University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

How do movies or television influence people’s behavior?

Jianu Andra group 3102

How do movies or television influence people’s behavior?

Media is everywhere. Left and right you turn; it is inescapable .Research has revealed that television is responsible for influencing a major part of our daily life. It is your best friend and your worst enemy. Worst of all, it is extremely accessible with today’s technology. From the one side,TV brings with it serious problems. Watching TV and movies could lead to a number of health issues. For instance, in developed countries where TV is popular, many children acquire obesity because of watching TV too much,without exercises. As a consequence, it leads to laziness and health deterioration.In addition, not only could movies harm people physically but it could also impact on people mentally in many cases. More and more violent behaviors are shown on movies and TV today. As a result, they become constant obsessions in people’s mental and gradually lead them to violence in real life. Especially, young people’s fledgling brains are vulnerable to these stimuli. Many young criminals are found to commit crimes due to the fact that they simply imitate what they have seen on the screen.  Multiple studies have come to the conclusion that youth who are avid TV watchers become aggressive adults. A study from the University of Michigan showed that children who watched violent TV were more inclined to show violent tendencies as adults. According to that study, “…men who were high TV-violence viewers as children were significantly more likely to have pushed, grabbed or shoved their spouses, to have responded to an insult by shoving a person, to have been convicted of a crime and to have committed a moving traffic violation. Such men, for example, had been convicted of crimes at over three times the rate of other men.”  Years and decades have passed and now we live in a world that is sucked right into the media like objects near a black hole. We’re in and can’t get back out. It is easy to see that this does not bode well with parents trying to raise their children. Children are exposed at such an early age and they will never know what it would be like not to.The sophistication of advertising methods and techniques has advanced, enticing and shaping and even creating consumerism and needs where there has been none before, or turning luxuries into necessities. They watch the commercials and they start to want the things that are not essential to the growth of them and can in fact, hamper them. Those who say TV is not powerful enough to influence people and that children understand it is entertainment are kidding themselves. Advertisers pay millions for a 30 second TV spot. They know that TV can influence our buying decisions, our taste in clothes and food. TV has made certain behaviors socially acceptable (e.g. the promiscuity in "Friends" that would have scandalized people only a few years earlier.)

2

Advertising and the media are highly influential to adolescents in an overwhelming and perturbing way. It promotes sexual activities, gives guidelines of how to live and encourages violence.The main group of people who are attracted to the television and movies are the teenagers.This is the group that is most susceptible to change.They often try to emulate what they see on screen in order to be a hero themselves.It is not uncommon to see young people try to mimic the stunts and heroic deeds performed by their idols or role-models on screens. Sometimes , this will have a bad effect as young people try to display some violent and aggressive behaviour that they visualize in the screen.They get a false impression that they should live their life the way people live in foreign movies.They tend to change themselves according to what they see.By the time they graduate from high school, children who watch TV a normal amount of time will have seen thousands of realistically enacted murders, beatings, rapes, robberies and terrorism. Shows like "CSI" show graphic scenes of gore that have desensitized people to the gruesome. Basically, it is hard to shock anyone anymore.

The producer of Family Guy, Seth McFarlane, got it right in the opening theme song: “It seems to me, that all you see/is violence in movies, and sex on TV” (Family Guy). Media likes to attract its viewers by giving them what they want to see. This is why they are guilty of the overexposure of sexually related activities and blood-shed violence. The simple explanation to this is: sex sells and in retrospect to their own dull lives, they want to see exciting violence. An adolescent in their nature is to rebel. Their parents constantly encourage them to stay away from those two things. TV also distorts reality by selecting certain kinds of images and omitting others. Black children see mostly whites on TV; Jewish children see only Christmas on TV and never a Jewish holiday; the handicapped child sees mainly very active, attractive children, and the elderly see youth.Exposure to stereotyped representations can easily influence viewers behavior toward unfamiliar people. The child in the suburb, the urban ghetto exists within his own limited reality. His experience with social problems or people of different races, religions, or nationalities is probably somewhat limited. To the extent that television exposes him to diversity of people and ideas, it surely expands the boundary of his world. The media is the one that created an ideal image of handsome men and a gorgeous woman, which shows the factors of a successful person.Although it is good for people to have role models in their lives, people tend to become too obsessive and try by any means necessary to be exactly like those role models. What they tend to forget is that these “perfect” people do not exist since it is covered up by massive amounts of perfect makeup or have been touched up by Photoshop. What many adolescents do not know is that models on the runway are not what is ideally the perfectly fit girl, but is really the ideal shape that will flatter the clothes the best. From the other side,television has its way of showing us constructive information when it comes to news channels, travel and other educational shows. Kids benefit from watching these, since it can boost self-esteem, heighten interest levels in a particular subject, or encourage them to ask relevant questions.

3

Television offers audience the chance to think about system of things. Also , a movie develops our progress to consider things morally .Movies based on historical event such as war movie tend to be created because of trigger of regret in the past.Watching an anti-war movie a person would understand terror of war and rethink what war should be.

Another perk of the media is that we have a sense of what is happening around us, with a fair insight about how things work elsewhere on the globe. It is a getaway to places unknown, foreign, and magical with knowledge of what goes on around us without being physically present in that placeMovies can lead us to high aims.The ones based on real life are motivating. They can have stories of people who made great sacrifices for their noble ideas. Thus movies teach us how important struggle is for success.In this connection movies on great people like Abrahan Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Kamal Ataturk and the Quaid-e-Azam deserve special praise. Those movies make you feel that even you can do things which are out of your reach and you will want to work harder if you watch them. Furthermore, through programs on TV, people can learn many practical skills to communicate with each other. The TV programs often simulate cases happening in all aspects of real life. Therefore, people can draw their own lessons from those cases. For example, from movies, people could come to know how to behave in certain cases and then, apply into their real lives to solve their own issues.

Good films have positive influence on people. They make people think about their life and accept their emotions.Some people may feel sympathy towards the losses and tragedies of the characters. Others are moved by the problems that are similar to their own ones. Humans tend to understand those events better that resound with their own lives. The deep and profound movies can help us understand the sources of the psychological processes and may give a hint how to escape from a traumatizing situation.Good films or scientific films can give you additional knowledge about human society and about our planet. For instance, I admire movies like "Space Odyssey" of Isaac Asimov that makes people think about our future and about current problems of humankind or "Schindler's List" for the moral injustice that’s presented in it. What people see on TV and movies is not bad compared to how things are in the real world or what kids learn in history class about the wars and how different ethnic group were enslaved.

In conclusion,I think that television is a mirror of society. It is a way people expresses their opinions. Stopping the negative effects of movies and television it is impossible, but it should certainly be hindered. At least just long enough so that adolescents can grow out of their ‘invincible’ stage and matured enough to understand its effects. However ,TV brings about a huge source of entertainment, making people’s lives more pleasant. After a long working-day, tired from all stuff you’ve done, you only need to stay at home, lying on the sofa to enjoy interesting films of all kinds.

4

Animals should be kept in zoos for the betterment of their welfare. Do you agree?

There has been much discussion about the welfare of animals ever since zoos were created. There are many people who support the fact that animals should be kept in zoos. It benefits the animals greatly, because in zoos, the animals have every need catered for. However, in some zoos, animals are ill-treated by their zoo keepers. Sometimes, they even deprive a natural habitat that zoos attempt but fail to re-create after the wild. Consequently, they develop physiological problems. Some zoos are no better than prison cells that cage up animals, causing these creatures to become greatly distressed. Because it is against Mother Nature, animals should not continue to be kept in zoos. It has been argued that keeping wild animals in zoos is the only way that people can come face to face with them. Thus, people can learn about these animals in a more unique way. Moreover, animals serve as a form of amusement to their visitors. In Addition, zoos also serve as a form of protection to their animals. These creatures do not need to worry about poaching or being hunted down by their predators. At the same time, immediate action can be taken if the animals are wounded or sick. At the same time, zoos also offer breeding programmes for endangered species of animals. Many zoos all over the world take excellent care of their animals. One of them is the Singapore Zoo. It is well-known for its incredible landscape design, with habitats stimulating life in in the wild for each of their animal species. Ever since the year 1973, it was recognized by the world that the Singapore Zoo has one of the most beautiful park settings in the world. It is a place where animals can roam around freely in a naturalistic environment. However, this is not the case for other zoos around the world. Some zoos are no better than dungeons that hold greatly distressed animals. They drive their animals into depression because of the poor and appalling conditions that their animals are forced to live in. In 2003, it was broadcasted that zoos in Japan ill-treat their animals to an unimaginable level. In the Noboribetsu Bear Park, insufficient food and living space are given to the animals. Visitors throw food to them, and they have to fight for it, often hurting themselves. These poor creatures are not taken care of when they were ill. Also, because these bears, which live in cramped and concrete pits, are kept hungry for so long, cubs born there are killed and eaten by other bears that live in the same enclosure. Animals should not be kept in zoos because it is against nature. First, zoos are artificial environments for wild animals. These creatures are unable to live freely and healthily according to their natural instincts after being locked up in cages. Big cats can no longer roam around the savannah and hunt for animals. Primates living in rainforests are not able to climb trees and gather fruit high up in the forest canopy. In this lonely and solitude environment, animals can easily slip into depression, and consequently, early death. Thus, there is a shorter life expectancy in animals that live in zoos. Another problem is that they have a limited choice when it comes to habitat and the choosing of matesNext, they are frequently distracted by visitors. Zoo visitors often have the habit of feeding them human food, which may contain harmful chemicals. Close contact with human beings can cause animals to become domesticated to some degree. In addition, animals are sometimes deprived of basic needs such as food and a clean environment

5

when they are kept in zoos. Large animals consume a lot of food. This can put a lot of financial stress on the zoo. Consequently, the zoo might then contemplate choosing cheaper and thus less healthy options. Some zoos place their animals into small and filthy enclosures, affecting both mental and physical health of their animals.

In conclusion, wild animals should not be kept in zoos as these creatures have their own rights. They were captured by man, and most of them compelled to live in terrible conditions, killing them physically and mentally. Neither should they be held captive by us human, whether it benefits them or not. Animals were never meant to exist for our amusement. They are a part of nature. Therefore, it is extremely important that the message spreads, that animals have rights, just like humans, and we have to respect that.

6

Acromegaly, or hypersomatotropism, results from chronic, excessive secretion of growth hormone in the adult animal. Acromegaly in cats is caused by a growth-hormone-secreting tumor of the anterior pituitary. In cats, these tumors grow slowly and may be present for a long time before clinical signs appear.

Clinical Findings Feline acromegaly occurs in older (8–14 yr) cats and appears to be more common in males. Clinical signs of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus are often the first sign of acromegaly in cats; therefore, polydipsia, polyuria, and polyphagia are the most common presenting signs. Net weight gain of lean body mass in cats with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus is a key sign of acromegaly. Organomegaly, including renomegaly, hepatomegaly, and enlargement of endocrine organs, is also seen. Some, but not all, cats show the classic enlargement of extremities, body size, jaw, tongue, and forehead that is characteristic of acromegaly in people. Some of the most striking manifestations are seen in the musculoskeletal system and include an increase in muscle mass and growth of the acral segments of the body including the paws, chin, and skull. Stridor may be detected as a result of increased soft-tissue enlargement of the epiglottis and surrounding tissues. Cardiovascular abnormalities such as cardiomegaly (radiographic and echocardiographic), systolic murmurs, and congestive heart failure develop late in the disease course. Azotemia also develops late in the course of the disease in ~50% of acromegalic cats. Neurologic signs of acromegaly in people, such as peripheral neuropathies (paresthesias, carpal tunnel syndrome, sensory and motor defects) and parasellar manifestations (headache and visual field defects), are not generally detected in acromegalic cats. Impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance resulting in diabetes mellitus are seen in all cats with acromegaly. Measurement of endogenous insulin reveals dramatically increased serum insulin concentrations. Despite severe insulin resistance and hyperglycemia, ketosis is rare. Hypercholesterolemia and mild increases in liver enzymes are attributed to the diabetic state. Hyperphosphatemia without azotemia is also a common clinicopathologic finding. Urinalysis is unremarkable except for persistent proteinuria. In a recent study, acromegaly was the most common (25%) underlying cause of non-insulin–dependent diabetes mellitus in cats, and it should be suspected in any cat that does not respond to standard therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus (high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet and glargine insulin) within 4 mo of initiating therapy.

Lesions Gross necropsy findings in acromegalic cats may include a large expansile pituitary mass, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with marked left ventricular and septal hypertrophy (early) or dilated cardiomyopathy (late), hepatomegaly, renomegaly, degenerative joint disease, lumbar vertebral spondylosis, moderate enlargement of the parathyroid glands, adrenocortical hyperplasia, and diffuse enlargement of the pancreas with multifocal nodular hyperplasia. Histopathologic examination of the endocrine glands reveals acidophil adenoma of the pituitary; adenomatous hyperplasia of the thyroid gland; and nodular hyperplasia of the adrenal cortices, parathyroid glands, and pancreas.

7

Diagnosis A definitive diagnosis requires measurement of increased plasma growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations in suspected cases. Unfortunately, feline growth hormone assays are no longer available. Serum IGF-1 concentrations are often dramatically increased in acromegalic cats (as in affected people). Currently, the most definitive diagnostic test is CT of the pituitary region. Results of CT, coupled with the exclusion of other disorders that cause insulin resistance (hyperthyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism) and clinical signs and laboratory abnormalities, support a diagnosis of acromegaly.

Treatment and Prognosis Medical therapy in people includes the use of dopamine agonists, such as bromocriptine, and somatostatin analogs (octreotide). Treatment with octreotide has been unsuccessful in acromegalic cats. The lack of efficacy of the long-acting somatostatin analogs may result from species-specific tissue binding. Radiation therapy probably offers the greatest chance for success with low rates of morbidity and mortality. The disadvantages include the slow rate of tumor shrinkage (>3 yr) and the occurrence of hypopituitarism, cranial and optic nerve damage, and radiation injury to the hypothalamus.The short-term prognosis in cats with untreated acromegaly is fair to good. Insulin resistance is generally controlled satisfactorily by using large doses of insulin divided into several daily doses. Mild cardiac disease can be managed with diuretics and vasodilators. The longterm prognosis is relatively poor, however, and most cats die of congestive heart failure, chronic renal failure, or signs of an expanding pituitary mass. The longterm prognosis may improve with early diagnosis and treatment.

8