Op-Ed Ideas

Introduction

IN Lang and Lit class we were instructed to research a variety of topics that showed the impact, either negative or positive, that media can have upon society. Based on the information we researched, we had to choose one idea that we wished to fully develop into an Opinion Editorial article. 

For me, this process was somewhat difficult because although I know that media has both  positive and negative impacts upon individuals I still could not clearly think of what these impacts might be. Consequently, I spend a lot of time looking at the advertisements down the road, at the ones that are constantly present in the TV or radio, and even at the ones that appear in a magazine. Eventually, ideas started flowing into my brain until suddenly I realized that I had come up with different ways in which media impacts society.  

The research I performed regarding this unit helped me see some of the impacts that mass media has but people don't think of them much because they do not sound as bad as what they really are and because they have to do with equipment that we use everyday (i.e. cellulars). Indeed, these pieces of information helped me come up with ideas that I could use as the focus of my Opinion Editorial Article. 

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Idea#1 - Mc Donald's advertisement campaigns strive to manipulate both old and young populations: children vs. parents.  

While I was researching for ideas about how media impacts society I immediately thought about Mc Donalds and the diverse advertisement campaigns they make for children when selling products like hamburgers, nuggets, Mc Flurry, etc.  

Mc Donalds is one of the worlds most famous fast food companies that knows its customers really well. While it manipulates children through Happy Meals due to the toys they contain which have nothing to do with the food they sell, Mc Donald's also appeals the emotional side of parents. 

Parents are usually the ones, especially with little kids, that make the decision of what the child eats and drinks. So, if there is an emotional attachment between a 3-year-old and a Happy Meal toy the mother or father will most certainly buy the nuggets or hamburgers in order to see his or her child smile. This is the key concept of Mc Donalds's manipulation tactic. Furthermore, Mc Donalds also makes parents "feel good" about buying fast food because they have now, with the rising percentages of obesity in the world, implemented a "heathy eating" system through sub-branding Salads, juice and yogurt that are "non-greasy" and "good for you."    

I also discovered, that one of Mc Donald's most appealing qualities is price. Happy Meals, hamburgers, nuggets, Mc Flurry, Sundaes, etc., are cheap and affordable to almost all socio-economic status which makes them even more addictive since one can eat "good" food at a low price. 

Moreover, while investigating I was shocked at realizing the degree in which Mc Donald's influences children. I found a video belonging to a documentary entitled: SUPERSIZE ME where a group of children are shown images about different famous people like: George Washington, Jesus, etc., and are asked to identify them. To my surprise, not one kid could say the name of the person in the picture, but when the interviewer showed them an image of Ronald Mc Donald, all kids knew who he was. 

The video was the following: 

This immediately shows the degree of influence that Happy Meals and Mc Donalds as an entity have upon small children, due to the fact that they tempt them with toys, colors, pictures, indoor games, etc., that naturally make small kids happy and eager to visit Mc Donalds again unaware of the health issue that fast food brings.   

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Idea#2 - Modern cell phones (Blackberries, Smartphones, Iphones) create dependence in teenagers and hinder communication with other individuals.

After I had thought about the impact that Mc Donalds has upon society, especially in small children, I tried to focus on a different impact of media. I sat down in my bedroom and started watching TV when suddenly I heard a noise. My immediate reaction was reaching to the side of my bed and getting my phone to see if any of my friends had send me a message.

This subtle reaction immediately triggered my second idea: Cellphones.

I realized that nowadays, teenagers are the greatest percentage of human beings that have acces to highly technological devices like blackberry, smartphone, Iphone, etc. However these equipment is causing them to forget to cultivate relationships between their families and friends, in other words, it is causing them to become dependent.

When thinking about this idea I realized that it was undeniably true. How many times  do I focus more on my BBM messages than in what my mother is telling me? How many times do I spent typing short phrases to my friends while speaking to my parents, without actually noticing their presence in the same room? Actually, a lot.

However, my research showed me that there are others who spent more time than what is healthy "stuck" to their phones, ignoring the companies of others and losing the greatest gift that a human has: their voice and ability to create relationships.

Consequently, I figured that an Opinion article that discusses the negative impacts that cellphones have on teenagers especially, would be a good way of exposing the terror that mass communication devices hold within them, raising awareness of an issue that is usually not considered an issue because it is believed that cell phones are necessary for "survival." 

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Idea#2 - Fashion shows of high couture (Victoria Secret, Dior, Channel) unconsciously influence the eating habits in teenager girls.

This third idea for my Opinion Editorial article did not come from a thorough brainstorming like the previous two; it was an idea that I had prior to this project. 

I am usually the type of teenager that at some point in my life have felt uncomfortable with my body, how I dress and how I look with what I wear. Consequently, when I watch fashion shows like the ones that Victoria Secret, Dior, and Channel offer I am mesmerized by how the models look in the skirts, dresses, shirts, crops, etc., and though it might be hard to confess, I secretly desire to look the way they look: amazing. 

This feeling that I experience is something that usually girls feel at some point in their lives, and it is the unconscious manipulation tactic that high couture boutiques have upon society, especially upon teenagers. 

Since we are in the process of growing up and sometimes feel uncomfortable with what we look like, the perception of beauty that these shows offer makes us want to look the way models look: skinny, "beautiful" and with "all the world in their hands." However, this misconception of beauty influences teenagers in many different ways, some, more extreme than others. This is what I felt like discussing in an Opinion Editorial Article: the influence of fashion shows upon teenagers especially in relation to their eating habits. 

Teenagers, mainly girls, desire to always look beautiful and mesmerizing. They sometimes think that becoming skinny is the answer to this inherent desire of being desirable. Therefore, they tend to unconsciously believe that without eating or eating in extremely little quantities (diets gotten from the Internet), will cause them to become skinnier and thus prettier, and this is where eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia kick in. 

Indeed, the responsibility partly relies on the teenager herself and her lack of self-confidence, but it is also the responsibility of fashion shows and clothes themselves because they give a misconception of what beauty is, making girls think that the skinnier the better because it is the more desirable.