Portrayal of Substance Use in the Media
The paper has to be 11 pages with cover sheet and Reference Sheet, so that is why i put 13 pages. I have also attached the AAP article in case the link does not work.
This is the feedback I received from my instructor when i submitted my idea for the paper:
For your paper, you must focus on ONE, SPECIFIC media example. For example, ONE, SPECIFIC commercial or ONE, SPECIFIC EPISODE of a television show, or SPECIFIC scenes from a movie. For example, scenes from the movie Scarface, or scenes from the television show That 70's show. I'm emphasizing this because it is a very important part of the paper and I want you to succeed!
Remember the assignment is to write a paper comparing and contrasting the intent of the media example you choose to BOTH the class material AND the AAP article.
If you follow the provided grading rubric in order, step by step, you should get a good grade. I'm here to help, so please let me know if you have any questions.
Sources:
https://edge(dot)apus(dot)edu/access/content/attachment/371767/Assignments/eb7e185f-95c1-4bc1-8726-a6ee7253fff9/AAP%20Policy%20Statement%20on%20Children%2C%20Adolescents%2C%20Substance%20Abuse%2C%20and%20the%20Media.pdf
https://bookshelf(dot)vitalsource(dot)com
Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society ebook
Paper Instructions:
Major Paper Assignment Instructions and Grading Rubric
This assignment meets the following Course Learning Objectives:
- Articulate basic drug terminology and drug taking behavior
- Identify the various addictive substances – legal and illegal – and their classifications
- Analyze the reasons people commonly abuse substances
- Analyze how substances affect the mind and body and society
In 2010, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement addressing the complex relationships among children, adolescents, substance abuse, and the media. This assignment requires a critical examination of the AAP publication and a critique of a media portrayal of substance use, with links made to the AAP statement and course material. Conclusions about the implications of the media portrayals and the policies recommended by the AAP also should be made. Successful completion of this paper will require work over multiple weeks. A two paragraph summary of the proposed example of substance use portrayal in the media was due by the end of Week 3. The full paper is due at the end of Week 7.
This assignment proceeds in four steps:
Preparation
Step One: Read the AAP Policy Statement located below. Make some notes for yourself about points of agreement or disagreement you have with the statement and specific findings regarding media depictions of substance use that you want to assess when you write the paper.
Step Two: Find a current example of substance use portrayal seen in the media; for example, scenes from a movie, a television show, or a commercial; print ads; or portrayals found in “new media” as discussed in the AAP article. The Internet is a good tool for finding film or television portrayals of substance use as well as examples of print ads if ready access to first-hand media is not available. A two paragraph summary of the proposed example of substance use portrayal in the media that will be used for the paper is due by the end of Week 3. This proposal is a separate assignment and is worth 10 points.
Construction
Step Three: Write the paper. Begin the paper with an introduction that summarizes the main findings of the AAP article and previews what will be covered in the coming pages. Next, compare and contrast the portrayal of substance use found in the media with the information learned about that substance in the class and textbook. What messages about the substance are being portrayed? How accurate are those messages relative to the actual data on substance use? Be sure to cite the textbook as needed.
Continue by comparing and contrasting the portrayal of substance use found in the media with the criticism of media portrayals found in the AAP paper. Does the media example match their arguments or contradict them? What links and connections can be made? Be sure to cite the article as needed.
Next, draw some conclusions about the portrayal of substance use found in the media, addressing the following: What are the implications of this type of portrayal? What messages are being sent and to whom? Are those messages an accurate representation of the use of this substance? Should media portrayals be required to be accurate in their depictions of use, showing both positive and negative consequences?
Finally, review the guidelines suggested by the AAP at the end of their policy statement and address the following: Although directed specifically at pediatricians, which of those recommendations is most important? Why? Are these recommendations necessary? If followed, will they be effective in addressing the concerns raised earlier in the article? Be sure to cite sources as needed.
Step Four:
The required length of this paper is 11 pages, plus a required a cover page and a reference list. Papers must comply with APA formatting rules, including font size and margins, and must have a scholarly focus and tone. Quoting of published material and use of the first-person “I” are not permitted and will result in point loss. All source material must be paraphrased into your own words and cited appropriately.
On submission your work will auto-run through Turnitin.com's plagiarism checker software.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
The Portrayal of Substance Use in Media and its Effect on Teenagers
An Analysis
Student's Name
University
Introduction
We are already feeling the promise of the internet. Everything has been already digitized. By only using one finger, everything is already instant—from the way of communication to buying things. The generation we have today is driven by modernization, development, inventions, and innovations. That is why it is no longer deniable that everything, even personality and characteristics are being modified by the technology. In a deeper analysis, studies have shown that any media regardless of its channel, strongly affect how a certain person thinks. Relatively, there are even instances that people are being dictated by the actions they need to convey. With this, lots of questions can be drawn along the excessive substance use of these media. Consequently, there is a need to study the relationship of these innovations and modernization to every aspect of life, society and one person's way of thinking is a need to study such developments about every aspect of life and the society.
Going back to the time where people are still guided by the conservative traditions, before a particular person acts towards the other person, the reaction and possible impact of certain activities is being considered. It is just so amazing to think that people care for the others. However, since the media had introduced such way of interacting, it seems like the essence of caring towards the other person has been compromised.
Currently, people maximize every usage the new media can offer—from creating television shows to advertising products and services. Some media still regulates and controls everything that will be shown. However, since the rise of the social media, not every content is regulated considering the demographics of every audience who can probably watch it.
In social media, even on television, everyone regardless of the age has the power to watch and the power to react. With this power being given, the subjective way of thinking is being changed dramatically.
In this paper, every possible effect of substance use of media is being related to the way of living of everyone. There will be examples that will be given accordingly to make every argument stronger as possible. The paper about the "Policy Statement—Children, Adolescents, Substance Abuse, and the Media" will be used as the guide in fulfilling and seeking the answers to every question the can be related to this topic.
Findings and Discussion
The schools, parents and the government never stop in giving precautions to teenagers about the possible negative effects that cigarettes, alcohols, and prescribed drugs have. However, it appears like almost every advertisement of cigarettes, alcohols, and prescribed drugs convince those curious teenagers in using them. The truth is, $25 billion worth of these products are successfully sold on the market. Also, it is quite ironic that there are television programs that use these products in their every scene after their advertisements say "no to a cigarette," "no to alcohol," and "no to drugs." As a result, confusions are being drawn in the teenagers' curious mind by those mixed and subliminal messages, giving a higher chance of engaging and abusively using these prohibited drugs, cigarettes, and alcohols.
Adolescence is the most critical phase of a person's life; massive psychological transformations happen in this phase. These psychological transformations are mostly being impacted by the environment. In most cases, teenagers likely to adapt easily to the things they can experience. For instance, a certain teen will be engaged in drugs if his environment is being dominated by those people who use drugs. Approximately, 50% of teens have misused drugs. This is the data gathered by ProjectKnow after researching the 8th, 10th, and 12 graders.
In most common cases, teenagers use marijuana. However, in some instances, they look for any harmful substance within their home. Teenagers only wanted to express themselves but not knowing of the possible effects these drugs have on them. It is proven that the early use of these prescribed drugs has a doubled effect on teens. In actuality, 400, 000 Americans die related to any misuse drugs. Moreover, the abusive use of drugs might increase the sex drive of teenagers, resulting in early parenthood, and worst increases the possibility of transmitting sexually transmitted disease.
According to the National Institute of Health, many resources are being spent on advertising cigarettes—roughly around $12 billion annually. As per studies and research, the tobacco industry or as being referred as "big industry" has done some systematic campaigns and advertisements to attract teenagers through their advertisements with subliminal messages yet until now is being kept in the Congress. On the demographics of smokers, 50% of smokers begin at the age of 13, which is considered as underage while 90% of the smokers begin at the age of 19. This data shows that 75% of the tobacco smokers are teenagers who are being glamorized and sensationalized by those television advertisements. In a deeper analysis, most of these smokers are known as independent, rebellious, healthy, and young adventurous. This might already be a question. Before, television advertisements about cigarettes only show good things about smoking. They say that smoking relieves you from stress because it is a stimulant and its effects bring you a natural feeling of happiness. Moreover, since teenagers think that they are so stressed, that all possible problems in life challenge them, they have thought of depending on the "good" effects of cigarettes.
In 1994, the United States of America Surgeon General claimed that these cigarette advertisements boost the possible risk of teenagers to be dependents of cigarette smoking. Moreover, studies show that the case of alcohol and another drug (AOD) use is being escalated during the high school days because of the psychoactive substance present on every stick.
Together with the cases on early smoking issues caused by television advertisements, data have shown that $6 billion is spent annually on advertising and promoting alcoholic beverages, almost 50% of these advertisements came from the beers. Technically, these advertisements on alcoholic beverages, specifically for beers, every graphics appear to be virtually personalized for the teenagers.
In most cases, these advertisements show the joy every person can get to drinking alcoholic beverages. Usually, the television advertisements of alcoholic beverages show that beers and other alcoholic beverages should always be part of every celebration. The airing of this kind of advertisements usually happened during the primetime slot, where 35% of the viewers are teenagers simply because dramas are being watched in this specific slot. Teenagers love watching drama television shows because they can easily relate to it and that teenagers are the most emotional people. They get easily driven by true-to-life scenes. In reality, advertisements for alcoholic beverages mostly encourage teenagers.
In actuality, it is only the Public Service Advertisements (PSA) that discourages teens from drinking an alcoholic beverage. For instance, a research conducted on South Dakota students aged 9 to 10 years old. In this study, these samples are shown in the advertisement for Budweiser. They are assessed if they can identify this specific advertisement. Surprisingly, 90% of the samples were able to identify and remember the advertisement because of the graphics that are appealing. This study shows how effective advertisements with appealing graphics impact on a group of young people. Thus, alcoholic advertisements increase the exposure of teenagers and young people drinking alcoholic beverages because they are being fed with the positive effects of alcoholic beverages.
Almost 5,000 young people die because of alcohol drinking. 1,900 cases are listed because of vehicle accidents, 1,600 are from homicide cases, 300 from suicides, and hundreds are from other unexpected incidents like falls, burns, and drownings. According to the study, “2005 Monitoring the Future (MTF)” 75% of 12th graders, almost 66% of 10th graders, and 40% of the 8th graders have consumed alcoholic beverages. Research also states that many teenagers start to drink at an early age.
As teenagers start the stage of adolescences, they are encountering physical, emotional, and lifestyle changes. The puberty increases the urge of teenagers to be independent. These claims can be associated with new alcoholic beverages use.
By all possible means, the advertisements for prescribed drugs, cigarettes, and alcoholic beverages are not able to be changed in many forms and functions. The power of these advertisements to influence those curious minds are inevitable, especially that teenagers' minds are gullible and are easy to be sensationalized. Many of these advertisements use celebrity endorsers, which makes the advertisemen...