If people would realize how many health benefits exercise can
offer, there would be no hesitation in getting started with some form
of exercise.
Especially older folks are harder to get motivated, because they
think the exercise will cause an injury. At the contrary, exercise will
keep there overall fitness level and muscle strength in optimal form.
It's a matter of choosing the right form of exercise.
Swimming, walking and gardening are very suitable for older people.
Swimming has the advantage that their body weight will be partly
supported by the water, which makes it possible to exercise without
risking any bodily harm.
Walking is the best exercise you can have, because it's natural. Good
long brisk walks give a lot of benefits- the whole body begins to
respond. You breath properly, your circulation and heart benefits, and
it's good for the mind and positive thinking.
It's only in recent years that fitness gurus have recognized the
supremacy of brisk walking. In contrary to jogging, brisk walking
provides a lot of benefits without any problems. Walking is almost as
important as the right food. You need to eat properly and exercise
properly, the two together gives you the best results. The internal
organs of the body need tone and for this most of them depend almost
entirely on physical activity.
Exercise produces big results whether we’re 40, 60 or 80. According
to the Human Physiology Laboratory at Tufts University Human Nutrition
Research Center on Aging, we respond well to exercise at any age.
Muscles grow, bones strengthen, and metabolism increases. Our body fat
decreases while blood sugar and balance improve. I proved this to myself
when I taught strength training at a retirement residence. With modest
effort, exercisers in their 80s grew stronger and more vital. We were
all delighted. Reduced muscle strength is associated with age-related
disability. The most common cause of muscle weakness is inactivity.
After three months of high-intensity muscle training, healthy men over
60 experienced gains similar to those reported for younger men training
with similar intensity and duration. People who were stronger remained
more independent and less burdened by advancing years. Any type of
exercise helps, but combining aerobics, strength, and flexibility works
best. For most people, aerobic exercise is an easy place to begin.
As we breathe deeply, the diafragm – which separates the chest from
the abdomen – rises and falls repeatedly, massaging all the internal
organs, particularly the stomach, small intestine, bowel, lungs and
liver. The stretching and relaxing of the intestines is vital in
preventing that widespread form of 'self poisoning' : constipation.
Exercise does keep you regular!
In the mid-eighties, a vital clue to the right exercise for lifelong
health was uncovered by brilliant research in biochemistry. Biochemists
established that all cell replication in the immune system and therefore
all immune strength is dependent on availability of the amino acid
glutamine. Your immune system uses a ton of it. But immune cells cannot
make glutamine. Only muscle cells can do the job. So your muscles have
to supply large amounts of glutamine to your immune system every day in
order to maintain it. That's it! The mitochondria of muscle are the
furnaces in which most of your body fat and sugar are burned for fuel.
Muscle is what stresses your skeleton to maintain your bones. We also
know that muscle is the vital link which also maintain your immunity and
hence your resistance to all diseases. Muscle is the health engine.
Which so much overwhelming evidence that muscular exercise is essential
to health, what are we doing about it? A big fat zero.
Muscle is the health engine. It's a proven fact that the right
exercise not only maintains your heart, your lungs, your muscles, your
bones, a healthy level of body fat and even your intestinal function,
but also some more subtle functions, like insulin and your body's
dealing with sugar. It has been known for more than fifty years that
lack of exercise leads to glucose intolerance.
However, not long ago research has shown that getting of the couch
and start moving, not only maintain insulin function to deal with the
sugar, but it also can reverse decades of damage. Insulin dependent
diabetics, for example, using the right exercise program, can increase
insulin efficiency so much that some patients, who have used insulin
daily for years, no longer need it. In healthy people, the right
exercise completely protects glucose tolerance against the degenerative
changes in insulin metabolism that lead to adult-onset diabetes. Healthy
old men who maintain a lifelong exercise program, have the same healthy
insulin efficiency as young men. A high sugar diet, which progressively
destroys insulin metabolism, makes it virtually mandatory to exercise
if you want to avoid glucose intolerance as you grow older.
Most physicians believe that hardening of the arteries, a
degenerative process, is inevitable. Dr. Lakatta at the National
Institute on Aging Research Center in Baltimore, is showing in ongoing
experiments, that regular exercise maintains arterial elasticity and
even reverses arterial hardening that has already occurred. I could fill
many pages citing numerous bodily functions which are maintained by
regular exercise. But I will keep it short.
Research recently undertaken has revealed the major way in which
exercise protect you against all diseases. It started with the evidence
that exercise increases the overall number of white blood cells.
Followed by more precise findings that moderate exercise increases
bodily production of lymphocytes, interleukin 2, neutrophils and other
disease fighting components of the immune system. There is no doubt that
the right exercise strengthens your immunity. And it also strengthens
your resistance to all forms of damage, decay, bacteria, viruses, toxins
and even radiation. Closing with the wise words of Louis Pasteur, the
father of modern medicine: "Host resistance is the key."
Here is the link for an exercise program that teach you aerobics,
weight lifting, flexibility and nutrition for athletes:
www.exerciseprogram.net
Adrian Joele became interested in nutrition and weight
management while he was an associate with a nutritional supplement
company. Since 2008 he wrote several articles about nutrition and weight
loss and achieved expert status with Ezine Articles.com. He has been
involved in nutrition and weight management for more than 12 years and
he likes to share his knowledge with anyone who could benefit from it.
A version of this statement is often passed down within families. It
comes from a variety of sources. One is Shakespeare's "The Merchant of
Venice": "The Truth will Out." In Ephesians 5:9 of The Bible, a modern
translation fits the statement: "The light within you produces what is
good, right, and true." Essentially, it is the little voice in our
heart that tells us right from wrong.
The world is on fire when enough
people do not listen to that little voice. Yet, time after time, even
when the world is on fire, enough people have listened, combined, and
acted for the collective good. Another quote: "When bad men combine, the
good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an un-pitied
sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." Give Edmund Burke, an Irish
political philosopher, credit for saying something that we all know to
be true. ( Continued below.....)
Tyrants Getting The Smackdown! The Rock Almighty Shaker of Heaven and Earth
(...Continued.....)Tests of our Character
It tends to happen in small groups. Someone does something out of
line. What do the others in the small group do? Usually, they tolerate
the act. Then, the antagonist believes that his/her activity has borne
fruit. It happens again. Most likely, the group will take note, but
will not get involved. A psychologist among them would have an
opportunity to conduct a case study on what has become a group dynamic.
For everyone else in the group, this could be the opening volley of
misery. This is the tyrant in the office, the bully on the school
ground,the rule breaker and mischief-maker. What happens if someone in
the office realizes, after repeated disruptions, that he/she must stand
up to the tyrant? What indeed? If one good person takes a stand, the
rest of the group still must do something. Usually, they do nothing.
"Let Human Resources handle it." "Discipline is the teacher's job."
These moments are a test of character for everyone in the small group.
If someone stands up for right, and stands alone, the stronger
personality will win. Quite often, the stronger personality belongs to
the tyrant. An emboldened tyrant will dominate, much as a sheep-herding
dog dominates sheep that outnumber the dog, perhaps 200:1.
Citizens
People predominately live their lives as members of a human society.
In some parts of the world, those societies are still called tribes. In
industrialized countries, citizens often form around villages, towns,
cities. Folks identify themselves to be part of a district, a state, a
region and a country. Besides geography, people form around their
familial ties, their religion, their sport team, their school, their
earned educational designation (society of engineers, local labor
union). In all of these examples of shared human bonds, the rule of law
is necessary. Someone must lead. He/'she is expected to promote the
welfare of the society through governance. Tests of our character are
found here too. The same people who will not listen to their inner
voice, will not stand up for righteousness, will not support the one who
does, also will not likely contribute to the society. They will not
lead or volunteer to support. They will not vote and will not
communicate with the one who was elected. When trouble comes,they
expect the police to handle it. When their child acts out in public,
they will not correct the child. Their country might have been born
from sacrifice. Others, before them, may have given their lives to
guarantee the freedoms that all of the citizens enjoy. Yet, in time of
need, during crisis, and even during the safe times when voting in the
best leader is so important, so many will shirk their obligation to
their ancestors and to the society's needs today. They will not listen
to their inner voice. "Let someone else vote." "Someone should say
something to that lady who lets her dog C*** on their lawn." "I don't
have time to answer that senator who asked me how he is doing in
Congress." "Those poor starving people in the earthquake zone;someone
should organize food for them." "What is the world coming to? Those
people have just taken another country. Don't they realize that their
leader is a tyrant? I hope we stay out of it."
The Truth
The rule of law only works when society enforces the rule. Many will
argue that there is too much corruption and crime in the world, too
many different points of view to gain consensus on what is right, vast
distances in geography, and greater personal risks today make it harder
to take a principled stand. Yet,no argument has the strength to
withstand public scrutiny or self-examination. When we do not take a
stand, we stand for nothing. Edmund Burke is not remembered for being
correct about the stands that he took. He is admired for standing up.
Any of us who have done that in our lives, look back on the moment
without the stinging rebuke of regret. The ones who stand alone against
the tyrant and bully stand tall, even if they lose. It is the ones who
will not stand with him/her, those who let themselves fail the test of
character, who cast their eyes down to their shoes in the presence of
the one who was sacrificed. But, take heart. Some of the most admired,
good people of societies were slackers for much of their early lives.
One day,they looked up and stood up for right. That became their habit.
The truth will stand when the world is on fire. Truth is revealed by
people who will not tolerate a wrong. When they stand, they are the
rock. Those who stand with them build a stone wall about that rock.
Never are there too many of them to extinguish a moral fire. There can
be too few. Stand up!
Tony is a writer, an author of several published novels,
and an independent publisher. He wrote and published "A Voice from New
Mill Creek: The Methodists," "Goodnight Paige," "How Tony Wrote and
Published Two Novels," and "The Star of India." https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lF6k3S84 and http://youtu.be/ICK8qpv0a30 .
Baseball is one of America’s favorite pastimes. Although
football and basketball are worthy rivals, baseball’s timeless uniforms,
chants, and stadium food continue to stand the test of time and join
fans together. However, even with the baseball cults found across the
country, there are still some unknown facts about the sport. Continue
reading to discover a few of the odd baseball rules you may not be aware
of.
Umpires Cannot Acknowledge Players or Fans
Although fans may yell all they want at these individuals, umpires
cannot respond to any of the disagreement or agreement with their calls
unless speaking with a coach. Some may find this to be lonely since the
umpire stands right next to the players and fans but cannot acknowledge
them. However, this career obviously has its rewards and is a perfect
fit for the right individuals, or else they would not have pursued it.
Catchers’ Interference
If you’ve ever played as a catcher on a baseball team, then you can
relate to the intimidating feeling of having a baseball soaring 80 miles
per hour or higher straight towards your face. Although you have lots
of protective gear, it does not take the adrenaline away. But the ball
is not the only thing catchers have to worry about. One rule that fans
may not be aware of is that if a batter hits the catcher, it is deemed
the catcher’s fault for interfering with the bat. As odd as it may seem,
this rule has been followed religiously in the sport of baseball for
several years.
Dirty Baseballs Get Replaced Mid-Game
Have you ever attended a game and wondered why players are so quick
to throw a baseball up to their fans? Don’t they need that ball for the
game, and aren’t they wasting a perfectly good ball? However, this may
have little to do with baseball players wanting to please their adoring
fans and more to do with an odd rule. What fans may not realize is that
baseballs need to be replaced if they get dirty. As one can imagine, it
is very easy for a baseball to grow dirty in a sport that is played on
grass and dirt. Therefore, most professional baseball games go through a
large number of baseballs, counting it no cost to toss one into the
stands.
Although some of these rules may seem odd, they are an essential
backbone in keeping the game running smoothly. Without these rules, the
sport wouldn’t be what it is today, and as OCD as some of the rules may
seem, they play an essential role in the overall order of baseball.
Robert Hinchliffe is a finance executive and business
expert located in Tampa, Florida. Robert has a solid track record of
success in the fields of financial management and mergers and
acquisitions. Robert has been Vice President of Mergers &
Acquisitions at Second Catalyst since 2014. Robert stands out from his
competition in the way that he seeks, assesses, and negotiates
investment possibilities to assure the company's continued growth. To
learn more about Robert Hinchliffe, please visit his website.
One guarantee we have in life is that it will never be completely trouble-free. Dealing with its challenges would quickly become overwhelming if we didn’t have the ability to communicate with others and ask for assistance. When difficult situations present themselves and we have no clue how to handle them, we can either devise our own strategy and rely on our own perceived cleverness, or acknowledge that we need divine help. When we’re in trouble, prayer is the only real solution.
Prayer is direct communication with God; however, praying is something many people haven’t learned how to do properly. As children, we were taught to say our prayers at bedtime, but it usually involved memorizing words and repeating them back on cue. Religion teaches us to pray only at certain times and only about certain topics; by contrast, God wants us to talk with Him constantly, share what’s in our hearts and on our minds, and keep those lines of communication open. His will for us is to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Some people feel like they have to fit their prayers into a pre-specified formula before they’re accepted. Others want to put on a show with their loud, public prayers. God wants to free us from all those expectations, which are simply religious trappings.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him (Matthew 6:5-8).
Whether we’re struggling or everything is fine, what’s important to God is our attitude while we’re praying. Thinking about everything He’s done for us, including sending His Son to give us authority over trouble and to empower us to live victorious lives, leads us into gratitude and thankfulness. He wants us to come to Him with our needs while at the same time thanking Him for having already made provisions to meet those needs before we even knew we would have them. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:4, 6, NKJV).
God loves us and wants to hear from us anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Whenever something is troubling us, He wants us to come straight to Him. There are no forbidden topics, and nothing is off-limits. Even when things are going great in our lives, God still loves to hear from us.
If we’ve accepted Jesus, then we’re God’s children and He’s our heavenly Father. The bottom line is that God wants to grant us what we request, in the same way an earthly father wants to give his children what they ask for. When we trust Him enough to believe His Word, He’ll honor our prayers. “If you remain in meand my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7, NIV). This is a solemn promise from God.
Doodling takes on a life of its own with a youth basketball coach. Any scrap of paper offers the opportunity to diagram set plays.
Running structured plays though, comes in baby steps with the younger ages. Inbound plays underneath an opponent’s basket are a great place to get started.
Considering most opponents will be playing man-to-man defense on the younger levels, the “stack” is a common way to introduce a structured play starting underneath the opponent’s basket.
At least one of the four players in the stack should get open for a bounce pass or chest pass from the inbounder, and probably more than that.
Stack
To run the “stack,” the four offensive players on the court should line up in a row along the outside of the foul lane and face the inbounds passer. Make sure the first player in line is not too close to the end line, perhaps lining up inside the lowest block marked on the court. The man-to-man defenders will likely line up inside the offensive players, but, if not, even better, because that exposes an open path in the paint, and getting a close shot is every youth team’s intention.
A basketball coach has myriad options with the stack. The players in line can separate in different directions to get free for an inbounds pass. The first two players can separate and the third player slowly sneaks down the lane for a pass. Perhaps the first player in line goes away from the inbounds passer and circles around the top of the stack and back into the paint for a pass.
Basically, it’s the coach’s decision on what to do with the stack.
Box
During overtime, a coach can implement more inbounds plays. The best way to achieve success, and understanding among the players, is to run different inbound options from the same setup. For instance, a “box” brings excellent structure. In a “box,” four offensive players set up in that shape just outside the foul lane, with one player at each top corner (often called the “elbow”) and one player at each low block.
Make sure each player who is running off a screen doesn’t move until the teammate arrives to set it. Be sure to have one of the players who sets the screen, step out toward the baseline- corner near the inbounder to become a safety valve.
For the best success, use the same inbounds passer throughout an entire quarter or half. No matter what plays are run, the start is the same. The coach yells out, “Stack!”, “Box!" or whatever set-up is used. After the players set up and the referee hands the basketball to the inbounder, he or she then repeats the coach by yelling “Stack!” or “Box!” Then a simple command of “Break!” sets the four offensive teammates in motion.
Repetition is pivotal in youth basketball, so work on inbounds plays over a number of practices.
In this course, Coach Ryan Banta reveals multiple weekly practice plans for the 400m and 800m athletes that you need to know in order to improve their times. He emphasizes the necessity to train your athletes for both races. If you are a coach who wants to make your 400m and 800m runners stronger and faster, then this is the course for you! Book this course.....(Continued below...)
On this week's US High School Sports Show we bring you the highlight reel of an outstanding middle-distance sprinter from India. We cap it off with some distance running training advice from Coach Marisa Tuzzi. Let's get after it!
Part one:
Kimaya Tandon (Fall 2023) - College Track & Field Recruiting Video.
Contact information is on the video.
Part two:
Distance Running For Track - Weekly Schedule.
In this course, Coach Marisa Tuzzi details multiple workouts, and practice plans for long-distance training. She even reveals some of her own drills and sample weeks you need to know in order to make your athletes faster. If you are a coach who needs help planning practice or need some new drills to throw into the mix, then this is the course for you!
(...Continued.....)Coach Ryan Banta has been a Track & Field coach for 19 years. He is also the author of "The Sprinter's Compendium" and writes for elitetrack.com and speed endurance.com. He is the Head Women's Track & Field coach at Parkway Central High School starting in 2003. He is also the Head Women's Cross Country coach at Parkway Central High School starting in 2013. He also has USATF Level II in sprints, relays, endurance, and hurdles. Coach Banta is also the MTCCCA VP and an MSHSAA Board Member.
Coaching Accolades:
84 school records
2 top 4 finishers in 2008 and 2009
District Champions in 2007, 2008, and 2009
4 runner up finishes at districts 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014
After the squat, the deadlift might just be the most
important exercise for physical fitness. It's such a basic movement, yet
it involves almost every muscle in your body.
Even better, most
trainees can deadlift more weight than with any other exercise! No
matter your current goals, this is one move you've got to be doing. Here
are a few ways you can add deads to your own lifting program.
Heavy Lifting for Mass
Heavy deadlifts will put slabs of muscle on your back like no other
exercise. They'll also stimulate new growth in your quads, hamstrings,
traps, and even biceps. If you have one day per week for training your
back, try getting a few heavy sets in before your pull-ups and rows. If
you train your upper and lower body on separate days - or if you train
every muscle at every session - rotate deadlifts in with your other leg
exercises.
Deadlifts for Fat Loss?
Most people don't think of heavy lifting as good exercise for fat
loss. However, it's FAR more effective than cardio can ever be! Heavy
deadlifts activate muscles all over your body, and they have to work
hard to move all that weight. This is metabolically demanding, and
you'll burn hundreds more calories for hours after a good training
session. However, you've got to focus on deadlifts and other "big"
movements. Curls, raises, and other isolation exercise are not very
demanding, and they will have minimal impacts on your metabolism and
body composition.
Condition with High Reps
If you've got great form, then deadlifts can actually be a good
conditioning tool, as well. While sets of five or six are great for
building muscle, high reps will tax your cardiovascular system like
nothing else. When it's too rainy to run - or you just don't have time
to hit the track - try knocking out a few sets of twenty with short rest
periods. Just make sure you keep your back in a safe position when you
start to get fatigued.
Tips for Perfect Form
Despite its simplicity, there are still several important form tips
for the deadlift. Make sure you understand this advice before including
deadlifts in your physical fitness program.
*Keep your lower back in a safe position. Arched or flat is fine, but a rounded back will inevitably lead to injuries.
*Lift with your whole body. Make sure you're engaging your hips, quads, and hamstrings in addition to your back.
*Pull back. You should think about pulling the weight "backwards" as
you get it off the floor. This keeps the bar as close to your body as
possible, making for a faster, smoother rep.
*Mix your grip. Once you start deadlifting some heavy weights, you'll
need to alternate the directions your palms face when you grip the bar.
This keeps it from rolling out of your hands.
This paper discusses how social media is causing society to be more
polarized in politics. It can be argued that social media does not have
any impact on the standpoint of political and social beliefs, but there
are numerous examples of how it has impacted society and history. The
effects are not well known to many citizens on what exactly social media
is doing to society. Young people are easily influenced by social
media’s manipulative tactics. It is crucial to address the effects of
social media because it may ultimately change the future. A fundamental
problem in social media is that many people only see one side of a
story, which influences their political views. If many people become
increasingly divided in their beliefs and opinions from each other, it
can cause violence and prevent the advancement and growth of society.
This research project will pull from many databases and sources of
information to best examine how social media is impacting the
polarization of the public. The research shows that social media is
causing society to be more politically and socially diverse.
Abstract
Society is becoming more polarized because of social media’s numerous
platforms and manipulative business models, which have political and
social impacts. It is established that social media can be manipulative
and have very real effects on individuals. Research has shown that there
are and will be more problems in society due to social media, which
includes more violence between political groups and people with
different backgrounds and lifestyles. Polarization is the increasing
division between two attitudes or beliefs to ideological extremes, and
it causes many changes to occur in society throughout everyday life.
The research was gathered from online articles, databases,
documentaries, and books that prove social media is causing polarization
in society.
With all of the numerous platforms, there is a great amount of false
and biased information to possibly be spread. These platforms are
manipulative and cause polarization which has many political and social
impacts on society.
In conclusion, social media has many ways of being polarizing to
society. It is proven that social media does have a serious impact on
many people’s lives in society.
Democrat or Republican. White or Black. Us or Them. Polarization is
the increasing division between two attitudes or beliefs to ideological
extremes that causes many changes to occur in society throughout
everyday life. When social media was first created, many citizens did
not realize the possible and countless real effects of polarization in
society. Society is becoming more polarized because of social media’s
numerous platforms and manipulative business models, which have
political and social impacts.
The numerous social media platforms available provide more polarized
opinions than ever before and target age groups differently. Back in the
1960s, there were only three channels that were broadcasted on
television: NBC, CBS, and ABC (Ganzel 2007). These television channels
had minimal biases. Now, there’s Tiktok, Twitter, Instagram, and
Facebook, along with hundreds of cable networks and radio stations that
have all different kinds of information. The many platforms cause people
to be more polarized because more information can be false,
manipulated, or biased. Author Hong expresses that “Daily, citizens
share information published via government Twitter accounts, and the
content may be fragmented or customized. Furthermore, the trend for
information to be shared in this way may not be easily reversed” (Hong
2016). These platforms also target age groups differently. Facebook is
generally used by older citizens, TikTok is commonly used by teenagers
and younger kids, Instagram and Twitter are social media apps that are
commonly used by many different ages of people (but still mainly appeal
to the youth). Author Hong explains that “Twitter has emerged as a key
platform on which anyone with a smartphone can engage in political
discourse” (Hong 2016). Similar age groups engage in political debates
over social media, which separates the spread of ideas between
generations. This spread of false information causes differences in
viewpoints between those who are constantly fed information from one
biased source and those who are fed information from a different biased
source. Twitter can post something about politics and have it be spread
instantly to citizens all across the world with information many people
will remember. Overall, the many social media platforms available are
contributing to the polarization of the public.
The business models of these platforms are polarizing their users
because they focus on selling ads, reinforcing viewpoints by showing
people what they want to see, and fostering addiction. Platforms sell
advertisements to companies for a profit. Instagram’s website appeals to
businesses by telling companies that “each ad is tailored to the
actions users took on [the business’s] site” and that they can “promote
specific products a user viewed or are likely to buy” and “up-sell
existing clients with related offerings” (AdRoll 2021). Social media
apps track what a viewer does on an app and then sends ads that are
believed to be related to what the viewer likes. A simple advertisement
shows people what they want to see (they are exposed to only what they
are already interested in). Similarly, social media can make a person
have a certain belief about something that they can reinforce by never
exposing them to the other side or by portraying the opposite side in an
excessively negative, harsh light. Reinforcement of viewpoints is
another highly common business model of social media apps. Algorithms
are the way in which a viewpoint is reinforced to a citizen through an
app and there are many different ones. Certain algorithms send and
suggest information to a viewer that is related to what was looked at
previously and is information that the viewer wants to see. On TikTok,
there is something called a “for you page,” which has endless videos
that are related to videos the viewer has previously watched. James
Cooper talks about how “TikTok focuses on the performance of each
individual video rather than [taking] into account your whole profile.
The platform looks at the amount of rewatches, shares, comments and
likes each video gains” (Cooper 2021). Viewpoints on social media that
people disagree with are rarely shown to opposing sides, leading to
social media “bubbles.” “Polarization in the U.S. could be driven by
exposure to views people disagree with, rather than being separated from
them by filter bubbles'' (Lee De-Wit, Sander Van Der Linden, Cameron
Brick 2019). This leads to an increase in polarization. Another
documentary says, “We’ve created a world in which online connection has
become primary. Especially for younger generations. And yet, in that
world, anytime two people connect, the only way it’s financed is through
a sneaky third person who’s paying to manipulate those two people. So
we’ve created an entire global generation of people who were raised
within a context with the very meaning of communication, the very
meaning of culture, is manipulation.” (Lainer 2020). Social media apps
are designed to be addictive and manipulative, which is caused by
algorithms designed to keep people happy in their comfort zones,
contributing to polarization. The business model of these apps also
fosters addiction. One reason people get addicted to social media is
that it creates a sense of well-being. If someone posts something and
gets many likes and followers, it can cause a feeling of euphoria, which
would not have occurred without the use of social media. “When we
replace the human-level communities we thrive in—such as religion, civic
responsibility, education, and volunteerism—with communities online
that give us a false sense of power, we are heading down the path of
failure” (Zito 2019). Social media provides a false sense of power and
righteousness because people are manipulated into developing extreme
opinions through the problematic business models of social media
platforms and are rewarded by the addictive nature of these apps to keep
their opinions.
The effects of polarization range from political riots to social
beliefs that focus on an “Us vs. Them” attitude. One of the biggest
effects of polarization is seen in politics. The article “Are Social
Media Driving Political Polarization?” says “Since 1994, the number of
Americans who see the opposing political party as a threat to ‘the
nation’s well-being’ has doubled.” (Lee De-Wit, Sander Van Der Linden,
Cameron Brick 2019). More citizens are either Democrats or Republicans
instead of moderates, which is caused by social media feeding negative
beliefs toward the opposing political group. There is even evidence that
shows that the most recent election has affected people’s viewpoints
because of social media. Violence at the capitol building is the result
of social media encouraging political violence by spreading rumors about
rigged election counts and secret terrorist organizations. There are
also numerous amounts of social polarization in our society. Social
media has created tension about the subject of racism in society today.
“Cancel culture” pits the public against a single individual and allows
people to be easily criticized. When this happens, some people apologize
for their actions and join the canceling majority, but others, rather
than admitting to making a mistake, only strengthen their previous
beliefs to justify their actions. Many people believe that African
Americans are still not completely equal to white Americans, and this
has caused lots of anger in society. "Big Walter used to say, he'd get
right wet in the eyes sometimes, lean his head back with the water
standing in his eyes and say, 'Seem like God didn't see fit to give the
black man nothing but dreams - but he did give us children to make them
dreams seem worth while” (Hansberry 29). Many African American citizens
in society today are still being degraded and people on social media are
arguing about it, which has caused lots of violence and riots from
those who support this idea and those who do not. “I used to support
BLM, but now I see them as violent domestic terrorists not interested in
addressing the real problems within the Black community. BLM is about a
communist revolution not about helping the Black community…” (Perrin
2020). This is an example of a person who had his beliefs manipulated by
social media. His opinion on Black Lives Matter changed because of
misinformation that has been spread about the purpose of the movement.
It proves that social media has caused many citizens to argue issues
about racism and think negatively toward someone who has a different
view on something. Along with these topics, there is an increase in
polarization on the topic of sexism and sexual preference. All of these
are just examples of how the public is becoming more polarized.
Social media is contributing to the polarization of the public. There
are many effects, such as an increase in people who have extreme views,
which can lead to violence between opposing groups. People on social
media and social media platforms have greatly contributed to an increase
in polarization in society. Many citizens do not realize how social
media’s manipulative business models are making people more separated
from each other. There have been many effects and more will continue to
happen if social media keeps reinforcing polarization in society.
Works cited
AdRoll. “Facebook and Instagram Ads with AdRoll.” AdRoll, 2021,
www.adroll.com/sem/facebook-instagram-ads?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=intl-facebookbudget-signup&utm_term=instagram-ad&utm_content=instagram+ad&ar_clx=yes&ar_channel=google_ads&ar_campaign=10167352534&ar_adgroup=101817626877&ar_ad=506815353270&ar_strategy=search&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0oCDBhCPARIsAII3C_FScYs0bLRyK1fAI8cwrfbSFDTf6kyFg2cyCzkliImv9P0WuBmNgV4aAuxMEALw_wcB.
Cooper, James. “TikTok Marketing Companies (2020).” Business of Apps, 10 Mar. 2021,
www.businessofapps.com/marketplace/tiktok/.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Great Gatsby. New directions, 2021
Instagram for Business, Instagram, 1 May 2019, business.instagram.com/.
Lee de-Wit, Sander Van Der, et al. “Is Social Media Driving Political Polarization?” Greater Good,
Greater Good Magazine, 16 Jan. 2019, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_social_media_driving_political_polarization.
Orlowski, Jeff. “The Social Dilemma.” Netflix Official Site, 9 Sept. 2020,
www.netflix.com/title/81254224.
Perrin, Andrew. “23% Of Users in U.S. Say Social Media Led Them to Change Views on an
Issue; Some Cite Black Lives Matter.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 16 Oct. 2020,
Zito, Salena. "Social Media Does Not Reflect the Real America." Gale Opposing Viewpoints
Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/EGEVZE488199519/OVIC?u=cast18629&sid=OVIC&xid=f3dd7713.
Accessed 18 Feb. 2021. Originally published as "The perils of trading
social
Annotated Bibliography
Hong, Sounman. Political Polarization on Twitter: Social Media May Contribute to Online
This is a great source written by a professor from Harvard who talks
about social media and how it is creating polarization in society. It
says that social media creates networks of people with similar
viewpoints which can influence many things including politics. It even
states that the recent presidential elections have been manipulated
because of social media. Political leaders and followers of them can
easily and quickly spread information about them or events related to
them and it causes numerous impacts and polarization.
Lee de-Wit, Sander Van Der, et al. “Is Social Media Driving Political Polarization?” Greater Good,
Greater Good Magazine, 16 Jan. 2019, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_social_media_driving_political_polarization.
This is a reliable resource that talks a lot about how social media
is contributing to polarization in the United States. It specifically
says how in politics the percent of democrats and republicans has
increased greatly rather than groups in between them. It also states
that social media only shows one side to an event which is and can lead
to polarization. Many democrats and republicans have thoughts that the
opposing political party is a threat to the nation's well-being. This
source has a lot of good and reliable information I can use in my
research paper.
Orlowski, Jeff. “The Social Dilemma.” Netflix Official Site, 9 Sept. 2020,
www.netflix.com/title/81254224.
The social dilemma is a Netflix documentary that thoroughly discusses
the effects and the dangers of social media in society. It talks about
how social media was designed and its effects can be very polarizing. It
talks about how social media easily manipulates a person; it keeps
showing information that the person viewing it wants to see which can
reinforce opinions. This is a reliable source to use with lots of
information to show people how social media is very much impacting
society and making it more polarized.
Zito, Salena. "Social Media Does Not Reflect the Real America." Gale Opposing Viewpoints
Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/EGEVZE488199519/OVIC?u=cast18629&sid=OVIC&xid=f3dd7713.
Accessed 18 Feb. 2021. Originally published as "The perils of trading
social interaction for social media," Washington Examiner, 18 Aug. 2019.
This database is all about how social media does not reflect the real
media because of its information. It says that social media was
designed to bring people together but in reality, it is doing the
opposite. It says that social media can often punish people with
unpopular ideas because the apps create standards to be the perfect
person. I also learned and read on the website that social media creates
a false sense of power. On social media people receive likes and
comments which can often create a false sense of fame which in real life
people do not receive. This database article gave me a lot of good
information that I can use to show how social media is making society
more politically diverse.
I am a Softmore at Chaparral Highschool. This is my
research paper on how social media is making society more diverse. My
email is Barrettlm@s.dcsdk12.org.
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