Ad Chaning Mind?

                Ad Changing Minds?

Studies have shown teenager are more likely to smoke if an adult figure in their live smokes, like their mother, father, grandparent, etc… I don’t think an ad is going to make a difference in the way a teenager see smoking.

I was a teen smoker, all my friends smoke but a few. The few that didn’t smoke had parents that didn’t smoke. I feel that teenager whom have parent or an adult in their house hold that smoke are way more likely to smoke, due to the fact that they have a way to get cigarettes. I don’t smoke today, but when I was a teenager an ad would have never made in effect on the way I seen smoking.

 Anti-smoking campaigns, like Phillip Morris’s prevention ad tells youth to “Think. Don’t Smoke.” I see this ad to be positive and have nothing but the best of attention. Being an effective ad is a whole another issues. Most teen, speaking only for my friends, older and young brothers and myself, an ad would have never made impacted on our lives. Teenagers think that they know everything and don’t want to listen to what anyone else as to say.

It’s really sad, to say that teenagers have a “whatever approach,” but most teens do. I think if they are thinking about smoking then they are going to try it. Teenager want to live their lives and trying things like smoking or drinking, which is everywhere in high school those days. The teenagers that don’t follow others are the ones who have parents that don’t do those things.

There are many anti-smoking ads those days that are pay for by the cigarette companies, may have an effect on the way that a teenager sees smoking. I just know how my friends and I thought when we were freshman in high school; we want to be “cool” and belonged to a “group.”  I never fit in to a group, I had a few close friends and never liked school, so it meant for me to skip a lot and while skipping I started smoking.

So for me, teenagers need to have positive friends and positive role moles to help them develop who they want to be.  I truly feel that teenager don’t care about an ad, most of the time they don’t care a homework or school at all. High school can be one of the hardest times in a person live and most of teenagers stop caring about reading or school work. I feel that teenagers just want to be a “cool kid” and will do anything to fit in with a group. It’s a sad reality to think that most teenagers aren’t going to see this ad as positive or see this ad as having an good side, mostly just seen as WHATEVER!

Good Intension Ending Badly

Learning the hard way that censorship can create hatred between children and an over protective parent. That’ll end in a fight that’ll never slow or stop.  Developing minds need reality to mature.

Growing up in a suburb of Los Angeles one would expect that the banning of the books was common by the public middle schools and, or the local cities, but at Park View Middle School in 2000 a PTA member was very PISSED about a book her child had checked out at the school library. This PTA member decided to challenge the school and wanted the school to fire the librarian whom recommended the book, to an “impressionable young mind.”

It all started with four young girls in the same English class having to the go to the school library and read one book and write a book review. The four girls were twins Jessie and Josie, Crystal and me. We all headed to the library to get the book after school on Friday to do the book review over the weekend. Jessie had gotten a book from the Baby Sitter Club, Josie got Harry Potter that was recommend by the librarian in a pile of new books, Crystal got Tuck Everlasting, and I got where the Red Fern Grows. Knowing that we still had two weeks to do our book reviews we took our time.

Within a few days Jessie and Josie had traded books. Josie got bored with the Harry Potter, after only reading a few pages, so the twins traded. The night before the report was due the girl’s mother was helping them with their homework and was stunned to see that Jessie’s book review was on magic. She took both of the books from the girls and sent them to bed.

The next morning when the book reviews where due, the twin girls gave the teacher a note written by their mother. It read:

 Miss. White

         I am very sorry for my girls not turning the book report they had worked so hard on for the last two weeks. But I regret to inform you that the library at the school you work for has told my impressionable young minded children to read a book on magic.  The matter will be taken to the next PTA meeting.

From, Mrs. Johnson

Within a week the news of the book being challenged was all around school. Mrs. Johnson had every PTA parent reading all the children’s homework, school books, and lesson plans.  The meeting was to be held at the end of the month, but the buzz was scaring teachers and the librarian was to take a leave. 

I don’t truly know what happened at the meeting for the PTA meeting, due to the fact that my parents were not part of the PTA. But I remember the day after all was calm with the teachers, school office administration and the librarian. Everyone acted like nothing happened, that is everyone but the twins.

The twins didn’t show up to school until the end of the week on Friday and that was at the end of the school day. The twins stopped to talk to me about what happened. The school ruled that the book was not appropriate for middle school children but today it’s allowed. The twin’s mother was happy that the book had been banned but the mother hated the school and made the twins change schools. In the end the book wasn’t permanently banned and the twins grew to be resentful towards their mother. They said that their mother embarrassed them and made them leave their friends behind. Both the twins loved the book and didn’t see it as bad. The censorship from a mother wanting nothing but the best for her twins, ended badly.

At The End Of The Day

　shit about every choice you make in life. At the end of the day when you look into a mirror what are your thoughts about yourself going to be. Do you feel like you have respect for yourself or are you not happy with the choices of that day and the events that happened. Happiness and self-respect go hand in hand and that'll never change. Life is full of choices and every choice will allow you to have self-respect or none at all. If you are an America then smile, all your choices are free and no one can make them for you, so you can control your own self-respect and happiness. One will never be truly happy until they respect themselves.

At The End Of The Day

　
John Herschel once said "Self-respect is the cornerstone of all virtue. " My grandmother loved this saying and believed respect is the greatest accomplishment. She taught me to see that without respect of any kind one will never truly be happy, but if you respect all, including yourself, you will learn and grow to become happy.
I believe that self-respect is more important to me then happiness. I feel that if you respect yourself than you will be happy. If you don't respect your self than you will never be happy. Self-respect will always hold the key to my happiness. The choices you make in life can show that you have self-respect and if you make the right choice for yourself to have self-respect you will learn to be happy about the choice. For example when making the choice not to return to work after having my son was born two months early by the doctors request. I wasn't happy but I respected my self for putting my son first, then I grew to be happy with my choice. I become happy to see his first everything and it has given me the opportunity to return to school full time.
There are always going to be some cases where self-respect will come first but then there will be cases like revenge will come first; which is just one thing that can happen, for you to not think of self-respect. If you want revenge for something then you will end up losing all self-respect because two wrongs don't make a right. I believe that if one feels the need for revenge self-respect has been long gone and your happiness is gone with it. Also revenge will not truly bring one happiness. For example your boyfriends cheat on you and you go out and cheat with someone else. In the end you get revenge but you lose your self-respect and you may feel happy at first but two wrongs don't make a right. Or you can end the relationship or work through the problems and still have your self-respect.
Self-respect is taken for granted by so many around us. When you don't put self-respect first you will feel like

The Number One Judge

·         What nonverbal cues do you project to others? In a few paragraphs, analyze yourself and the “vibes” you give to those around you through your body language, the way you walk, your facial expressions, dress style, and mental attitude.

           A young woman covered in black from the top of her head and to tip of her toe walks with her head tilted high and not a care in world.  With a light brown face of no emotion, that can turn rosy red with the blink of an eye. Plump, pink lips, with a big black freckle that always remain tightly closed while walking. Never smiles or grins just lips that only move when rolled in and out of the mouth. Eyes that have been passed down from an American Indian that always have dark brown shadow that lines the whole eyes. Eyes always giving the look that she needs sleep, the face of woman whom is standoffish and mean.

           As she walks in the sun her hair turns from black to a shiny burgundy.  This becomes the only color you’ll she, on her other than black. The hair that is straight as a bored, which flows down to bottom on her back. The hair always surrounds her round face, like a blanket that can protect her from the world.  With the hair that never let her face show through, just another way to show how standoffish she truly is. While walking in a crowd she never lets anyone touch her and walks as fast as she can to get through the crowd.  Also anyone can see her looking around for another way to walk, to avoid the crowds.  

          While standing her back remains straight as bored, in prefect sync with the straight lines in her hair. This shows how she has some confidence but doesn’t seem to be approachable.  Her head never turns, always remaining straight, which show she is avoiding eye contact. The way she walks always looks like a woman on a mission and she might be running late. She keeps up a fast past at all times. While sitting her legs and arms are always crossed, this shows she is closed off to the world. Most see this as way to avoid conversation with others. The clothes she wears are mostly black and she dresses in layers. This can mean many things one of them is that she is trying to hide her body in layers to not get attention.  All of those things can point to negative vibes.

       The young lady is me and I know I just called myself negative and mean. I don’t like making eye contact or smiling to people because then it opens the door to conversation. I really don’t feel comfortable talking to people, or being in public. At home or around family or really close friends is when I feel talking. I was always told to keep my head tilted high and never arch my back.  Most of my friends have told me that I walk like I am a mean bitch. I wear mostly dark clothes, because they don’t stain.  I wear layer to hide my body, which is covered with scars.  In the end I don’t open up to people I don’t know and my body language completely shows this. I am sweet but to a stranger I look mean and standoffish.

Communication Differences

 Question #6 Nonverbal behavior can be influenced by gender, culture, and media cues that may cause people to misunderstand each other. Explore the ways you rely on nonverbal cues when communicating with others. How much do you depend on the actual words used in a conversation versus the tone, Facial expressions, gestures, and mannerisms of the conversationalists? Do you think your nonverbal behavior is influence by your gender? Explain.

Misunderstandings happen to everyone, I see it happening due to gender, culture, and media every day.  I rely on nonverbal communication, everyday but nonverbal behaviors for me are the number one cause of misunderstandings. When communicating with a person in everyday life, I don’t depend on the actual word. I am always listening for tone and looking for facial expressions, gestures, and mannerisms of the person I am talking with.  I feel that the number one difference in nonverbal behavior is influenced by the person’s gender; I say this because it’s okay for women to make specific nonverbal behaviors versus man can’t make the same ones, which women can. 

When communicating with family and friends nonverbal communication is natural and part of your culture, and for the most part there aren’t any misunderstandings. For example, I know when my father has had a bad day at work by the way he is walking, and then I just let him be. Or when I am with one of my good friends, Roxy at a party and she gives me a sideways glance I know it’s time to leave or something bad going to happen. When communicating in a public with co-workers or strangers nonverbal communications can be misunderstood very easily.  For example, when you are having a communication at the supermarket with the cashier if you give them a sideway glance it’s a little awkward, no matter what gender and the cashier can get the wrong impression. There are things that family and friends will always know about you and understand but co-workers or strangers won’t understand.

Location of where a person is from is a key to understanding their nonverbal communication.  In America it’s okay to shake with your left hand but in Middle East it isn’t okay to shake with your left hand.  In the Middle East is a sign of disrespect.  If I was to travel across the word, I would have to learn the type of communication that goes on in the country I am visiting. I rely on nonverbal communication every day, for example when I am in a line at the bank I wait for a cashier to make eye contacted to let me know that it’s my turn. Nonverbal communication is everywhere and for the most part is so natural you don’t always realize you are doing nonverbal communication.

Verbal communication is just as important as nonverbal communication. When I am communicating with someone I am listening for the tone I their voice, tones say everything about how they feel about you and how they communicate. For example when my boyfriend gets home from school, I ask him how his day was and I don’t listen to actual words, I am always listening to see what tone he has. The tone tells me if his day was bad or good and if he is mad, happy, or sad. When talking with a co-worker I listen for their tone but also look for their facial expressions, gestures, and mannerisms. All of those things tell me what is going on with them. For example after a co-worker meets with the boss I know it went bad if their tone in their voice got weaker, if their trying to hold a smile, if they are moving more quickly and if they are holding back. Those things are more powerful than their actual word. Think of someone doing all those things but tell you everything went great with the boss. I feel that tones, facial expressions, gestures, and mannerisms are more important than actual words.

In America gender plays a big role in nonverbal communication, what is acceptable for women to do and what is acceptable for men to do differs. If a man gives a dirty look, no one thinks twice about but if a woman gives a dirty look, we all think what up her ass? In the work place, if something happens and someone wants to comfort them it’s okay for a woman to rub the top of someone’s be it a girl or boys back, but it’s okay for a man to only pat the top of someone back. Those are pretty much the same gestures with the same meaning behind them but it’s completely different for the different genders. Its okay for high five at sporting events for all genders but if a woman gives a high five for any other event, it’s just not natural. Men can give a high five any time and it is not weird. In the end gender makes a difference with nonverbal communication. I feel the American culture let it happen. As a young child you’re taught that girls are girls and boys are boys. Boys are given cars to play with and girls are given dolls. It’s America’s nature to see man as man and woman as woman.