Global Media Assessment - Essay Example

Global Media assessment - block 2 Online activism is one aspect is a popular aspect in the current society owing to the developments in information technology. With the current generation indulging in most internet issues, online activism is effective because the target group spends most of their time online. Online activism is the idea of using the internet to publish information about some issues (Dartnell 36). The movies provided give brief descriptions about the effects of online activism. Thus, section will give a description of the both negative and positive effects of online activism and a review of the movies watched. The first effect of online activism is awareness. The first objective of online activism is to give information to the public through the internet. A massive population is reached with the information since most people spend a lot of time on the internet. With several social media platforms such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube and other sites attracting people to the internet, most people get information and activism messages. As a result, very many people will be mobilized, and they will be inspired to come up and support a certain program or a certain aspect or project. This is much better off than when people have to be mobilized manually around the globe and convince them to support a certain project. At least online activism caters for a large group of people who are internet active (Pickerill 331). However, online activism may cause harm to underage or may not reach a specific targeted group. For example, the social sites on the internet are visited by all sorts of groups. A given project or program may be targeting individuals under 30 years, but when used on the internet, the information reaches even people who are older and younger. Here, there will be no target achieved or additionally, may be the program is meant for individuals who are above 18 years, but now that the social sites cover all ages, the information might be harmful to kids under 18 years. For example, programs dealing with sexual matters should not be publicized on the internet because kids might come across them. The movies watched give great descriptions on the effects of online activism. For example the movie slacktivists vs. activists, it gives the effect of online activism as awareness. The movie was done by Tomas Whitmore and Julianne Waters on the effects of online activism on the public. Actually, the movie notes that several views are heard concerning activism and most people prefer online activism than any other form of activism, as it sounds cool. However, the science of translation involved has many errors. The Arabic movies actually had errors since the translations were not right at some point. Further, the movies’ descriptions give reports on the street as being barbarism. This presents an old version of doing things. The current world needs technology, or it needs the digital form of appealing. That is why the era of online activism is introduced. However, some few factors must be put into consideration. Such as the terms and information published should be fair enough not to offend any group whatsoever. Pollution Pollution is the introduction of harmful contaminants into the atmosphere or into the environment, which causes changes in the environment that affects both man and the ecosystem. These contaminants can be either chemicals, gases or energy, for example, noise, sunlight, or heat (Haley 25). This section will deal with issues about pollution and how it is important to conduct online activism about pollution. Since pollution is a wide subject, this paper will focus on air pollution, which is a subtopic of pollution. Air pollution is the release of harmful substances into the atmosphere. These harmful substances in turn cause some harmful changes in the atmosphere, which interferes with the natural environment. The harmful substances released to the atmosphere can be smoke, dust or any other substances. Mostly, smoke is the major cause of air pollution, and it comes from several sources. First, the industries are the major source of smoke. Here carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Second are the motor vehicles which are also part of the day to day activities of a human being. Motor vehicles are all over the world and hence they are releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere. Other small producers of smoke are smokers and other natural burns like bush fires and so on. The carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere to combine with oxygen to form a poisonous gas known as carbon monoxide. This is a highly poisonous gas, which is risky and can cause death. Additionally, the emission of gases into the atmosphere in turn causes acid rains which are harmful to human beings and also to crops. The acid rain is formed by the combination of sulfur dioxide with hydrogen and more oxygen to form an acid known as sulphuric acid which comes along with rain. This then means that air pollution is much risky since it contaminates the atmosphere. Air pollution is much hazardous and if not well attended, it can cause immense trouble in the near future. That is why initiatives must be invented to curb this problem before it becomes a total mess. All these strategies appear to be home based or involved with every individual. No strategy bases on the facts of class or any other group since everybody is affected (Stern 25). The first strategy is to avoid unnecessary dumping of materials that can be recycled. This encourages the idea of recycling materials to avoid dumping. This limits contamination of the atmosphere. Secondly, avoid oil spillage when filling gas into car tank. Additionally, it is advised that this process should be done in the evening to avoid evaporation. At least the atmosphere stays clean. At home, individuals are advised to conserve energy, for example, turning off appliances that are not in use or when leaving the room. However, to make sure that this information reaches the public, a method must be designed to allow the public know of this. Therefore, the best method to be used here is an online activism where a wide variety of individuals will be reached and be encouraged stay healthy. Report Online activism is one of the major ways being used to reach more people today. This method is not only known for its fast nature of spreading information, but it also gives a lot of information over a short period of time. A little advert can have lots of information and can change somebody from being useless to an important person on the project. The internet has many visitors, that is, why when information is published on the internet, it spreads fast like a brushfire. However, to accept its advantages, a lot of things have to be put into consideration. This includes the nature of the program or the information. Secondly, the target group or the audience for the message. Thirdly, the site where the information is to be published. If the information is general and calls upon everybody, then the information can be published on any site with decent terms. But if the program targets mature individuals, then better language should be used, and the program should be published on the site that is visited by mature individuals. When it comes to pollution issues, no specific group is targeted. Mostly, everybody is called upon for a collective action in spreading the message, and adopting practices that promote environmental sustainability. Here, the public is being educated on matters of pollution including the causes, sources of pollution, the effects of pollution and the ways of reducing pollution. This type of program is a general one and so it should be published to all sites. Reflection Having completed the global assessment task, I must acknowledge this has been the most challenging task, but at the same time, most exciting task I have ever done in my schoolwork. I have learnt several things from this exercise that I did not know before. For instance, I never thought that activism messages could have negative effects on a given population. On the contrary, I normally thought that since the messages are meant for social or political change aimed at making the society better, they do not have any negative impacts. Consequently, it is important to consider several things such as the language used, target group, channel, content of the message among other factors. Similarly, I have learnt that there are several elements that can interfere with activism message such as translation. For example, in the movies, translation from Arabic is marred by several mistakes that interfere with the message. In addition, researching about pollution also helped me gain valuable information on how gases contribute to environmental pollution, as well as how collective action by everyone is essential in preventing environmental degradation. Making the video was the most fascinating part of this exercise, as it helped me gain skills of making a successful video clip. From the exercise, I learnt the value of patience, that is, when you want something to turn out good then patience, and dedication plays a significant role in achieving this. Additionally, writing a report was also quite challenging because I had to take into consideration the choice of words, language, as well as presentation strategies. Overall, the exercise was exciting, challenging, and fulfilling. Works cited Dartnell, Michael Y. Insurgency online: Web activism and global conflict. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006. Print. Haley, James. Pollution. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Print. Pickerill, Jenny. Cyberprotest: environmental activism online. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press, 2003. Print. Stern, Arthur C.. Air pollution,. 2d ed. New York: Academic Press, 1968. Print. Read More