Curious Researcher #11

After a lot of time in research, the essay writing process is coming to an end, and as my last post, Dave is back to help me conclude my thoughts.

Dave: "Hey you, I think you can't really say that one opinion is better than another one. Don't you agree?"
My Response: I completely agree with you Dave! Whether the opinion is mine or someone else's, no one opinion is greater than another. I mean obviously I think that my opinion is correct, however, it is of no more or less value than anyone else's opinion. This is because each person is loved equally by God, so what their opinion is, can be of the same value as everyone else's even if you don't believe it is correct.
Dave: "There's all this stuff in the book about research as a process of discovery. What did you discover?"
My Response: Well Dave, now that you bring it up, I have had a process of discovery throughout my research! I have discovered that my topic of media influence in the lives of children is controversial. I discovered my personal opinion on it is that media has a bad influence in the lives of many children because it comes in such abundance. I have also discovered the different influences that media has on children. So thanks for asking Dave!
Dave: "What do you figure was the most challenging problem you had to solve while working on this research project? How did you solve it?"
My Response: Dave, there were a few challenges that I have faced throughout this research project, but I would have to say the biggest would be identifying what was important to include in my paper. I knew my topic after looking through different options and I know my opinion on those ideas but I had to discover the important aspects. I looked through many different sources before choosing what to say, but after comparing, I chose the ones that I recognized as essential to supporting my topic.
Dave: "After all this work, what do you take away from this experience? What have you learned that  you can use?"
My Response: This experience has taught me different methods of research, Dave. It was really a good way to look at different sources and the verification of their validity. I can use these different methods to examine articles in the future, and I can use the process to make sure that my essays are written to the best of my ability and that flow the best.

Thanks so much for your time to converse with me Dave, you have really helped me along my essay writing process. Peace and Blessings!  

Curious Researcher #10

The next step in our essay writing process is to take our essay apart and rearrange it to see if it could work better in a different order. We are also to get rid of any paragraphs or sections of paragraphs that don't make sense with our thesis statement. After reading through my essay, I didn't get rid of much because the things that I wrote all go back to my thesis. After doing this, we are to answer three questions:

1. How are the set-ups different?

The set-ups are in a different order, just rearranging certain topics. My original set-up worked better, I believe that the order was done well because they transition together well. The flow of the paragraphs seem to work well together and work best for the transitions and for the structure, to help the paper to make the most sense.
     2. What did you learn?
I learned that through rearranging, that I can see what works best for my paper. Even though I still used the original, it was still challenging my mind to think of the essay in different ways to ensure that I had the best flow for my paper. I also read through my essay, and realized some things that need to be clarified and details that need to be added.
     3. How did the process help you re-see your essay?
It helped me to see the things that make sense in my essay and what doesn't. It also helped me to see what order makes the most sense for the structure.

Curious Researcher #9

Wrestling with the draft:

Looking through the draft of my paper, I highlight the things that are someone else's ideas and I highlight the things that are my own ideas. I used yellow for others' ideas, and I used orange for mine. 

Which color dominates? The color that was definitely dominate was the orange, my ideas have come out most frequently.

Are you turning over too much of the text to your sources? No, I think there is a good balance when there is other peoples' ideas.

Are you ignoring them and rattling on too much about what you think? No, there are a lot of my own ideas, but I think that the interaction between the two works well because their ideas influence mine.

Does your source use seem appropriate to support your purpose? Yes, I think the interaction that is created between the two makes for a good conversation in the paper.

Looking at the pattern of the colors, and the interaction between the two differing ideas:

What do you notice about this pattern? There is obviously a lot more of my ideas but I think that the interaction between my ideas and other peoples' ideas is of good balance, and it creates a good conversation.

Are you taking turns paragraph by paragraph with your sources or is your own analysis and commentary nicely blended within paragraphs, so that the information is always anchored to your own thoughts? I definitely blended my own insight with other peoples' ideas well. I mainly would start with their ideas then I based my own thoughts off of theirs and it would create a conversation.

Do you surround quoted passages with your own voice and analysis? Yes, I usually summarize what the author was saying then I provide my own insight or thoughts on the idea.

Curious Researcher #8

Media is surrounding the everyday lives of Americans. The first thing that we wake up to is an alarm, usually set on a phone and our day usually follows with a series of events involving media. This routine can start at such a young age, especially in present times. Many kids in America come home from school and watch TV, play video games, or anything else involving media. The American culture has surely advanced to be media centered, that even young children are making such things a habit. Though it is easy to overlook, there is so much influence that we are consuming as we sit down to use the media. This influence can be both good and bad, but regardless, it can change many choices that we make in life big and small. There is a strong relationship between the media exposure among children and teens and negative behaviors morally as a result.
Little Peter sits down at 3:34 to watch Spongebob as he does when he comes home from school everyday. This routine is so familiar to Peter that he doesn't even realize as he sings along with the songs and laughs at the things that are said, that he is consuming every thing that they are saying and doing. He starts to act and talk like the characters in the show but he doesn't realize it. His parents, however notice the difference and try to get him to watch something with a better influence. Little Peter is being shaped every time he watches the show and his morals and actions are being compromised. Media has a huge influence on every mind that it is engaged in it and it starts at such a young age.
My friends and I go to the movies once every two months to see what new movies are in, and to spend some quality time together. Most movies have themes that fit a lot of today's culture, including drinking, partying, and inappropriate language. Every time I watch these movies, I don't understand why people enjoy watching such things. The next time that we are supposed to go to the movies, I text my friends and they tell me that they are going to have to cancel because they have a party to go to. They never used to be like this, what changed? While it isn't evident, media (such as movies and television) have a huge influence on the way that we live our lives. They can change the way that people act or the things that people say because they have such a strong influence in the culture we live in today.

(a) Media being a big part of our lives and there is a lot of influence that comes from it
(b) What is present in today's time that has an influence in our lives and consumes much of our time?
(c) This influence can be both good and bad, but regardless, it can change many choices that we make in life big and small. There is a strong relationship between the media exposure among children and teens and negative behaviors morally as a result.
(d) Sophisticated yet relatable 

Curious Researcher #7

During the research process there comes a point when a thesis needs to be developed to help the essay continue to grow. Concerning my topic, I think that it requires a thesis of relationship question this is because the question that I am addressing deals with cause and effect:
There is a strong relationship between the media exposure among children and teens and negative behaviors morally as a result.

Curious Researcher #6

The next step in the process is to act like we have a reader, Dave, who is interested in our topic but has a few questions pertaining to our information. 

Dave                                                                            Katelyn           

What’s the big deal about this anyway?                      In our culture today, media surrounds everyone and us, from adults to children are consumed by it. Through taking a closer look at the influence that it can have, we can see whether or not this trend is good or bad for our society or ways that we can try to incorporate less of it in our lives to make for healthy learning.

What age group does it affect the most                       The media mostly affects children and teens in

and why?                                                                    both negative and positive ways because they are still of a young age therefore they are easily influenced.

What types of media are we talking                           Most media has influence on kids and teens but

about here?                                                                television, movies, and video games are very common to have negative influence.

What are some examples of media’s                          A lot of negative influence in our media today

negative influence?                                                     includes moral messages. Most movies these days include inappropriate themes that it has become a part of society and most movies. Violence is another issue that is often brought up as a result to being exposed to a lot of violence in the media. Also bad self-image is a common one, because most girls see actresses that are beautiful and skinny and they feel that that is how they are supposed to be, so they take extreme measures to get there.

Okay, this is all very interesting. But                          The point that I am trying to make here is that the

 based on everything you’ve learned so                      media has a lot of influence in the behavior of the

far, what's your point?                                                young people in today’s culture, and if it is not monitored, negative actions can come out of it. The idea is to not consume ourselves in media because it can have a negative influence on us, but rather monitor the things we do with it so we are still living a healthy and morally just life.

Annotated Bibliography

While researching through my topic of interest, my topic slowly began to evolve into a different topic and I eventually got to the idea of the influence of media on the lives of children and teens. 

• Glover, Rebecca J., Lance C. Garmon, and Darrell M. Hull. "Media's Moral Messages: Assessing Perceptions of Moral Content in Television Programming." Journal of Moral Education 40.1 (2011): 89-104. Ebsco. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.

This article is a credible source for my research because this journal has over forty volumes and do knowledgeable authors write all about morals and values. The authors’ credentials include authorship of many other academic journals and are professors of colleges such as University of North Texas and Salisbury University. The article was published in Journal of Moral Education on March 2011. The authors’ main goal in this article is to inform about the effect of media on the morals in the lives of college students. The publishing source for this article generally targets an audience that fits the following description: adults or parents that are concerned about moral issues especially in their college students’ lives. This audience would be interested in this subject because it deals with the issues of media having an impact on the moral lives of children and would generally both agree and disagree with this author’s perspective because they could feel that media has a bad influence or a good influence. The author incorporates the following type of evidence: positive and negative messages within television and movies such as apology and kindness and on the other hand anger and threats. This evidence builds credibility because it was backed up with a study of moral judgment in relation to media influence but is also limited because it cannot accurately account for peoples’ prior moral opinions. Based on my own opinion, experiences, and research, I agree with these authors’ because they accurately show that there are both positive and negative messages in TV and movie media today, and it is all about how the people perceive it. I think this article is important to include in my essay because I can outline some positive and negative effects that television and media has in the lives of college students and their morality. 

• Comstock, George A., and Erica Scharrer. "Chapter VI: Television Violence, Aggression, and Other Behavioral Effects." Media and the American Child. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2007. N. pag. Print.

This article is a credible source for my research because it appears in a published book that has sold many copies of books both physical and electronic copies. The author’s credentials include writing at least three other published novels regarding similar technological issues. The novel was published in 2007. The author’s main goal for this novel is to inform the reader about how violence in movies, television, and video games affect the behavior of children and teens regarding violent acts. The publishing source for this article generally targets an audience that fits the following description: people who are concerned with the issues of violence in the media such as psychologists. The audience would be interested in this subject because the topic is very controversial and certain people in this group believe that the violence in media has an affect on the issues of mass shootings and generally agree with the author’s perspective on the topic. The author incorporates the following type of evidence: there is a great deal of influence regarding violence in the media, and it is likely that exposure to violence in the media at an early age will lead to felony later on in life. This evidence builds credibility because there are many other sources and claims that support this issue, but is also limited because there may be some factors of those committing the acts that are causing this violence, while others could be entirely unaffected by it. Based on my own opinion, experiences, and research, I both agree and disagree with this author because I think that violence is a major issue of influence in the lives of some people, but I also think that some people can be exposed to it and have no end result, usually because those who take the violence to a felony, have something entirely different wrong with them. I think this article is important to include in my essay because it supports a point that I plan to make in my paper of the affects of violence on the people watching the media.   

• Lawrie, Z., E. A. Sullivan, P.S. W. Davies, and R. J. Hill. "Media Influence on the Body Image of Children and Adolescents." Eating Disorders 14.5 (2006): 355-65. Ebsco. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.

This article is a credible source for my research because it is discussing the strong and immediate influence of media to certain eating issues in children and teens today. The authors’ credentials include contributions to many other book, articles, and academic journals relating to media, children and teens, and eating issues. The article was published in the academic journal entitled Eating Disorders on October 1, 2006. The authors’ main goal in this article is to inform about the affects media has on children’s and teen’s self body image. The publishing source for this article generally targets an audience that fits the following description: psychologists, or pediatricians and doctors. This audience would be interested in this subject because they would be looking for a reasoning behind eating disorders and this informs of the influence that media has on it and would generally agree with this author’s perspective on the topic. The author incorporates the following types of evidence: there is a lot of changes in the media happening, and most of the idols or celebrities in the media are of ideal body image, therefore those watching or looking at the media especially children and teens, are likely to desire for that and their minds are going to influence them to change. This evidence builds credibility because there is a lot of argument regarding the fact that the celebrities in the media cause change in the way that teens and children desire to look and act because they want to be like the celebrities but is also limited because is not looking solely at media for influence of the eating disorders. Based on my own opinion, experiences, and research, I agree with this author because he gives accurate evidence regarding the influence that media has on the eating issues among children and teens. I think this article is important to include in my essay because it supports a claim about different influences that media has on different issues, this one particularly regarding self image and eating disorders among teens and children.  

• Blades, Mark, Fran C. Blumberg, and Caroline Oates. "The Importance of Digital Games for Children and Young People." Children and Digital Games 221 (2013): n. pag. Ebsco. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.

This article is a credible source for my research because it is discussing the importance and the positive aspects of media in the lives of children and teens. The authors’ credentials include being professors and writing many other articles regarding children behavior. The article was published in Children and Digital Games on January 1, 2013. The author’s main goal in this article is to teach about how important it is for children to use media such as television and movies, to help them learn in positive ways. The publishing source for this article generally targets an audience that fits the following description: people who find technology and media to be a good addition to our culture today. This audience would be interested in this subject because it discusses the importance of media to children and teens to help them learn and would generally agree with this author’s perspective on the topic. The author incorporates the following types of evidence: that when children are engaged in media, their brains will be stimulated and they are likely to learn a lot from the media. This evidence builds credibility because there is research behind it, and the article includes many different peoples’ views on the topic, all supporting the fact that media can help children learn but is also limited because there is a lot of evidence fighting against it saying that media is a bad influence on the minds of the children today. Based on my own opinion, experiences, and research, I both agree and disagree with this author because while children may be learning from the media that they are engaged in, the majority of the media portrays negative behaviors that children adopt, however there are some behaviors that are positive that can be adopted as well. I think this article is important to include in my essay because it shows some concession to the rest of my main points to look at the topic from a different mindset.                                 

• Hauck, Robert J. "Like A Gleaming Flash." Anglican Theological Review 88.4 (2006): n. pag. Ebsco. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.

This article is a credible source for my research because it discusses the biblical views of how your eyes are a light to your entire body but when bad things are seen with your eyes, your whole body will be filled with darkness and this applies to media being a source of darkness into the body. The author’s credentials include authorship of many other articles regarding biblical views and bible verses addressing certain topics. The article was published in Anglican Theological Review on September 1, 2006. The author’s main goal in this article is to teach about the influence that biblical verses have on real life issues. The publishing source for this article generally targets an audience that fits the following description: Christ followers. This audience would be interested in this subject because it discusses the application of Bible passages to scenarios of things in people’s everyday life and would generally agree with this author’s perspective on the topic. The author incorporates the following types of evidence: that your eye is a source of light or darkness to the rest of your body and it can influence your entirety based off of what your eye takes in. This evidence builds credibility because the Bible itself backs it up. Based on my own opinion, experiences, and research, I agree with this author because it shows evidence of the Bible discussing the influence of things to not only your eye but also your entire well being. I think this article is important to include in my essay because it provides a biblical basis for my topic of research and the points that I am making in my paper.