Student Responses

1. Plastic will outweigh fish by 2050 if it keeps increasing at such a fast rate in the ocean. “experts estimate that up to 10% of plastic debris produced will enter the sea and that plastics will outweigh fish in the ocean.”
2. Plastic is having a very negative impact on marine life. “In addition to entanglement, physical impacts include blockages in the digestive tract when plastic is consumed by marine animals, which can lead to false satiation.”
3. Plastic is slowly creeping into our food chain even though it contains toxic chemicals like pathogens or parasites. “For example, some microplastics have been shown to contain additives that are known reproductive toxins, carcinogens, and mutagens”
4. countries are getting together to try to reduce the marine plastic numbers. “Between the years 2000 and 2019, at least 28 international policies were established to reduce plastic pollution”
5. There have been multiple bans made in many different countries like, single use bag bans and cosmetic microbeads. “At the national level, governments worldwide are increasingly adopting policies to target single-use plastic bags and other macroplastics, primarily through the adoption of regulatory bans”
6. Although all the efforts against plastic is being made there are still more difficulties being faced, the countries don’t come to terms with each other. “These governance challenges are further complicated by the durability and dispersal of plastics, the scientific uncertainty in the amount of pollution making its way into the oceans, and the difficulty in determining who is responsible for that pollution”
7. Some of the strategies are not strong enough to go against the plastic crisis. “Current international rules, state policies, nonstate rules, and consumer behaviors are not strong or comprehensive enough to protect the environment at a global level.”
8. There are many ways that plastic could end up in the ocean. “For example, plastic can be lost to the surrounding environment and transported to the oceans via waterways, winds, and tides due to littering and improper waste management in open or uncontrolled landfills.”
9. Students and staff were asked to offer solutions for plastic pollution. “Because most information regarding plastic pollution prevention and collection technologies is located in internet resources, we focused on this literature, including news media, press releases, and other non-peer reviewed literature.”
10. They conducted a couple experiments that focused on research on technology that already exists to prevent the leakage of plastic pollution into waterways or collect existing plastic pollution in the oceans. “We excluded technologies that did not fall into these two categories – such as plastic-to-fuel, bioremediation, or new materials to replace plastic – due to our focus on prevention and collection technology.”
11. They were very organized when conducting the experiments. “When inventions were not branded, but were labeled with descriptive names, we grouped together inventions that appeared identical.”
12. They try their best to identify when the technology is from and when it was made, that way they know exactly where all of this micro and macro plastic is being collected from.
13. Not only did they find this information on Google, they also went to a professional and asked for their feedback and knowledge. “In addition to these searches, we consulted with experts to add additional technologies to the database that we did not identify through our review of internet sources, scholarly literature, or patents.”
14. They came to a conclusion that most of the technology they researched focused on collecting macro plastics.
15. Although these technologies are actually trying to help the oceans, they are not enough. Companies need to get together and create a bigger project. “The Inventory allows us to reflect on challenges in scale, the plastic lifecycle stage targeted, the ubiquity of microplastics, costs associated with technology implementation, and deployment location for these technologies.”
16. “PumpGuard” uses mesh nets to remove debris from wastewater and stormwater systems and removes 97% of debris present”
17. “The Ocean Cleanup Project has been refining its design since 2012 and has recently developed “System 002,” which improves upon the previous design.”
18. “The only invention that specifically targets the prevention of fishing gear pollution is the “Stow It Don’t Throw It” – an invention aimed at changing fishers’ behavior at a small scale by collecting fishing lines used by recreational fishers before they enter the marine environment as waste.”
19. There are multiple small technologies that help capture plastics. ““Cora Ball” is a ball that is placed in a laundry machine and captures microfibers that are generated when washing synthetic clothing items. The “Lint LUV-R” is a filter that is installed outside of the washing machine that captures synthetic microfibers in wastewater discharge.”
20. 4.4 Section: Funding needs to be required to create successful technologies. “Although examining the financial feasibility and costs was beyond the scope of this study, such a massive global problem cannot adequately be addressed without viable, consistent sources of funding.” “Options for potential funding sources to further the implementation and deployment of these technologies may include fees and taxes on plastic products or research and development investments by industry.” “Of the top 20 countries with the greatest amounts of mismanaged waste, 12 countries are classified as low or lower-middle income and may be less likely to have the resources for public investments to deploy these technologies on a large scale.”
21. 4.5 Section: The use of technologies should be even more imporatant in areas that dispense the most plastic into the oceans. “Plastic pollution distribution is not uniform. Different countries have disproportionate inputs into the ocean and once plastic enters the ocean, it is transported by waves and currents to various depths and ocean ecosystems.” “The widespread dispersal of marine plastic pollution, especially microplastics, creates challenges for collection technologies, which often target the surface of the ocean.”
22. 4.6 Section: “New microplastic prevention technologies may also work in concert with policy efforts to establish inventories detailing microplastic release into the environment and efforts to decrease the use of harmful chemicals in microplastics, especially microfibers from synthetic clothing items.” “In combination with efforts to reduce the source of plastic waste and subsequent microplastic generation, policymakers could create incentives for expanding and implementing these technologies in areas that are hotspots of marine plastic pollution.” “Technological developments cannot be separated from policy, which likewise cannot be separated from individual and industry efforts.”

1 There are a lot of bilinguals out there. “It is generally believed that more than half of the world’s population is bilingual”

2 The context for examining how bilingualism affects cognitive ability is functional

neuroplasticity, the study of how experience modifies brain structure and brain function

3 People used to think bilingualism has negative effect on children

4 Bilinguals have smaller vocabulary

5 Bilinguals have better executive control “ Executive control is the set of

cognitive skills based on limited cognitive resources for such functions as inhibition,

switching attention, and working memory”

6 *This paper will examine why 5 is true”

7 “ fluent bilinguals show some measure of activation of both languages and some interaction between them at all times, even in contexts that are entirely driven by only one of the languages“

8 There were studies done about how humans see the world through language

9 It takes brainpower to switch and pick between languages

10 There are studies done about what our brain does when recognizing language

11 Cognitive and linguistic outcomes are related

12 Studies that prove that bilinguals are better at multitasking

13 12 doesn’t only apply to children, but to adults as well

14 Bilinguals have better attention control

15 Benefits of bilingualism may vary depending on age

16 “It appears that bilingual advantages for young adults tend to emerge on tasks or conditions that are difficult”

17 “language switching was accompanied by activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), an area known to be part of the general executive control system”

18 Some technical stuff about brain areas

19  In other words, using these cognitive control networks for bilingual language

processing may reconfigure them for other purposes, providing part of the explanation for

the behavioral differences between monolinguals and bilinguals found in nonverbal conflict

tasks. Specifically, the evidence suggests that cognitive control networks may be more

broadly based in bilinguals as a result of their dual function.”

20 Studies that support 19

21 “bilingualism alters functional neural network at the response-selection level (congruent and incongruent trials), but not at the motor execution level (response inhibition no-go trials), a pattern consistent with previous results for both adults and children”

22 “Although bilingualism is a language experience, managing attention to two languages

imposes demands on the cognitive system that require brain regions not typically used for

language processing.”

23 “This evidence suggests that bilingualism is

associated with better maintenance of white matter structures in the course of normal aging”

24 Bilingualism causes better attention control

25 “bilingual advantage in the deployment of attention, enabling them to resist

‘capture’ by irrelevant information; such differences in attentional control may be the

consequence of superior conflict monitoring”

26 “In a sense, the bilingual must constantly

maintain the set of ‘respond in one language, suppress the other language’ whenever the

possibility of two languages exists”

27 “learning to keep two languages separate

leads to an improvement in selecting goal-relevant information from goal-irrelevant

information”

28 “Instead,

the ongoing experience of monitoring two languages, in conjunction with the need to

monitor context, speaker, and other environmental cues while inhibiting attention to the

currently unused but active language modifies how the mind and brain engage in ordinary

conversation for bilinguals”

29 BIlingualism might help prevent dementia

30 There was a study that found that bilinguals on average experience dementia later in life. “bilinguals experienced onset symptoms and were diagnosed approximately 3 – 4 years later than the monolinguals”

31 29 and 30 MIGHT be not 100% proven yet

outline Burnette, C. Blair, et al. “‘I Don’t Need People to Tell Me I’m Pretty on Social Media:’ A Qualitative Study of Social Media and Body Image in Early Adolescent Girls.” 

1. Introduction

• Paragraph 1: Adults aren’t the only ones who experience body image issues. “Body dissatisfaction” (114)  is associated with eating and mental disorders. 
• Paragraph 2: Mass media is the reason why society has set the beauty standard to be a thin body; people make it seem like it’s the ideal body type. 
• Paragraph 3: Social media evolves quicker than mass media which is why it’s effects on body dissatisfaction are unclear. Teenage girls are more drawn to photo-sharing apps such as snapchat and Instagram.
• Paragraph 4: Sixty seven studies found a connection between photo sharing apps and body and eating disorders. Young girls are exposed to “thinspiration” and “fitspiration” posts which makes them believe that the ideal body type is thin (115). 
• Paragraph 5: Young girls are more vulnerable to photo-sharing apps and they are more likely to compare themselves to others. 
• Paragraph 6: The research was done at an all girls school and studies found that this makes the results a bit “inconsistent” because the evidence also relies on the environment these girls are in (115).
• Paragraph 7: They created a “mixed method”research because there’s a lack of research on the connection between young girls and social media and the connection between social media and comparison amongst teenage girls. 
• Paragraph 8: The data collection was based on focus groups because they figured it’d make the students more comfortable as they’d have similar experiences. “Ultimately, we sought to gather preliminary data that can inform targeted prevention and intervention efforts, such as media literacy, that address the unique contributions of social media” (116). 

2. Method

• This section explains exactly how they conducted the research. It consists of six sections; participants, research team, social media use, procedure, quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. 
• Participants: They interviewed 7th and 8th grade girls and their parents and the school encouraged this. 
• Research team: Authors, four doctoral students, two undergraduate students.
• Social media use :Students were asked what social media apps they use and how much time they spend on each app.
• Procedure:Parents had the opportunity to opt out their children from the research but no one opted out and this research was approved by the Office of Human Subjects Protection at Virginia Commonwealth University. 
• Quantitative analysis: Conducted using SPSS 23.0, They calculated the statistics, means, standard deviations, and frequencies. They didn’t have a hypothesis because it was a small sample. 
• Qualitative analysis: They conducted an audit trail and took notes throughout the procedure. They also used a thematic analysis in the data.  

3. Results

This section consists of Qualitative results, quantitative results, selfies, parental monitoring, social media norms, social media applications subtheme, social media etiquette subtheme, Egotistical/validation subthemen, selfies and appearance concerns subtheme, social comparison, peers, celebrities subthemes, and social media strategy. Students’ social media consumption was based on parents’ restrictions. “In five out of the six groups, participants voiced that their parents were less concerned with their behavior online than they were about the behaviors of others”(119).

4. Discussion/ Conclusion 

Photo based apps and activities were heavily linked to body dissatisfaction.

• Limitations: The researchers faced some limitations due to the people they were interviewing and some bias. 
• Conclusion: Mass media is linked to body dissatisfaction, but it’s crucial to examine the effects of social media on young girls to understand its harmful effects. Thus research shows that parents, the school,and environment impact the effects of social media on young children. 

Phrases/ Quotations I’ll be using in my essay

• “Sometimes if I have acne, I like to cover my acne up with it and it makes me feel more secure about myself even though I Know here no one will judge me, but I know out there in the world other people are so judgy” (121).
• “A total of 38 girls, 19 from each grade, participated in the focus groups, and 36 students completed surveys, 19 in the 7thgrade and 17 in the 8th grade. The age of the sample ranged from 12 to 14 years with a mean age of 13.14” (116). 
• “Across the transcripts, there were 20 mentions of dissatisfaction with an aspect of one’s appearance. The participants most often mentioned appearance concerns within the context of social comparisons and, in particular, social media”(121). 
• “Interestingly, this sample endorsed all of these behaviors to some degree. However, they also demonstrated attitudes and strategies that appeared to
• mitigate social media’s potential harmful influence and are consistent with dimensions of positive body image” (122)
• thinspiration” and “fitspiration” (115) “Body dissatisfaction” (114)

1. Why is European food considered healthier than American food?                         Sub-question(s): What causes American food to be unhealthy? Do certain eating habits cause Europeans to be considered “healthier”?  Are there certain ingredients that are different in each country’s food?
2. Gallo’s argument is controversial. This is because what he says is that surveillance unifies people. He thinks this because surveillance is kind of like brainwashing, in the sense that people are told what to do and what not to do. There are some positives to surveillance but there are also some negatives. One of these negatives is that in order to conduct surveillance, you must invade a person’s personal space. There is a simple saying for this issue, if it helps, it is good, if it doesn’t, it is bad.
3. Gallo uses a part of Frank Rudy Cooper’s article as evidence for his claim. The article in question is about how the government spies on people and how everyone in society is spied on. The article also demonstrates the ways people react when they find out they are getting spied on. This then divides society into two sections, those who follow the social norms, and those who do not. After reading the article, I have come to the conclusion that this article was used to support Gallo’s argument for surveillance. This article explained how people were spied on through surveillance technologies, which is what Gallo was trying to prove through his argument. There is also the ways people react to being spied on. In public people don’t seem to care, while in private people have a big problem with it. This supports Gallo’s argument in a different way then Gallo was trying to argue.

1. Do smartphones cause more harm than good? 1. Smartphones cause brain damage. 2.Smartphones can cause eye strain from overuse. 3. The materials used to make smartphones are highly toxic. 4. Smartphones increase anxiety and stress.
2. Gallo argues that public awareness influences society’s behavior. he explained how prisoners change their behavior because of being watched by others because they understand there is a detrimental effect if something goes wrong. a court case was attempting to determine the relationship between the two. Since a lot of people believed that there was a violation of people’s privacy According to this, young black men are more likely to be prosecuted for crimes than white men.
3. Crary, D. Interracial marriages surge across U.S. USA Today.

1. Why don’t schools teach investments and why it’s important. Why is Learning Personal finance important? Why is Learning this at a younger age important? Is it good to learn about investments?

2. Gallo when writing this he talks about both sides and how it can either be beneficial or harmful. Public surveillance can help people such as swimming coaches keep clean and be watched. He also talks about how there was a strong belief back in the nineteenth century about privacy, but due to this there was domestic violence on women in households. A lot of people have different beliefs top this topic. It is very controversial. The outcome to a topic like this can affect someones life. This topic depends how you view it personally and what you belief about surveillance.

3. Gallo uses a source and quotes it. The source he uses is ” The Circle” by David Eggers. The reason why Gallo uses this source is because he wants to show how Mercer (a character) gets out of surveillance. Gallo uses this to support his views (why its negative). Surveillance in competitive swimming for the youth is an argument that Gallo supports. The source he uses to back up his view is, “Swimming and conformity in competitive youth swimming” , which was written by Melanie Lang. He uses this to support one if his arguments, which focuses on surveillance in competitive youth swimming. Both of the source the Gallo used were good as they both supported the arguments that he was trying to make.