Influence of media free essay sample

Media, the name alone to everyone seems all too familiar, however the meaning and purpose of the word is understood differently amongst people. For ages media has been a key source for knowing what is happening throughout the world. As time evolved the speed in which media information becomes available has increased dramatically, but the quality of media is one to question. Today our media behavior changes all the time because the gratifications we seek from the media are in constant state of flux. Our life situation may change and with it the criteria we use to select media. We may seek media that entertains or media that is informative to us. The changes in media, as well as providing in terms the role media play’s and the role media needs to play in order to function properly. Today media can influence society negative and positively. The different media vary with respect to the gratifications they provide use. We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of media or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example, television is associated with entertainment, whereas the internet is more related to information seeking . Various media satisfy different needs, individual differences theory recognizes that media influences society one person at a time and that media’s influence differs by people. How media influences society is determined by people’s personalities and cognitive structures. Personality differs for each person. Some people are talkative while others are reserved. Such personality traits influence the media that people use. Possible effects on receivers such as male and females for example, female teens have been found to listen with greater frequency to radio than males. Likewise, Wells and Hakanen found that female teens rated radio as their highest used medium, followed by television, whereas males rated television use first , allowed by recorded music and then by radio. Media influence in society can have a positive influence or negative influence also. News media influences us positively by showing us how we can come together to help other people who have been in catastrophes. Good examples of this are how the media covered the damage that occurred in Japan during the tsunami or the devastation from hurricane Katrina. We knew as a society we needed to help these people. We sent money to help for the cause of Hurricane Katrina. It helps give us more information for the world around us. Lets the word out and give a leading hand for others that is in need of it. In the 80’s there were some sitcoms on that influenced America and its family life immensely. â€Å"The Cosby Show† had a big impact on middle class families. We all got to see every week how Cliff and his wife went through the same struggles that all families go through. Through these struggle with teenagers, older parents, etc. we learned how to handle them, and that everything would come out okay. Another show that had a great influence on us is â€Å"The Walton’s†. The Walton’s showed us that you can always count on family, and that family is the most important thing in life. In both of these shows morals were taught. A teenager could see that lying was not good, that parents always found out. We also got to see how family’s relied on each other and needed each other. In the 80’s when more families had to have two working parents this was important to see. Negative influences are all around us. Beer commercials tell young boys that if you drink a certain kind of beer you will get all the good looking girls and maybe not be such a nerd. Hamburger restaurants have girls dressing up in near to nothing to sell a hamburger. McDonald’s the ultimate offender, uses a clown and his friends to encourage young children to buy happy meals and play at McDonalds. In conclusion the media affects us in many ways. Everything we do is a result of the media such as watching TV, reading the newspaper, surfing the internet just to mention a few. The media feeds us information and fundamentally tells us what is precise. It is the only one aspect which affects what we do in society, although it is an impressive aspect. Another example of a negative influences are kids being exposed to a media message, the audience becomes immediately immune to them. So, for example, long-term exposure to a violent message will result in a desensitization to that degree of violence.

The Classical Han Dynasty

The Classical Han Dynasty Free Online Research Papers The Han period was called the classical time of China because of their music, poetry, and their Confucian beliefs. According to definitions. Net classical means â€Å"of or relating to the most highly developed stage of an earlier civilization and its culture.† The Han dynasty was this time for China. People today are still proud to call themselves the â€Å"people of Han†. (New world Encyclopedia) The Han dynasty was the Eastern world’s equivalent of the Western world’s Rome. The Chinese are one of the oldest civilizations in the world, but they are also the first people in history to create an actual musical scale. One of the main organizing principles of the Chinese music scale are centered around the minor third and major sixth intervals. The preference for those specific intervals mask the semitones of the Chinese scale which gives it that very distinctive tone that is often difficult to discern for those of us in the western world. Chinese musical compositions also utilize a system of intervals, built upon both thirds and fourths. (NatGeo.com) Therefore we can assume that much of the worlds music to come after this was based loosely upon the Chinese ideals. This gives the music of China, especially that of the Han dynasty the classification of â€Å"classical†. The ancient Chinese defined a series of 12 frequencies called the â€Å"là ¼-là ¼Ã¢â‚¬ . Various sets of five, or six, or seven frequencies, pentatonic and heptatonic tones, created from these frequencies were selected to make the major scale familiar to our own ears. Chinese aesthetics prefers to use intervals rather than scales. These 12 â€Å"là ¼Ã¢â‚¬ are approximate to the frequencies we know as F, G flat, G, E flat, and E. (Worner, K) The Chinese system of tuning includes the closest tones to the â€Å"just† intervals. In music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of small whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval. (Wikipedia, â€Å"just intonation†) Typically, most Chinese melodies are based on an octave of five notes. Even though sets of seven notes that we know of as Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti (Do) were used extensively at one point in china. These and their influence are responsible for the scales we use in western music today. (Hook, B) Art music was the central portion of the Chinese musical system. Courtesan and dance music as an art form were a very minor part of the times philosophical mainstream. Classical music in the Chinese lifestyle was at its peak during the reign of Ji Kang (223-262 CE) at the end of the Han Dynasty. Ji Kang was one of the foremost poets, musicians philosophers of this time. Many of his compositions are still studied today. (NatGeo.com) Chinese classical music slowly faded towards the end of the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), and throughout the later eras, except for an extended period during the Tang period. The Han invented and made up many tools and other forms of human communications. One of the reasons it was called classical is because of its literature and advancements in writing. The Chinese invented paper which is one of the greatest inventions known to man. The Han poetry was simplistic and refined and the Han culture expressed humanism and common sense when they wrote their poetry. Chinese poetry also took the form of hymns and ritual songs accompanied by lute and other string instruments. Chinese poetry was never made to write about epics of heroic poems but wrote to serve as entertainment that was usually read at banquets, showing of affection, or gifts. Han poetry, which takes the form of â€Å"prose-poem,† is personal and intimate and not moralizing and eulogistic. Therefore their poetry is not meant to glorify individuals prowess or valorous achievements as it mediates on human experience. The Han poems are well known for the beauty they poses in each poem that was created. Han poems didn’t necessarily always rhyme and flow but they were always written to make a point or to point something out that the poet felt at the time. One of the very famous poems of the Han culture was the Chu lyrics that evolved into the fu, a poem usually in rhymed verse except for the intro and the conclusion that are in prose. Often in the form of question and answers. During the Han period Emperor Wu (156-87 BCE)accepted Confucianism as the state ideology of China. The ideals of Confucianism state that all people will be treated with humanity, and that one should act according to their rank. He taught that the five most important relationships are a parent and a child, husband and wife, elder and younger brother, friend to friend, and ruler to subject. Each relationship having a duty to the other. Confucianism also lead to a state educational system based on the teachings of China’s first philosopher Kung fu-Tzu (551-479 BCE), who’s name translates to Confucius in Latin. Emperor Wu founded the Grand Academy to teach the five Confucius classics which are The Book of Changes, The Book of History, The Book of Songs, The Book of Rites, and The Spring and Autumn Annals. Confucius is also responsible for the Analects, which was a guide for proper behavior among society. It was his idea that to become an ethical person you must study and practice appropriate behavior. (Moore, J) The basis of ethical behavior are divided into to parts. The Li is the learning of appropriate behavior when engaging in human interaction, while the Ren is the action of a person its self. The Golden rule of Confucianism is â€Å"What you do not want to be done to you, do not do to others† (Analects 15:23). The Han Dynasty was by far China’s most advance civilization. Still to this day some of the Han ideals are still in practice and they remain the greatest Chinese empire the world has ever seen. Bibliography 1. Classical | Define Classical at Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 25 Mar. 2010. . Definition no. 2 4a 2. Wo?rner, Karl Heinrich. History of Music; a Book for Study and Reference. 5th ed. New York: Free, 1973. Print. pp. 28 3. China : Nat Geo World Music. Home : National Geographic World Music. Web. 25 Mar. 2010. http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/country/content.country/china_170. 4. Hook, Brian. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of China. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]: Cambridge UP, 1982. Print. pp. 376-378 5. Just Intonation -. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 29 Mar. 2010. . 6. Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition Book 1. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2006. Print. 7. Latourette, Kenneth Scott. The Chinese Their History and Culture. New York: Macmillan Company, 1964. Print. 8. Oldstone-Moore, Jennifer. Confucianism: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places. New York: Oxford UP, 2002. Print. 9. New World Encyclopedia. Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, 03 Apr. 2008. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. . 10. classical. Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2010. 7 March. 2010. Research Papers on The Classical Han DynastyWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is ArtTwilight of the UAWResearch Process Part OneThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsDefinition of Export QuotasAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementBringing Democracy to AfricaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalRiordan Manufacturing Production Plan

Compare between Plato and Karl marx on the topic of human nature Essay

Compare between Plato and Karl marx on the topic of human nature - Essay Example Similarly, it will be somewhat more difficult with respect to Karl Marx, not due to the fact that Marx had no opinion on the issue (quite the opposite in fact), but rather due to the fact that Marx himself never specifically sought to engage on the topic. Rather, Marx would periodically discuss tangential manifestations of human nature with respect to â€Å"essence† and â€Å"biological definitions of man† within his works. To this end, I will seek to synthesize these tangential manifestations as a way of understanding what this author believes to be Karl Marx’s approach to the issue of human nature within his writings. Firstly, when one considers Plato, they necessarily consider his inspiration and teacher – Socrates. Socrates himself was highly interested in the notion of human nature as he so often came at odds with prevailing notions of his time while attempting to break through such staunchly, albeit blindly, held beliefs that the men of his time clun g to with such fervor. Accordingly, due to the fact that Socrates had such a profound impact on Plato, it is not beyond logic to assume that many of Plato’s own views of human nature were themselves borrowed or at the very least inspired from Socrates. One such view of humanity is of course distinctly related through Plato’s allegory of the cave (Plato 44). Although a host of Plato’s writings deal with the topic of human nature, for purposes of this brief analysis, the author will only consider the allegory of the cave due to the length limitations that a more full and complete analysis might entail. It seems to me that such an approach is useful due to the fact that Plato can provide a well reasoned and differentiated view of reality and its relation to the constructs of human nature. Within this work, Plato introduces the reader to a situation in which allegorical prisoners are chained to a cave wall for their entire lives – never seeing anyone or the l ight of day. Rather, all the prisoners are able to discern is the flicker and the shadows of figures that the moving individuals and torches behind them portend. The allegory goes on to explain that if one of these creatures was taken out into the light of day to see the sun, to view the skies, and to feel the warmth of the air, they would likely run frantically back into the bowels of the cave to escape from such perceptions that they might deem as unsavory and wildly foreign. In this way, Plato exhibits an example to the reader in which the reality/nature of the individual is uniquely born out of the perceptions/environment in which they have grown accustomed (Fromm 24). As such, Plato illustrates that encouraging such an individual to action outside of their comfort zone or to think outside of the means by which they have grown accustomed very rarely yields a positive result. In this way, Plato exhibits a very traditional view of human nature as something that is ingrained from t he early experiences and years of an individual’s life and seeks to define and corral the ambitions, thoughts, dreams, and goals, of the individual for the remainder of the life. As this can be understood as a traditional approach to human nature, it must also be understood as

Does modernization theory adequately explain the levels of Assignment

Does modernization theory adequately explain the levels of socioeconomic growth in the developing world Support your answer with appropriate examples - Assignment Example tion theory thus takes into consideration the internal dynamics with a focus on cultural and social structures as well as adaptation of new and appropriate technology. This can be seen in the development of nations like china. Socio-economic growth on the other hand is the process of economic prosperity and social development in a society. It is a process that is elite-directed and concentrates power to produce growth trajectory in households’ living standards and culture. It is therefore measured by the indicators which include GDP, literacy, employment levels and life expectancy among others. Socio-economic growth can be impacted by changes that include: laws, ecological changes, new technology as well as changes that affect the physical environment (Baumgartner, Burns, & DeVille, 2014). Understanding these two terminologies, the essay thus holds the view that modernization theory adequately explains the levels of socioeconomic growth in the developing world. This essay will give an explanation as to why the above statement is correct supporting them with examples. It is correct to state that modernization theory adequately explains the levels of socioeconomic growth in the developing world. Let us decipher this, modernization theory focuses on internal factors within a country to be responsible for underdevelopment. These internal factors may include: literacy, the attitude of the populace, communication, infrastructure, agrarian structure, laws, among others. In this essay the listed internal factors will therefore be discussed one by one to understand their implication on socio-economic development of a country. In so doing, each of the factors will be evaluated in terms of their impact on the countries physical environment, ecological changes, technology and laws and subsequently their implication on a country’s GDP, literacy, employment levels and life expectancy among others. Modernization theory takes into consideration the internal dynamics with

Social issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Social issues - Essay Example If the figure of 200 000 backstreet abortions is used (assuming that it is accurate which highly questionable) and these backstreet abortions are now performed legally, then this will cost the state R200 million a year! Consider also that the abortion increased 16 fold in the USA when it was legalised - from 100 000 to 1,6 million a year.1 Can the Health Department cope with this In terms of the economy, abortion undermines future growth. It is still too early for us to see the effects now, but the disastrous consequences are going to be visable very soon. A recent study shows that abortion is going to be an economic disaster. The report calculates that for every European and American who is aborted, it costs their economy $1 5000 000. In terms of today's (1994) money adjusted to present value, the average American or European spends over $1 177 000 in his lifetime in terms of housing, medicine, clothes, transport and so on. He also pays over $440 000 in taxes in his lifetime. This makes $1 617 000 in total. So this means that the doctor may get $300 for murdering that baby which immediately helps the abortion industry. However, there are other industries that will be adversely affected. The cost to America alone of their aborted babies is well over $41 trillion! These figures are too large for any of us to grasp, but understand that America's entire deficit is $4 trillion, while their abortions will cost 10 times more than even the total debt of America. What will the cost for South Africa be2 2. Backstreet Abortions Increase Will those who perform these abortions have either the equipment or the knowledge to deal with complications that may occur Count the cost in terms of money and human lives that will result from botched legal abortions. Speaking before the 93rd Congress of the US, Senator James Buckley stated: "Data from foreign countries having far longer experience with legalised abortion than we have had in the US, suggest that legalisation has no effect on the criminal abortion rate. In at least three countries, the criminal abortion rate has actually risen since legalisation. Legalised abortion moves the back alley abortionists into the front office where their trade can be practised without fear of criminal prosecution."3 Dr Christopher Tietze, an abortion advocate, concedes: "Although one of the major goals of the liberalisation of abortion laws in Scandinavia was to reduce the incidence of illegal abortion, this was not accomplished. Rather as we know from a variety of sources, both criminal and total abortions increased." [original emphasis]4 Regardless of whether abortions are legal or not, some women will have abortions and some women will die from complications. Certainly all the babies will die. However, legalising abortion greatly increases the number of abortions. In various surveys 40-85% of the women said they would not have aborted their babies if it had been illegal. 5 We must not legalise procedures that kill the innocent just to make the killing process less dangerous. 3. Parallels between Abortion & Slavery Slavery in centuries past and abortions in this century were defended and promoted by the same arguments. Consider the case in the USA: In 1857, in the Dred Scott case, the US Supreme Court decided, by a 7 to 2 majority, that according to the US Constitution, black

Causes And Effects Of Domestic Violence Social Work Essay

Causes And Effects Of Domestic Violence Social Work Essay Abstract Domestic violence is a relationship between intimate partners in which one individual seeks to assert power and control over the other. The abuser may use many different types of abuse to assert this power. It involves physical, psychological, economic and sexual abuse as well as attempts to manipulate the victim through the use of his or her children. The abuser may also seek to isolate the victim from other people who may provide assistance. A number of studies have looked into identifying individuals who are most at risk for domestic violence. The most common feature is an imbalance of power and control. However, neither those who experience domestic violence nor the partners who abuse them fall into distinct categories. They can be of any age, ethnicity, income level, or level of education. The causes of domestic violence will depend on the abuser back ground such as: Witnessed abuse as a child, Was a victim of abuse as a child, abused former partners, and may be because of Unemp loyed or underemployed, Poverty or poor living situations. In addition, the effects of domestic violence depend upon the type it could be physical, psychological, sexual and economic. Causes and effects of Domestic Violence Domestic Violence is a type of abuse .It involves injuring someone; usually a spouse or partner but it can also be a child or other family member. The abuser doesnt play fear .Abuser use fear, guilt, shame and he wants to keep the victim under his or her thumb. The abuser may use many different types of abuse to assert this power, and the overall framework in which the abuse occurs may follow a pattern called the cycle of violence. Cycle of violence: Violent events may occur in a variety of patterns-the victim may experience ongoing, nonstop abuse, or the abuse may stop and start. One pattern of abuse often seen in a violent relationship begins with a tension-building phase, followed by the actual abusive act, and then calm, making-up phase often called the honeymoon phase. The tension-building phase includes increasing anger on the part of the abuser coupled with attempts by the person being abused to avoid violence. On the other hand, the victim may also attempt to bring on the vio lence to get it over with. The episode of acute abuse may include various forms of abuse and may occur for an indefinite amount of time.The honeymoon phase that follows the abuse often includes both excuses for the abusive episode and expressions of love for the injured party. The abuser may deny the violence or blame his or her actions on their own drunkenness or the behavior or drunkenness of the victim. The abuser may promise that the abuse will never happen again. Domestic abuse often escalates from threats and verbal abuse to violence. And while physical injury may be the most obvious danger, the emotional and psychological consequences of domestic abuse are also severe. It will lead to undermine the victims self-worth or self-esteem, or controls the victims freedom. Domestic abuse can lead to anxiety and depression, and make abuser to feel helpless and alone. It occurs in traditional heterosexual marriages, as well as in same-sex partnerships. The abuse may occur during a relationship, while the couple is breaking up, or after the relationship has ended. In 2001, domestic violence was causal in 20% of nonfatal violence directed against women and in 3% directed toward men. A 2002 study reports that 29% of women and 22% of men report having experienced physical, sexual, or psychological intimate partner violence during their lifetime. Nearly 5.3 million incidents of domestic violence occur annually among US women aged 18 years and older, with 3.2 million occurring among men. Of these incidents, most are relatively minor, such as pushing, grabbing, shoving, slapping, and hitting. Serious consequences certainly do, however, result. Every year approximately 1.5 million intimate partner rapes and physical assaults are perpetrated against women, and approximately 800,000 are committed against men (Burnett, 2009) This paper describes the causes and effects of domestic violence. To begin with a number of studies have looked into identifying individuals who are most at risk for domestic violence. The most common feature is an imbalance of power and control. However, neither those who experience domestic violence nor the partners who abuse them fall into distinct categories. They can be of any age, ethnicity, income level, or level of education. The following are examples of situations that are common among people who experience domestic violence. It is important to understand that anyone can be abused. Individuals at risk may who is Planning to leave or has recently left an abusive relationship, Previously in an abusive relationship, Poverty or poor living situations, Unemployed, Physical or mental disability, Recently separated or divorced , Isolated socially from family and friends, Abused as a child, Witnessed domestic violence as a child, Younger than 30 years and Stalked by a partner. Alth ough the abusers also share some common characteristics, it is important to note that abusers choose violence to get what they want in a relationship. Risk factors may point to an increased likelihood of violence in a relationship, but the person is not destined to become violent because of the presence of certain risk factors. Nor is the violence justifiable because it happened while the abuser was in a blind rage that he or she was powerless to control. The following factors may indicate an increased likelihood that a person may choose violence. Abuser risk factors: Abuses alcohol or drugs, the use and abuse of alcohol are strongly associated with a higher probability that the drinker will be involved in violence as victim, perpetrator, or both. Illicit use of drugs by household members increases a womans risk of death at the hands of a spouse, lover, or close relative by a 28-fold factor. Concomitant use of alcohol and illicit drugs is associated with a 16-times greater risk for suicide, a risk substantially higher than that observed for the use of either individual substance. In a small study (n = 46) examining the relationship between selected socioeconomic risk factors and injury from domestic violence, alcohol abuse by the male partner, as reported by the female partner, was the strongest predictor for acute injury. Approximately half of the victims stated that their male partners were intoxicated at the time of the assault. Whether male partner intoxication is a direct causal factor, an indirect factor, or a factor that modifies the effect of a causal factor has not been determined. On the day of the assault, 86% of assailants reportedly used alcohol, with 67% using the combination of alcohol and cocaine. The active metabolite of such a drug combination, coca ethylene, is more intoxicating, longer lived, and possibly more potent in its ability to kindle violent behavior than are the parent drugs. Abuse as a child, was a victim of abuse as a child, abused former partners and unemployed or underemployed. Furthermore, the effects of domestic violence depend upon the type of domestic violence. It could be physical ,emotional, sexual and economic .First, in physical abuse the abuser will use Witnessed physical force against the victim in a way to injures or endangers his or her or causes feeling of pain. Physical abuse includes hitting, slapping, punching, choking, pushing, and other types of contact that result in physical injury to the victim. Physical abuse can also include behaviors such as denying the victim of medical care when needed, depriving the victim of sleep or other functions necessary to live. Second, emotional abuse is defined as any behavior that threatens, intimidates, undermines the victims self-worth or self-esteem, or controls the victims freedom. This can include threatening the victim with injury or harm, telling the victim that they will be killed if they ever leave the relationship, and public humiliation. Constant criticism, name-calling, and making statements that damage the victims self-esteem are also common forms of emotional abuse. Often perpetrators will use children to engage in emotional abuse by teaching them to harshly criticize the victim as well. Emotional abuse includes conflicting actions or statements which are designed to confuse and create insecurity in the victim. These behaviors also lead the victim to question themselves, causing them to believe that they are making up the abuse or that the abuse is their fault. Emotional abuse includes forceful efforts to isolate the victim, keeping them from contacting friends or family. This is intended to eliminate those who might try to help the victim leave the relationship and to create a lack of resources for them to rely on if they were to leave. Isolation results in damaging the victims sense of internal strength, leaving them feeling helpless and unable to escape from the situation. People who are being emotionally abused often feel as if they do not own themselves; rather, they may feel that their significant other has nearly total control over them. Women or men undergoing emotional abuse often suffer from depression, which puts them at increased risk for suicide, eating disorders, and drug and alcohol abuse (Hopkins, 1999) reported that abused women are at higher risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant deaths and more likely to give birth to low birth weight children. Third, in Sexual abuse is any situation in which force is used to obtain participation in unwanted sexual activity. Forced sex, even by a spouse or intimate partner with whom consensual sex has occurred, is an act of aggression and violence. sexual abuse includes Use of physical force to compel a person to engage in a sexual act against his or her will, whether or not the act is completed; Attempted or completed sex act involving a person who is unable to understand the nature or condition of the act, unable to decline participation, or unable to Communicate unwillingness to enga ge in the sexual act. Finally, Economic abuse is when the abuser has control over the victims money and other economic resources. In its extreme (and usual) form, this involves putting the victim on a strict allowance, withholding money at will and forcing the victim to beg for the money until the abuser gives them some money. It is common for the victim to receive less money as the abuse continues. To conclude, domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, friends or cohabitation. Domestic violence has many forms including physical aggression (hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, and restraining, slapping, throwing objects); it can also be sexual or emotional. The main causes of domestic violence will depend on the abuser back ground such as: Witnessed abuse as a child, Was a victim of abuse as a child, abused former partners, and may be because of Unemployed or underemployed, Poverty or poor living situations.

Starstruck :: essays research papers fc

The novel â€Å"Starstruck† is written by Kathy Hopkins, and is 216 pages in length. The publisher is Harper Collins Publishing and the date of publication was not listed in the novel. Cathy Hopkins started writing novels in 1987, and she wrote a number of 16 books that year. In the year 2000 she started to write teen novels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My novel â€Å"Starstruck† is about a girl named Lia, dealing with her hectic everyday life. In this book Lia get’s asked out by Squidge (one of her friends) and she says yes. Finally they are boyfriend and girlfriend. Cat and Becca (other friends) are very happy for their friends and everything is going great. Then everything changes because the town finds out that the will be a host city for a movie being made about teenage life. Savannah, the teenage star of the movie adopts Squidge as her personal runner. Will he be able to keep Savannah happy without breaking his promise to Lia?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lia is a tall slender young woman whom all the boy’s are crazy for. She has long blonde hair, blue eyes, and has the perfect complexion. Lia is honest because â€Å" she had never told a lie in her life, say’s Becca†. She is also very determined because she never gives up and fights for what she believes in. â€Å" I just do think that it is fair that we should have to go to school while the movie is being shoot Mr. Jenks, it is a very exciting event probably the most exciting this city has seen for years.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Savannah is on of the minor characters of this story. She is a beautiful teenage girl who is a super star. There is not much more about Savannah except that she is snobby and thinks that she can get whatever she wants whenever she wants. â€Å"†¦..go get me a drink Squidge, I’m thirsty, and do it now before I fire you!†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Squidge is another one of the minor characters of my novel. He is an aspiring film director who is very confident. He can be shy at times when situations become overwhelming. â€Å" now if everybody does not co-operate this movie won’t be made so Squidge STOP moving the camera and get back to work!†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of the story the setting is at Lia’s house, but as the story progresses the setting changes. For the rest of the story the setting is at the main high school in Cornwall.