Mission Critical and Causal Argument

In this course, we have gone over several topics to discuss. We learned many tips and tricks to be the best version of critical thinkers that we could be. The modules on Mission Critical and Causal Argument were very useful. The Mission Critical summarizes everything that we covered on arguments - from the basics, to analyzing arguments and to fallacies. Some of the topics discussed are the different parts of an argument, inductive and deductive and misdirected and emotional appeals. In addition, I think that the Causal Arguments website contains important information about arguments and how we to best use them in our daily lives. The website talks about the rules dealing with causation and also the strengths of a causal argument. Both of these websites make it convenient to go back and review the material that we learned throughout the semester. They are both necessary learning tools that we need to take advantage of.

Incorrect Conclusions

 As a college student, I am pretty positive that many of us have encountered the example I am about to give sometime during our college career. The way our classes our set up, it makes it easy for students to study in groups. It may work for some, and for the rest it may not be the best strategy. For me, it is the latter. I find myself giving study groups before a midterm a chance, but I always end up doing worse in a test than if I were to prepare for it myself. In my point of view, going over the class material with fellow students before a midterm is beneficial because we ask each other questions and each of us tell the group some information that we might be missing. When it comes to the test, I do not do as well as I thought I would. I have tried studying myself and I do better. This is most likely due to the fact that I am distracted by the side chatter when I can use that time focusing more on the text. Using my scientific skills, I was able to observe not only my own but also the rest of my study groups' actions and assess the effect it has on other people. I observed that our study techniques were effective, however it was not at all accurate. With that I was able to apply my observations and experience to the next situation. Situations like these happen all the time. For as long as we learn from our mistakes, these wrong situations can have a good outcome.

Horoscopes

According to www.shine.yahoo.com, my quick horoscope for today says: "Your place among your friends is secure today, and you know just where you stand."

Personally, I do not believe in horoscopes. I think that each horoscope may have some truth behind it only because we try and find a situation that has happened in our daily lives that we can relate it to. In my opinion, my horoscope above is accurate. Today, I was feeling a little stressed because of the hectic week I am having and going to face in the next couple of days, but I just sat down with a few of my friends at our house and spending time with them definitely alleviated a little of my stress. Though I think this is true, I think that if any of my friends with a different astrological sign was going through the same stressful week as I am and came up to me for advice, this horoscope would still apply to them. In fact, my friend from back home (with a different astrological sign) sent me a message saying that she needed me to be there for her since she is going through something complicated, and I was. We all may have different beliefs when it comes to horoscopes so it is important that we respect each other's viewpoint on this.

Social Networking

It is very apparent that the internet has affected our daily life by diversifying the different ways we deal with the media. One of the most common uses of the Interent is the social networking websites that are made available to almost everyone in the world. Starting with Friendster, MySpace, Google Plus and the famous Facebook, society has consistently talked about and took part in these social networking websites. Our text gives facts and numbers about the participation our society has with these websites, which only proves the impact this has on us. One example is that Facebook has more than 400 million members worldwide and counting. Social networking on the Internet definitely has its good and bad points. It is critical to understand how to use them correctly. As critical thinkers, it is our responsibility to study the various networking websites and how to use them for their advantages and not fall for their traps.

Internet Plagiarism

The internet has many benefits, and at times people tend to misuse them. In the article "The Wrongs of Internet Plagiarism: The Quick Arguments" by Brook Sadler, she talks about the negativity that plagiarism brings. On the other hand, Russel Hunt, author of "Four Reasons to Be Happy about Internet Plagiarism," discusses the benefits of plagiarism because it bring awareness, and when we are aware we can work against the flaws and towards the benefits. I agree more with Hunt's argument. He provides adequate reasoning behind his points. He says that knowing what plagiarism is will help us students develop awareness to know that it is wrong. Although Sadler lists all the negative aspects of plagiarism, it does not set her aside from the rest of the stances we have heard about this issue. I am glad that this topic got brought up because it is a very common issue in society. Media literacy is critical to understand because it helps us to be more aware of the good and bad ways we deal with the media.

Media Influences

The media is one of the strongest influence that we have nowadays. Almost everyone is exposed to different types of media, and this is most of the time how we keep connected with the past, current and future events. Because we face the media so frequently, it impacts the views and values we have about the world. A good example is a popular talk show, like maybe the Tyra Banks Show. Back when it was still on air, Tyra Banks hit many society's strengths and flaws. She discusses the issue with racism, physical appearance and the various beliefs of people. Through the exposure that this show brings to people, it definitely influences how we view the world. It allows for both sides of the story to be heard and criticized. A particular episode talked about the problems of people's weight. Tyra dressed up as both a skinny and an over sized woman and she walked into different clothing stores and she compared the customer service she received from the employees. Obviously, she got prime treatment when she was fit and skinny, and the complete opposite for being overweight. In that particular episode, we got to see how people treat others simply because of their weight. I am sure that most people who watched the episode, including myself, took into consideration how to act around different people. It made me understand that people are people and no one wants to be treated differently for not looking like a superstar.

Advertising in the Media

Nowadays, we are surrounded by the media at all angles. We see commercials on television, billboards when we drive around, magazine and newspaper ads, and even on the internet. It has now simply become inevitable. Marketers spend a lot of time and money to make their advertisements as efficient as possible. One of the ways they do this is by studying their consumers' habits. After looking closely at what they do, marketers find ways to work around it to profit from all of us. To stress the example of how big of a deal this is, our text provided the readers with the various facts and figures to support their reasoning. For example, manufacturers know that people change their cellphone provider multiple times a year, so cell-phone services ads come out quite often. The Internet itself is not too far behind when it comes to publicizing. Advertising in the media is definitely an effective method to communicate with the customers.

Children's Food Advertising

Advertising food has become one of the largest projects of food companies. In both articles by Margo Wootan and by Robert Liodice, children's food advertising and their health is discussed. In the first passage "Regulating Food Advertising to Children," the author argues that there is a dramatic increase in the number of children and teens with obesity over the years. She believes this is due to the accessibility of junk foods to children. Another contributing factor is parental authority for giving in to the food marketing that attracts their kids. Wootan suggests a variety of solutions by altering their marketing techniques by possibly changing the packaging to smaller portions or even simply improving the nutritional quality of foods. In the other article "Advertising and Freedom of Speech: Beware of the Food Nanny," Liodice talks about how the United States is a free country and the people have every right to express their thoughts and feelings. The CSPI narrows the public's perspective and focuses on just food advertising. They were not accurate on their facts about this topic and the author sees this to be particularly misleading. I think that Wooton's article proficiently delivered her message across simply because hers seemed more logical, especially with all the marketing solutions she presented. They were all easily attainable. I believe that if we actually follow some of the rules she suggested, we will see an improvement in children and teen's overall health.

Marketing Strategies

Target is one of the biggest retail companies here in the U.S. Along with a bunch my friends; we visited Target to purchase food, toiletries and clothes this past weekend. Being the successful retailer they are today, Target definitely used a variety of marketing strategies and strategically planned to help the company reach or go beyond their target sales. They made sure to assess the consumers shopping habits and discovered ways to cater to their needs for an efficient and enjoyable experience. One of the techniques that Target uses is their low prices, sales and promotions. For example, a bag of chips included a liter of soda. This caught my attention and made me actually buy the chips. Striving to reach to their consumers’ demands was definitely what they work towards. Another strategy they had was good customer service. I was in a rush to find the aisle for granola bars since all my friends were already in line to pay. I asked an employee to help me locate them, and he walked me to where they were even if he had to stop doing what he was doing and it was quite far. Lastly, Target continues to keep their company’s reputation. When I walked through the store, I felt a good atmosphere. They also have good marketing and catchy logos and phrases. This makes it exciting for the customers. I thought that the most effective marketing strategy was the customer service. If a team member makes certain that the customer leaves happier than when they walked in, it only goes to show that they truly care, and not just there to get the job done and get paid. The least effective would most likely be the marketing that they have. Although they have signs of prices on display, it does not make them any more special than if I would get an item at Walmart or Safeway. Customers would most likely be inclined to buy items at Target if, in one way or another, they prove that it is going to be a customers’ smartest purchase.