exact pictures add an unnatural look of ribs. So, should the fight for "something more beautiful" outweigh the real problems that occur after this exposure? There are many examples of young girls suffering from anorexia just because they want to look like these photoshopped celebrities. So it is crucial to realize that media not only might negatively affect what we eat, but also influence us not to eat at all.

Reference: 

http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/lifestyle/big-issue/cosmo-reports/lady-gaga-photoshopped-ribs-mario-testino

A tricky ad that might make you buy fast food...even if you don't normally eat it

Am I hungry? I think now I am...

It is hard to argue that media is strongly supported by advertisements which bring much money, therefore, this relationship between "how fast food companies use media" and "how media presents fast food" is tightly tangled. In order to understand how exactly we are tricked into eating unhealthily, it is useful to watch an interesting ad which successfully uses the concept "Sex sells". As a woman, you probably unconsciously see yourself as this girl: a misleading representation that with this burger you will look this slim. As a man, you probably unconsciously depict yourself with this lady having a burger together. Or you might just enjoy the ad, emit saliva and eventually get a burger. I might be judgmental, but I do want to buy this burger after the ad. Although, it might be ridiculous at times.

Reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNBdU0PwWKU&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsNBdU0PwWKU&has_verified=1

What the Experts Say I

Experts' Opinion

To better understand the importance of this issue, I would also recommend to read the following article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792687/

The introductory sentence of this article states: "Epidemiological studies have suggested that the incidence of eating disorders among adolescent girls has increased over the last 50 years" (Paediatr Child Health 2003). Already from the first sentence it is possible to comprehend that it is a medical article; and it presents how media affects our food habits resulting in such diseases as, for instance, anorexia and bulimia. The first and possibly the only thought that might pop into somebody's mind after thinking about media effects on our nutrition: "McDonald's ads do attract. So what? A hamburger a week will not bring so much harm." However, media has taken it much further: young girls, pressured by the images in magazines, actually die because of, for instance, starvation. This article is a good example of what doctors say on this topic: it provides both useful data and important facts, that everybody should know about "media-and-nutrition' relationship. 

References:

Morris, Anne M. and Debra K Katzman. Paediatr Child Health: 2003 May-Jun; 8(5): 287–289.

Picture retrieved from: http://health.ninemsn.com.au/dietandnutrition/reallifestories/1071649/the-doctor-told-me-i-was-obese

Media Negatively Influences What We eat

"Bust your self-esteem!", "Best sex tips ever", "Follow the latest fashion trends" - these are media headlines which society is highly attracted to, buying magazines and newspapers, switching on TV and radio, surfing the Internet - all in order to receive a life advice. More often we can catch ourselves actually listening to media and doing what it suggests, because these tips do seem reasonable, don't they? Yet, what we probably do not fully realize is that media influences almost every aspect of our lives. And while blindly listening to fashion trends can sometimes make a person a full of himself, blindly following such advertisement suggestions as to go and buy a brand new hamburger [which has become even more delicious] can in a time risk his life. With no joke: shorten or chaperone it to the hospital. Still we are constantly called by food ads that are now almost everywhere. We feel that we are obliged to buy what media dictates us. 

"Researchers found that the industry spent $4.2 billion on advertising to encourage frequent visits by young people to fast food restaurants, targeting children as young as two years old" (Retrieved from: http://www.fastfoodmarketing.org/fast_food_facts_in_brief.aspx).

Fast food restaurants spend a lot on advertising their products and attracting the clients; using all the wonderful tricks and tips;  and the sad thing is that they do succeed. This is what in my opinion should be a main concern nowadays: not analyzing why pink is the best color this season, but realizing what media states about food we should eat and making the right choice. We are all brainwashed by media in some degree - this is hard not to admit. Yet, what we really should do is not underestimate the direct impact of media on our health. This blog sends a message to each and every to separate media from the crucial aspect of a human life - nutrition. So, get an apple and have a look at some interesting facts.

References:

http://www.fastfoodmarketing.org/fast_food_facts_in_brief.aspx

Picture retrieved from:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/623881/draft-policy-on-food-security-fill-policy-gaps-protect-the-most-vulnerable-say-experts/