Final Portfolio
Marisol Torres
English 2010-040
Brittany Stephenson
8/5/2011
1
Table of Contents
Letter of Transmittal ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Report Paper ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Profile Paper................................................................................................................................................ 10
Argument Paper .......................................................................................................................................... 14
2
Letter of Transmittal
Professor Stephenson,
For each of these documents, I went through a process of selection trying to select which topic would be
of most interest to you and my peers. I went on to do some preliminary research, to see if it was feasible
for me to write about it or argue for it. I jotted the most important ideas and search through my sources to
find more information on those subtopics. I created a draft with some free-writing techniques and
followed by doing some minimal editing in order to provide you with my rough draft. Lastly, I took into
consideration the opinions of my classmates, as well as my own, to revise the final draft.
In my Report Paper, the biggest change I made was to make it more objective, unbiased and less
persuasive. I realize initially it was skewed to one side and I changed some of the sentences so that it
could be understood from either side of the discussion. I also deleted the headings I previously had which
made it appear as though it were a Field Research Report. I edited some of my narratives, which may
have made the article feel a little too sensationalistic. I deleted one of the introductory paragraphs as I felt
it was redundant. I also deleted the headers and footers. Lastly, I alphabetized my sources. While writing
this paper, it was my hope to reach out to anyone has or is close to a child who belongs to a social
networking website, and to outline the pros and cons of belong to those sites, in addition to get involved
in the process.
For my Profile Paper, I changed some of the language, as it felt too informative. Considering the subject
played more on the ethos of the reader, I moved one of the more emotional paragraphs to the beginning of
the article. I also added transitional sentences to help the flow of the paper because it felt too choppy and
I wanted the reader to connect emotionally with my subject. When writing my profile paper, my purpose
was to highlight the humanitarian of a well-known person, bringing to light that we, any audience, can all
follow by example.
In my Argument Paper, I edited my thesis statement to bring the paper around full circle, making it more
obvious to the reader. Again, I worked on my transitional statements to give the paper some continuity
from one point to the next. This paper was aimed at adults and the purpose behind it was mainly to
examine the way the MPAA rates movies and that adults not blindly take their rating system as an end-all
determinant to go see a movie.
I feel I am easily able to write my own thoughts and opinions in a clear and direct manner on paper. This
is where one struggle comes, the intent to be objective. Every single one of us has a tendency to have an
opinion and subconsciously tend to focus more on one side of an argument than on another. My strongest
abilities are in my narratives and my use of imagery, but I also found it challenging to transition from one
subtopic to the next. In creative writing, you are able to write as thoughts come to you, just as the
pictures of a story come to your mind. We have been writing in this class using an expository writing
technique, and this can be more demanding, researching information from different sources and gathering
them together to make a cohesive, entertaining paper.
I appreciate the time you have taken to teach us a different manner of writing. For me it was a completely
new experience. One I will take with me into the future.
Thank you,
Marisol
3
Report Paper
Children Who Join Social Networking Sites
Summary:
I have compiled information, facts, and statistics on children who use popular social websites
in an effort to delve into this subject and understand if it is wise that we as consenting adults
allow children to sign up for their own account.
The purpose behind my researching this subject is to bring some clarity behind the beneficial
aspects as well as the problems that can arise when children join these websites. My aim is to
bring to light what could become a reality in your life. That we as adults take the necessary steps
to ensure that if we do allow our children to enroll in these sites that ground rules be established
with our little ones.
Certainly, I did not grow up in the age of electronics and therefore I have a different
perspective than someone of a younger age but I can attest to having experience and knowledge
as I to have an account for myself. The question remains—why should or shouldn’t children be
joining social networking sites?
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Outcomes:
The most popular of social networking sites include Facebook and MySpace. Facebook
currently allows minors who are 13 years of age and older to freely sign up for an account.
Facebook recommends that permission is attained, however, never states that permission is a
necessity. While MySpace, with no acknowledgement of parental permission, posts a warning
that any account thought to be illegal will be deleted.
Privacy Issues
Approximate 750,000 children who are thought to be illegal participants of these sites. In
response, Mozelle Thompson, Facebook’s chief privacy adviser says, “Every day it removes
20,000 under-age visitors from the site.” Facebook includes tools on its website, options such as:
"Report an Underage Child" or "How do I request the removal of an image of my child?"
Therefore, if this is a concern with your child rest assured there are many options. However,
note that a general response from the Facebook website states, “If your child is between the ages
of 13 and 18, we will not be able to assist you directly, unless required by law.”
A little over a year ago, Facebook shut down some of their systems after realizing there was a
security breach, when members were able to see all other members’ pictures and personal
information. This included children’s telephone numbers, something that would have normally
been blocked from most other users. The malfunction has since been corrected and no issues of
that scale have been reported since. Some feel that these websites should not be held responsible
for the activities of children, but that parents should be accountable.
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Parents are now friending their own children on these sites in order to keep close tabs on
them. In fact, according to a study made by Liberty Mutual in 2011 called Social Media and
Personal Responsibility Benchmark Survey, a growing 74% of parents are doing so in order to
keep close tabs on their kids. Tom Ilube, chief executive of Garlik, an online information
company that polled 1,000 children shares a compelling statement, “The fact that parents feel
compelled to monitor their children on this scale should send a powerful message to the big
social networking sites.” This shows just how interested kids are in joining these networks.
Encouraging Good Behavior or Causing Behavioral Challenges
There are opposing views on whether social sites are causing hindrances in children’s brains
or if they are constructive and encouraging. Susan Greenfield, a neuroscientist at Oxford
University says that social sites are causing changes in a child’s brain. Research shows that
repeated use is “rewiring the brain,” decreasing attention spans, implementing tactics of instant
gratification and making them self-centered.
On that same note, more teachers are complaining
that children today are unable to communicate and concentrate in school. Some children are
opting to use chat language such as LOL (laughing out loud) or TTYL (talk to you later) in their
everyday language.
Psychologists have realized that our way of thinking has changed in this electronic world.
But there is no way to determine if social media networks are at the root of these problems. For
example, the thought process required for planning and drafting a paper has almost been nullified
with the invention of computer software. In that same respect, people are no longer calling
acquaintances over the phone, opting to leave an message on someone’s Facebook or MySpace
page. Scientist say that children are becoming less sociable, incapable of forming relationships
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outside of the computer. Educational psychologist Jane Healy mentions that these social media
sites stimulate the flight or fight area of the brain and not the reasoning area, causing a slowing
of brain development. Author of Toxic Childhood, Sue Palmer, believes children should: “Learn
to make real relationships with people.” However, the purpose of a social network is to maintain
communication with those you care about, if moderately used, this is exactly what is
accomplishing.
Predators and Reputation
A study taken on safeyouth.org showed that 30% of children have been involved in bullying,
in one aspect or another. This is just one more statistic that has risen over the years. Mr.
Thompson an administrator at Naples Middle School in Rockford, IL has said that his school has
seen a rise in cyber-bullying reports recently. He blames social sites, which can hinder children
from ascertaining what is right or wrong. Often a damaged reputation can ensue. Unfortunately,
because such sites as Facebook and MySpace are technically off-campus, schools have minimal
control over such situations. It is true that a child can be bullied throughout the day without the
school or parents noticing, but such behavior culminates when the child is in front of their
aggressor—in school, not on the internet.
Criminals are not exempt from recording what your child has posted on Facebook. By
joining social media sites, children are at higher risk from engaging with online child-predators.
In the poll commissioned by Garlik, 25% of the 1,000 children interview admitted to having
strangers as their friends, and a most alarming 1/5 of that group claimed to have met strangers
from these sites. This can be avoided however by blocking your child’s profile from view by the
general public, on an invitation-only basis.
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Skills
Along with the previously mentioned attributes, social networking sites can also be very
rewarding. Research conducted by The National Literacy Trust, based on 3,001 children, showed
that 57% of children who had joined a social networking site enjoyed writing. 61% said they felt
more expressive, confident and knowledgeable with the skill. While 49% of those who did not
have accounts found the activity boring. The study mentioned that those who participated in
these sites were more likely to write stories, letters, or diary entries. Jonathon Douglas, who is
the director of the National Literacy Trust says, “Confidence and enjoyment are closely linked to
the development of skills.” He continues, “Our research indicates that, for many, these are
without doubt technology-based forms.”
Recommendations:
If we are to allow our children to enroll in social networking sites such as Facebook and
MySpace, we should do so with caution. Providing your child is of the site’s required age, here
are some tips that can ensure your child, will have a healthy experience with their computer.
First, sit down with your children and set some ground rules by discussing the answers to the
following questions:
•
Who can they befriend?
•
How long are they allowed to be on?
•
What are they allowed to post?
•
Who will see what your child posts?
•
Where and when are they not allowed to log into
the site?
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•
What is defined as lewd by the parent and by the child?
•
What is to be done if your child is exposed to inappropriate words or pictures?
•
Why are the rules being established?
Additionally it is wise to role play with your child so that they feel empowered if an
unexpected event should occur. If you would like to take further action several computer
software programs are available for a parent to place controls on the amount of time a child uses
as computer. Also, you are able to block the site itself. Join the site yourself and befriend your
child so that you can be knowledgeable of who their friends are. Maintain the computer in public
rooms such as the living room or kitchen so that you can easily see their activity. Lastly, use this
as an opportunity to build mutual trust. Social networking sites are fun, by following some
precautionary steps you can make it fun for your child too.
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References:
Albers, Katherine “Social media create new bullying issues for schools.“ Naples News Website,
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group. 18 Apr. 2010. Web 8 Jul 2011
Carvel, John. “Facebook: Children evade social websites' age limits.” Guardian News and Media
Website. 7 Aug. 2008. Web. 8 Jul. 2011
Derbyshire, David. “Social websites harm children's brains: Chilling warning to parents from top
neuroscientist” Mail Online Website. 24 Feb. 2001. Web. 5 Jul. 2011
Merrill, Kari. “Studies show bullying rates are on the rise.” Universe, Brigham Young
University. 13 Mar. 2009. Web. 10 Jul 2011
Nakano, Erisa. “Study: 4 in 5 parents fear children will become Facebook addicts.”
abc15news.com, Scripps TV Station Group. 5 Jul. 2011. Web. 8 Jul 2011
Rasmussen, Rune. “Facebook privacy worries.” Kids and Media Website. 5 Jul. 2010. Web. 10
Jul. 2011
“Stopping Cyber bullying: Who’s Responsible?” Liberty Mutual Group Website. 17 May 2011.
Web. 7 Jul. 2011
“The Effect of Social Networking For Children.” News Today News Website. n.d. Web. 10 Jul
2011
Thompson, Brad. “Study: Children Who Blog Or Use Facebook Have Higher Literacy Levels.”
Techxav Tech Magazine. 3 Dec. 2009. Web. 10 Jul 2011
Appendices:
Facebook.com Privacy Policy: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php
MySpace.com Terms of Use Agreement: http://www.myspace.com/help/terms
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Profile Paper
Actor and Humanitarian: Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp, the father of two, had a very personal experience when he was filming a movie in
London. His daughter, Lily-Rose, was hospitalized for an infection which eventually led to kidney failure.
During those ardent moments in his life, he learned to appreciate and respect the immense
responsibilities that doctors have in the lives of sick children. Lily-Rose, through the graces of the
doctors is well now. But, this left him with a lasting impression. He witnessed a bravery he had never
experienced in those hospitalized children, which sparked an interest in helping them.
Depp is a well-known artist, famous for his leading roles in blockbuster films such as those in the
Pirates of the Caribbean film series. He has been nominated for various entertainment awards and has
established a reputation after having won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Perhaps you remember him after achieving the status of People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive”—twice.
But, what most don’t realize is that he is a remarkable humanitarian, making it a top priority to help
children in need.
Throughout the years, Depp has donated many personal items, towards organizations committed
to helping charities. One such donation was an autographed pair of briefs which were later purchased
by international soccer star David Beckham. The donation went to “Helen & Douglas House,” one of the
world’s first children’s hospices. Shortly, he offered a shirt he had worn in his film The Libertine. He was
prompted to do so after a fan asked for a donation towards the charity. The gift raised $3,000 towards
“Julian House,” providing assistance for homeless families in England. Selfless acts such as these
donations has not gone unrecognized.
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In 2004, Children’s Hospital
Los Angeles presented Johnny
Depp with their "Courage to Care”
award for his dedication to
children's charities. Giselle
Fernandez-Farrand, who
established the event, said of
Depp, “He puts smiles on the
faces of thousands of children
In 2004 Johnny Depp accepts the Children's Hospital of Los
Angeles "Courage to Care" Award.
through his great work on film,
and his longtime private advocacy
of children and children's charities is nothing short of inspirational.” Depp thanked doctors and nurses
for their kindness. Later, because of his great devotion to help, he accepted to host the Los Angeles
Modernism Show and Sale, an event that was open to the general public, whose donations went to the
Children’s Hospital. In additional to his charitable services he has gone on to associate himself with
other charities.
A non-profit charity formed in 2007, accepted by the actor, was created in his name, “Johnny’s
Angels: Depp Fans for Charity.” The solitary objective for the group is to raise funds for California’s
“Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition,” an organization which Depp has a long history of
supporting. In addition, Depp took part in “Celebrity Handprints,” a book by James Preston, where
celebrities provided their handprints. Proceeds went to the “Children in Need” charity. He has shown
his generosity in large scale as well as small.
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During his induction to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Johnny Depp was seen wearing a bracelet.
Depp said, “I am honored to be associated with brave little Dustin by wearing this silver and leather
wrist band.” The bracelet signified his support for the “Children’s Hospice Coalition,” and in memory of
Dustin, an 11-year old who had recently past, whose dream was to be an actor. He also participated in
“Sophie’s Gift,” by providing a recording of his voice with a personalized message to a 17-year old girl
who had been in a coma. The parents
mentioned that she was his biggest fan and
believed that if they played the recording to
her that it would help her. The organization’s
aim is to allow celebrities to help children in
need by providing them with a direct link to
the star and in collecting donations for
hospitalized children.
Johnny Depp revisited Great Ormond
Depp entertained children at a Primary School
in London, showing the letter he had received
from a student, prompting his visit.
Street Hospital, the hospital that had saved
his daughter, Lily-Rose. His unexpected visit, dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow, cheered the children up.
He made a donation of £1,000,000. Depp has said of the children he has visited in hospitals: “The
courage that I have seen in the eyes of these little ones, that you don’t see anywhere else, is astonishing
and inspiring.” Johnny Depp is also inspiring. He encourages us to help in whatever way we can, to be a
true humanitarian just as he is.
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Sources
“Charities.” JohnnyDeppWeb.com. CE, LL, Starbuzz, StarPulse, SP, FSN Hosted Sites. 27 Aug. 2003. Web.
15 Jul. 2011
“Johnny Depp.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia, n.d. Web. 15 Jul. 2011
“Johnny Depp's Charity Work, Events and Causes.” LookToTheStars.org. 2006. Web. 16 Jul. 2011
JohnnysAngels.org. Webs. 2007. Web. 16 Jul. 2011
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Argument Paper
Changing the Way We See Movies
The current system for rating movies in the United States is outdated; we should look on
to other methods as movie-goers to evaluate movies. At this time the Motion Picture
Association of America has a strong hold on movies to be released, monopolizing the rating
system. This needs to change, and why shouldn’t you be the one to change it?
MPAA
The MPAA states that the reason behind their organization starting was to allow all
filmmakers the opportunity to release their films, without having to fear government
involvement and censorship. It began as a secondary rating system to combat the Hays Code,
administered by the government, which simply censored movies with specific content that did
not meet requirements. The MPAA is not affiliated with any local, state or federal government
entity and therefore holds no power of law over films. In this same regard, the organization has
not been subject to any kind of judicial or governmental evaluation since its introduction to the
industry.
The MPAA was founded in 1922, but hadn’t taken on as large of a role in the film industry
until 1966, when Jack Valenti became president. Valenti deemed the Hays Code, “Hopelessly
out of date and no longer appropriate for the current film and cultural environment.”
(Wikipedia) However, much has not changed about the rating system since the PG-13 rating
was introduced in 1988. The PG-13 rating was created in order to add extreme violence and
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gore into the standards for judging films. Who is to say that, just as Jack Valenti had deemed
the previous system outdated, our views as a nation haven’t evolved over the last 20 years?
Movie ratings for the MPAA have not
significantly changed. Based off of the rating a
movie is given, the MPAA holds within its power the
profitability of a movie, basically the size of its
audience—and even whether or not it will be
released by the picture studio.
The following are classifications for movie ratings by the MPAA:





G- General Audiences: All ages admitted
PG- Parental Guidance Suggested: Some material may not be suitable for children under
10
PG-13- Parents Strongly Cautioned: Some material may be inappropriate for children
under 13
R- Restricted: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
NC-17- No One 17 and Under Admitted (MPAA 2011)
In addition, a film may be deemed “unrated” if the production company chooses not to
submit their film to the MPAA. But without a rating, a filmmaker is committing movie suicide.
The NC-17 rating was previously known as the X-rating. The closer to an NC-17 rating the
more restricted the age of the audience. According to MPAA, “Theater owners voluntarily
agree to enforce corporate film ratings as determined by the MPAA, this in turn facilitates their
access to new film releases.” (MPAA) So if a theater doesn’t cooperate, then they will not
have access to new films—the core of their profitability. With NC-17 ratings limitations are
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placed: picture studios often deny the release of a movie, advertising budgets are severely
diminished and stores no longer want to distribute such movies. A key example of a business
that illustrates this is Walmart, who censors its movies, refusing to stock NC-17 movies in
stores, only offering them online, which obviously diminishes a movie’s visibility. This makes a
difference in millions of dollars in profitability for the movie.
Critique of Movies
So who holds all of this power? The MPAA website answers this pertinent question,
“Parents decide the ratings. An independent board of parents rates each film. Their job is not to
determine if a movie is "good" or "bad," but to rate each film as they believe a majority of their
fellow parents would rate the film — taking into account sexuality, violence, language and
other factors.” (MPAA) There are no criteria for rating board members to follow when
critiquing films; there is no training given. It is an arbitrary and possibly biased process. Who
these members are is kept a secret and they themselves are held to secrecy through
confidentiality agreements. Members are hired regardless of experience, despite whether they
have school age children or any children for that matter and yet they are supposed to represent
the “average” American parent.
Stephen Farber, writer of the book Movie Ratings Game and former MPAA screener said,
“Sometimes they would show us an edited version of the movie…and the board would be very
pleased when they saw the re-edited version, they would say this is much better the way we
told them how to re-edit the film it plays and I found that to be very offensive.” (The Movie
Rating Game 1972) What is offensive is that the filmmaker and artist is dictated what he or she
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can and cannot include in the movie, regardless of artistic vision and the material’s pertinence
to the film.
Free expression is protected by the First Amendment, but why doesn’t this basic freedom
relate to the views of a filmmaker on screen? In Stanley Kubrick’s final movie Eyes Wide Shut,
many scenes were re-edited. Scenes were severely blurred and digitally transformed in order
for the film to receive an R-rating. This compromised the director’s vision, even though he had
already passed away, the film was changed in order to be released.
Take as another example the movie The King’s Speech, which won four of this year’s
Oscar Awards, including Best Motion Picture of the Year. During a poignant historically
accurate scene, the protagonist King George VI, makes an effort to overcome his stuttering. His
therapist has him repeat a certain profane word over and over in one breath. The filmmakers
were told that had they edited their movie, basically changing history, to only include one
profanity then the film would have received a PG-13 rating. With its standing as an R-rated
movie, many parents will blindly take this recommendation to heart and children will be
deprived of this striking, exceptional movie.
The movie Boys Don’t Cry was the recipient of 42 film awards,
including an Oscar win. It too was censored in response to an MPAA
screening. Initially it was deemed an NC-17 movie. What was the
reason behind this rating? It wasn’t because the main character in
one scene is explicitly shot in the head, as wet blood spatters and
bits of brain are flung all over the wall behind him, but because the
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board felt that the love scene between two women depicted one of the
character’s orgasms as too long. The length of the orgasm was edited
and the film was given an R-rating. How is this not censorship? And yet,
in the movie American Pie, the protagonist is very obviously copulating
with a pie and the movie is given an R rating.
Major Motion Picture Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The major motion picture companies in the United States include: Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures, Paramount Pictures Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Twentieth
Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios LLC, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
These companies control over 95% of U.S. films. What’s interesting is when you go to MPAA’s
website you will immediately see a strikingly large ad space showcasing the newest blockbuster
for each one of these production companies. At the bottom right-hand corner of the website,
in faint light grey colors, are the images and links that direct you to each of the 6 production
companies. So I ask again: who holds all this power, controlling the MPAA rating system? It is
probable that the rating system is in place to benefit these motion picture studios. The rating
system is preventing lower budget production companies and independent films, which tend to
be more artistic and true to life, from being passed.
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Screenshot of the Motion Picture Association of America website
It is understandable that most movie-goers will not immediately accept a rating system
other than what they have always known, something that is so familiar to them, but when you
consider that this is the only option available to us, the only system monopolizing this area of
film, it would be reasonable to include other rating systems to enter this market. It’s even
more plausible when it comes to parenting, to look on to the best movie critic, in-tune with
your child’s needs—you. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
........................................................................
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References
American Pie. Dir. Paul Weitz. Prod. Universal Pictures. 1999. Film.
Boys Don't Cry. Dir. Kimberly Peirce. Fox Searchlight. 1999. Film.
"Boys Don't Cry (film)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia, n.d. Web Jul. 24 2011.
Drees, Rich. "The Top 5 MPAA Ratings Screw Ups Of 2010," Film Buff Online.
filmbuffonline.com. Jan. 18 2011 Web. Jul. 25 2011.
Eyes Wide Shut. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Prod. Hobby Films 1999. Film.
Farber, Stephen. The Movie Rating Game. Public Affairs Pr. 1972.
Motion Picture Association of America. mpaa.org. MPAA. 2011. Web Jul. 22 2011.
"Motion Picture Association of America film rating system." Wikipedia. Wikimedia, n.d. Web Jul.
22 2011.
“MPAA Ratings Information.” bigscreen.com Big Screen Cinema Guide
Sylvester, Sherri. "MPAA ratings system gets F from critics, filmmakers." CNN.com. Cable News
Network. Aug. 23 1999. Web Jul. 24 2011
The King's Speech. Dir. Tom Hooper. Prod. See-Saw Films. 2010. Film
This Film Is Not Yet Rated. Dir. Kirby Dick. Prod. Independent Film Channel. 2006. Film.