p.104 #3. first draft 200903141 Jung Sun Hoa

Children and TV

 

           According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day. They are not watching TV actually, but just being in the place with TV. And as they are getting older, they are getting more exposed to TV or other visual electronic media. I can say that they are exposed the environment with TV, and then they watch it.

 

           It can't be helped that we are living in a flood of visual electronic media like TV. So even infants and toddlers watch TV, and they are influenced from it naturally. As we all know, TV has both pros and cons to children. Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet more effectively with interesting songs on public television and grade students can learn about wildlife vividly on nature shows. But despite its advantages, there are much more disadvantages of it. Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight. And kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them. And TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes. Although it is nearly impossible for children to eliminate all exposure to TV, they need to be protected from its bad effects. But it is easier than we thought to make them shorten the time for watching TV. Make some basic rules like, "Turn the TV off during meals" or "Turn the TV off while doing homework", and then give them rewards when they keep the rules. This method is really helpful. I'm doing education services for some elementary school students, and I use rewarding system as giving them a stamp when they do a good job in class. Stamps or stickers are also visual things, so children can get interested in gathering them. And also when children watch TV, we can be with them and explain the situation on TV enough and ask them some questions about what they see such as, "Do you think it was OK when those men got in that fight? What else could they have done? What would you have done?", or "What do you think about how those teenagers were acting at that party? Do you think what they were doing was wrong?"  

 

           Children can't make control themselves. And they are exposed to TV very much. So we should be with them and help them to take many advantages of it. It's quite easy to help them. If we, especially parents, take care of them a little more, they could be influenced for the better way from TV.

 

p.104 #3 first draft [han soo jung] 200903726

 

Children and TV

 

Let's go back to our mother and father generation's childhood. They do not have much relation with television. They almost have none because in those days TV was a luxury item which anyone couldn't buy. But now, children grow up together with TV. And for that, TV has a huge influence in their lives today. It had good effects, but not always good ones.

 

When kids watch TV, and if you watch them, you can see that they barely take their eyes off the screen. Some parents use this to make their child quiet. When the baby cries, they turn on the TV and keep the volume up, and put their child in front of the TV. And the baby stops crying. How easy it is! But it is not quite sure if it's a good idea. Children receive everything without filtering, because they cannot divide which is good and which is not. And TV doesn't show only good things. Few days ago I heard a story from another professor that few years ago there was an arson attack and the criminal was a little boy from that house. And the victim was his younger sister. He said that he prevented the fire because at movies and soap operas, the main character or the hero rescues the person captured in fire very dramatically, and he thought he wanted to try it. Not this serious, but we can also see young boys jump from a high place with a cape on their neck saying, "I'm a SUPERMAN!!" and break their legs. If they did not know what a TV is, would this things happen? My answer to this is no. They just believe every thing on TV is real. And if they get used to watching TV for hours and hours, is it easy for them to become "outsiders." It becomes hard for them to make relationships with other people, because they are used to receive information in one way-only from TV to them. To prove this, there was a research that if a child watches TV too much, the negative effect can influence the child for the rest of his life. It says that if a less than 2year old kid watched TV over 1-2 hours, when they became 10 years old, the physical movement was 13 percent less than average, and 10 percent higher to get bullying by other kids. (Research from Montreal Univ. Canada, published by LiveScience, 2010) there is definitely good part of TV too. Like Sesame's Street, it is good to educate children with singing and dancing. But the normal programs, we need to think about it seriously.

 

Kids suck information like a sponge, and TV is all around them. Maybe kids and TV are inseparable. But by grown-up's effort, it can be. We can control them which to watch and which to not. But without this, TV is still just a box making children dumb.

pg 93 essay first draft [Seung Ah Lee 200902496]

Unbelievable Discovery

 

Are you fully satisfied with your look? I am not sure how many people can confidently say "yes" to that question. Today, most people are very concerned with beauty as more importance is put on appearance. Accordingly, there has been a great discovery in technology- plastic surgery. It is hard to call it an invention but it certainly is a sensational development in solving the modern people's worries. Although some people oppose plastic surgery, the advantages of it far outweigh the disadvantages because it is one of the most remarkable discoveries ever!

Plastic surgery, also called as cosmetic surgery, is a medical procedure that comes in two forms: aesthetics and reconstructive. The former form is for the sake of beauty and the latter form is for treating malformation of physical appearance. Whichever form it is, both are done in order to make the look better. Other than a simple purpose, there are many merits of doing plastic surgery. Mostly importantly, one can become confident if one gets cosmetic operation. After the operation, people are usually satisfied with their look because the part of the body they did not like about has improved thanks to the technology. Self-satisfaction is important as it makes a person become more confident, which results in a better social relationship. People with a good connection with others can have quality, joyful and meaningful life. Apart from gaining confidence and having better relationship with other people, people who get cosmetic surgery have benefits for getting a job or making more money. That is, when it comes to getting a job in modern days, friendly and hospitable appearance is often used as a good criterion to judge a person. Interviewers are attracted by the people with better appearance. Also, employees with a good look are likely to have better performance. One study shows that people with better look earns 3 to 8 percent more money than those who are considered to have average appearance. Some people might insist that cosmetic operation is costly and has irrevocable side-effects. However, considering the long-term effect, plastic surgery is certainly worth the high cost. Also, side-effects can be avoided if patients find a proper place and a qualified doctor to perform the surgery. Taking care of themselves very well after getting an operation will prevent them from getting any side-effects. Likewise, drawbacks of plastic surgery that opponents argue can be avoided and dealt with.

In short, technology in plastic surgery is one of the best developments. Although some people are against plastic surgery, it offers so many advantages like gaining self-confidence, socializing better, getting higher opportunity to be hired. In general, it allows people's lives much richer and happier. Without this technology, quite a great number of people would be frustrated and depressed with dissatisfaction of their appearance.

pg93 essay first draft 200900220 TAE EUN KWON

DMB-The mobile TV      Watching TV was something I could do only when I was at home, sitting on a comfortable sofa. But now, the concept of watching TV has changed. DMB(Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) allowed us to get out of the couch and watch TV anywhere, anytime we want.    It was a sensation when it was first introduce in 2005. Anyone who had a device like cell phone, navigation or PMP(Portable Media Player), could watch TV even while walking! You don't have to hurry home to be in front of the television to watch your favorite show or there's no need to fight over the remote control with a family member to watch the program that you want. The only thing you need to do is pull out the antenna, click on the dmb icon, and search for the program you want to see. Thanks to the mobility, it helps people to spend boring times much happier while in public transportations, traffics, and so forth. Some people are worried because some car accidents and other minor accidents like bumping to each other or to a thing, is caused by watching dmb. Because people get so absorbed to the program, they don't look around. However, I think that dmb is a definitely cool invention.     Now it's not hard to see people watching TV anywhere. As it's been not long after the invention, there are some problems that should be resolved. But dmb changed our environment of watching TV and it is now a part of our everyday life.

p.93 first draft wed.56 [soo jung han]

 

Some one's always watching you

 

    Walking on the street, working in your office, or in the elevator, whatever you do, if you are outside, someone's watching you. It may sound a little freaky, but it is true. It is CCTV(closed-circuit television) who is watching you. Moving cameras screens every place for 24-hours and we are so used to it so sometimes we don't even notice it. It keeps us safety, but it is not pleasant always.

 

As the world gets bigger, and the population grows, where we live has become a more complicated society. And crime also has been increased, proportional to the size of the society. It became the reason why the number of CCTV has grown, and actually it is doing its job well. The biggest effect of these cameras is preventing crime. Recently there was a research that in Kang-Nam Gu, after putting up some cameras the rate of some crimes like murder, robbing had decreased about 43 percent. It sure is effective. But to think of it, I think there are too many cameras just for preventing crimes. What about our privacy? Let's suppose you are alone in an elevator. You look in the mirror, fix your hair and clothes, and if your nose is itchy, you scratch, and see if something are between your teeth. And suddenly, you look up, and find out there was a camera. How would you feel? Well, to me, it wouldn't be so happy. You might feel embarrassed about what you've done. Actually, CCTVs are recording us without our permission. Recording to another research, on average, a normal business man is exposed to a camera 82 times a day. It is quite a lot for a day, isn't it? Some cameras can record voices too! The purpose of the cameras is very good-preventing crime-but to us it is not quite sure if the recorded video will be only used as for preventing crime. Because there is no way for us to know it! And for the crime, the rate might have been decreased, but just for the places where cameras are working. Places where cameras can't see, still crimes are happening.

 

CCTV is definitely a useful technology. I cannot deny it. But it is also definitely that sometimes people want to be alone without being watched. All of us have the right to protect our own life, and if it is violated, although it is for the public goods, it can't be a public good anymore. To satisfy everyone, there must be another solution.  

p.93 first draft of the Opinion Essay 200902461 Lee Su A

 

Another hope for treatment, stem cell

 

A few years ago, there was a big issue related with stem cell. You have been heard of the event, 'Hwang Woo-Suk scandal' Doctor Hwang, Woo-Suk published a statement that he discovered and studied stem cell to cure the people are suffering from incurable illness. However, his thesis came out into the open that it was manipulated, so many people discouraged as they heard of it. Fortunately, many researches about stem cell has been made after that, there are still many problems to deal with.

 

           I know it is sensible issue because it is related with the dignity of human. As we succeed to commercialize stem cell, many people will be able to get a new life by curing the serious diseases. But there's a possibility to violate our dignity because stem cell can be considered as a part of human, not a kind of cell. It's because stem cell can be an organ as it can mature into functioning cell. So there's an opinion that stem cell should be considered almost like a human-being. But I can't agree with this kind of view. There are too many people who suffer from the illness such as many kinds of cancer or rare diseases. Let me suppose a situation that it is possible to cure people by using stem cell, but we don't do it just because it can be regard as insulting the human dignity. I think this choice makes the situation more desperate. In my opinion, it's more important to cure the patients and this can lead people to live reasonably and with dignity. My grandmother is a terminal patient suffering from stomach cancer. Whenever I saw her, I sincerely hope that the treatments with using stem cell will be developed quickly. If it is possible to grow a stomach with stem cell, she can be healthy again. Of course, it is necessary to concern about human dignity when we apply medical technology to people, but I think it is secondary consideration. From the patients' or their families' points of view, it is more urgent to cure them as soon as possible. In addition, we can deal with this problem by enacting laws not to abuse stem cell for other purposes such as personal interest. By making powerful related laws and keep a close watch to stem cell treatments, we can prevent this to make ill use as commercial means.

 

           Discovery and research that are related with stem cell is astonishing event for both patients and other people. By apply this method properly and morally, we can lead a healthy life without diseases that make us painful. So, we take a positive point of view about stem cell treatment designed to cure people and it's also can be a way of preserving human dignity.

 

The first draft of the Opinion Essay on Page 93.[200601955 Won Du Ho Wed.56]

I bought a smartphone early this year. I thought it was just a phone which had more functions but I was wrong. The smartphone has changed my life totally. At first, I had a trouble to use it because it is too difficult for me to use; however, the more I knew the smartphone, the more my life became convenient. For example, although I have no sense of direction I have never got lost since I had a smartphone, and there are millions applications which can help me to do anything I want and I could use the internet anytime and anywhere.  The smartphone is the fruit of the advanced scientific technology and the best invention which has a great effect on human life of 21st century for several reasons. First, you can use the internet anytime you want with the smartphone. It means that to use the internet, you need a computer no more because it is the smallest computer. Using internet anywhere anytime gives us a lot of advantages. For example, a businessman who need to check his email frequently can check his email every second and a student who have a question can search the answer on the internet immediately. Next, you can use the map and gps system with smart phone. It provides you not only the map but also the picture where you are and information of the area such as restaurants, hospitals, hotel, and so on. Finally, there are millions of application which you can install on your phone. Feature phones also have a lot of functions; however, you cannot add the functions you need. Unfortunately, if you need a new function you have to buy a new phone. On the other hand, smart phone allows you to install applications you need. For instance, if you need a forecasting program, you can download it from the App store or Android market. Thanks to the applications, there is nothing you cannot do. Recently, I don't have to wait  a bus because the smart phone application, Seoul bus told me when the bus is going to come to the busstop. In addition to this, you can communicate with people all over the world by the application such as twitter, facebook, or Kakao talk. Only three three years ago, I could not immagine that the phone can access the internet and provide us the map all over the world and allow us to communicate with people all over the world. Now it is no more a dream but reality. It makes our life very convenient. Of course, the smart phone is not necessary complement of human life; however, it is clearly the invention which has changed human life style rapidly.