Causes of Having a Bad Mood

If you ask someone if they would rather be in a good or in a bad mood, this person will most likely think you are weird. The majority of people obviously prefer to feel good and to be in a good mood; this is a natural desire around which the entertainment, pharmaceutical, and other industries were built. Whenever you feel down, you can find a way to increase your mood; this is effective, but not a long-lasting measure; unfortunately, rarely people seek to find and understand the reasons causing their bad mood. Knowing these reasons, people would be able to maintain and control their emotions better.

Surprisingly, one of the most significant causes is what psychologists refer to as ego depletion. This idea belongs to the researcher Roy Baumeister, who believes that when people use their willpower, it drains their cognitive resources, and makes them feel worse. The more a person strives to abstain from doing something, the more annoyed their mind becomes. There is a stress threshold: at some point, when one’s willpower depletes, accumulated frustration manifests itself as anger, irritability, cynicism, and other negative emotions. In its turn, these effects increase a person’s blood pressure, as well as the levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which eventually gets a person even more flustered.

A more trivial but not a less important reason why you might be in a bad mood regularly or even all the time is stress caused by excessive work; being a workaholic may be beneficial for your career and reputation, but it takes its toll: you put yourself at the risk of burning out.

The energy you have is a depletable resource, and learning how to manage it properly is the best way to avoid fatigue and the bad mood caused by it. There are other causes that add up to fatigue (and can be connected to working all the time): the lack of vitamins from fresh vegetables and fruit. Many people nowadays have to eat on the go, having no time to have proper, balanced meals. Consuming food should be a relaxing and pleasant process—not only stuffing one’s stomach with calories. And after all, if you have not been in direct sunlight for a while, you are guaranteed to be in a bad mood.

Unfortunately, among all the ways to get rid of excessive stress and bad mood, many people choose the easiest ones; some of them are more or less socially acceptable; for example, playing video games. However, more often people seek respite in substances such as alcohol or light drugs. 

So, the next time you feel your mood goes down, spend a minute to analyze your recent activities in an attempt to figure out what might be wrong. Activities that lead to the depletion of cognitive resources, fatigue and overworking, the lack of vitamins and sunlight, as well as the consumption of alcohol and other drugs, can be factors you might want to eliminate in order to start feeling better.


References

Klosowski, Thorin. “The Science Behind a Bad Mood and What You Can Do about It.” Lifehacker. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

“8 Causes and Treatments of Mood Swings.” Quick and Dirty Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Chan, Amanda L. “9 Sneaky Reasons You’re in a Bad Mood (and What to Do about It).” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.


Retrieved from: Academic Help
https://academichelp.net/samples/academics/essays/cause-effect

Critical Reading

About Critical Reading

Critical reading does not mean criticizing or finding mistakes in a text or an article.  Critical reading means noticing techniques that writers use to convince readers to accept ideas or information. Readers who recognize these techniques can evaluate a reading selection more easily. Critical reading is a skill used in everyday life.  For example, in college, choosing an answer on a multiple choice test requires critical reading skills.  Purchasing a product online is another example of a task that requires critical reading skills.  

Critical Readers

Critical readers do not automatically believe that everything they read is true. They ask themselves questions about the text. For example, they might ask if the author is well-known. They might ask if the author is an expert on the subject.  They also ask what the author’s purpose is for writing.  Is it to present facts or statistics, or is it to persuade or convince the reader to believe something? In addition, critical readers are aware of the author’s approach.  Is the information presented in an objective or critical way?  Does the writer reveal a subjective (positive or negative) attitude toward the subject?  

Identifying and Evaluating the Main Idea

Critical reading means analyzing ideas and then deciding whether to accept them, reject them, or think about them further.  In order to analyze ideas, good readers first identify the main idea.  Finding the main idea is key to understanding the writer’s argument.  Good readers skim the reading and find the main idea before reading the main article.  This results in faster and more effective reading.  

Critical readers also evaluate the main idea. They do this by asking questions. Does the main idea seem important?  Does it seem logical?  Does it allow for other viewpoints?  Does the author insist that this viewpoint is the only valid one?  If the main idea doesn’t seem important or logical, critical readers pay close attention to the details the author uses to support it.  

Examining the Evidence to Support the Main Idea

Paying close attention to the details means examining the evidence the author uses to support the main idea.  Evidence may include facts, statistics, examples, experience and opinions.  The critical reader asks two key questions.  The first is, “Is the evidence adequate?”  The reader decides whether the author has provided enough support for the main idea.  One or two examples are usually not enough to support a viewpoint.  If the support is inadequate, the critical reader will not accept the author’s opinion as true.  

The second question is, “Does the evidence seem accurate?”  The reader considers the source of the information.  The reader also considers the methods that were used to collect the facts.  If the source is questionable, the support may also be questionable.  If the method is unreliable, the facts may be unreliable as well.  

Analyzing the Presentation of Evidence

Critical reading also requires the reader to recognize errors in the author’s thinking.  Errors weaken the author’s support and, thus, the author’s ideas.  For example, the author may use circular reasoning.  This is simply repeating the main idea in different words without adding any reasons or evidence to support the main idea.  The author may also try to distract the reader with a red herring.  A red herring is an idea or statement that distracts or leads the reader away from the issue.  Finally, the author may make a hasty generalization. This means the author bases a conclusion on very little evidence or support.  

Putting It All Together

Critical readers understand both what a text says and how it says it. Therefore, critical reading means the following three things:

1. Recognizing the techniques authors use to convince the reader to accept the ideas as presented. 

2. Evaluating the text in light of these techniques.
3. Deciding whether to accept or reject the text, or to gather more information before making a decision.

Online and Teacher-led Activities

Essay topic:

Many schools and colleges today use a mixture of online and teacher-led activities. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to learning?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience regarding online learning and teacher led learning. 
You must include a direct quote and a paraphrased quote from an article you have found in order to support your ideas. Write between 200-250 words. 

Some writing tips

What are online activities?
Online activities can be interactive games, puzzles, online quizzes, practice exercises, blogs, websites, electronic portfolios, web-based assignments, and other internet resources.
You will find a few useful example here..

What are teacher-led activities?
Teacher-led activities are explicit teaching techniques, usually to teach a specific skill. It is a teacher-directed method, meaning that the teacher stands in front of a classroom, presents information and explains it to the students.

Research Essay Structure

ACADEMIC RESEARCH ESSAY STRUCTURE

Academic Research Essay Title (must be printed on the front page; this page is not numbered): …………………………………………………………………………………………...

Summary (must be printed on one separate page; 150 words)

Introduction (less than one page; must be printed on a separate page)

Research Question/s: ……………………………………………………………………

Research hypothesis: ……………………………………………………………………………………

Research objectives:

1. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Thesis statement: ………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 1 (Title) ………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 2 (Title) …………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 3 (Title) …………………………………………………………………………

Conclusion (less than one page; must be printed on a separate page)

References (in APA style; on a separate page; about 4-8 sources)

Appendix 1 (Academic Honesty Statement; must be signed by the student) – this page must be attached

Appendix 2 (if necessary; it contains tables, charts, graphs, pictures, questionnaire samples, etc.) – it is not mandatory.

Knowledge is Power

The story you are going to read really happened! 

Shannon could hear the footsteps behind her as she walked toward home. The thought of being followed made her heart beat faster.

"You're silly," she told herself, "no one is following you." To be safe, she began to walk faster, but the footsteps kept up with her pace.

She was afraid to look back, and she was glad she was almost home. Shannon said a quick prayer, "God, please get me home safe." She saw the porch light burning, and she leaned against the door for a moment, relieved to be in the safety of her home.

She glanced out the window to see if anyone was there. The sidewalk was empty.

After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and go online.
She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213.

She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message: 

Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was weird!

GoTo123 replied, LOL. 

You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you? Don't you live in a safe neighborhood? 

ByAngel213 typed, Of course, I do. LOL. 

I guess it was my imagination because I didn't see anybody when I looked.

GoTo123: Unless you gave your name out online. You haven't done that, have you?

ByAngel213: Of course not. I'm not stupid, you know.

GoTo123: Did you have a softball game after school today?

ByAngel213: Yes, and we won!

GoTo123: That's great! Who did you play?

ByAngel213: We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees.

GoTo123: What is your team called?

ByAngel213: We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are cool.

GoTo123: Did you pitch?

ByAngel213: No, I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye!

GoTo123: Catch you later. Bye.

Meanwhile...... GoTo123 went to the Member Menu and began to search for her profile.

When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far. 

Her name: 
Shannon; Birthday: Jan. 3, 2004
Age: 13
State where she lived: North Carolina
Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall. 

Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the seventh grade at the Canton Junior High School. 

She had told him all this in the conversations they had online. He had enough information to find her now.

Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ballpark that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting, and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.

By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her. Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely. He was leaning against the fence behind first base, and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary, and she quickly dismissed the fear she had felt. 

After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her. Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. 

It was only a few blocks to Shannon's home and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car. Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.

Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room.

"Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset, and she couldn't imagine why. 

She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa. 

"Sit down," her father said. 

"This man has just told us a most interesting story about you."

Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today! 

"Do you know who I am, Shannon?" the man asked. 

"No," Shannon answered.

"I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."

Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo123 is a kid my age! He's 14, and he lives in Michigan!"

The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see, Shannon, there are people online who pretend to be kids; I was one of them.
But while others do it to find kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators.

I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to give out too much information to people online. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. Your name, the school you go to, the name of your ball team and the position you play. The number and name on your jersey made finding you a breeze."

Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan?"

He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh. 

It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?"

She nodded.

"I had a friend whose daughter was like you.

Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time online. The wrong people trick you into giving out information, a little here and a little there online. Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it again. And tell others about this so that they will be safe too." 

"It's a promise!" exclaimed Shannon. 

Shannon kept her promise and never gave out information about herself online again. Other kids are not so lucky because they don't know about the dangers of child predators who lurk online looking for a child or young teenager. 

Let's all work together to keep kids safe!

Retrieved from 
Protect Children, Knowledge is Power: 
http://www.esldrive.com/kids/protectkids.php




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Exam and Test Preparation Material

Find:
Everything you need to know about tests and exams (click here to open in new page).


Most exams consists of at least two parts:

Part 1. Reading

Two reading texts with a range of question types. 

Part 2. Writing

You will have to write an essay on an academic topic. You will be required to write 250 - 300 words. 

While reading the topic (before you start writing), try to understand what type of essay you are requested to write: 

• Advantages /Disadvantages
• Agree /Disagree
• Problem /Solution
• Compare /Contrast
• Cause /Effect
• Effects / Solutions

To learn about parts of an essay, click here.

To learn how to write a good introduction, click here.

To learn how to write a good conclusion, click here.

Essays (Examples)

Click here to get useful essay writing ideas and nice examples.

Essays on Various Topics (essay writing ideas and examples).


Tips

• Read and analyze the full question, not just the first few words
• Plan and organize your ideas
• Write your essay in at least four sections 

• Introduction - describe the topic briefly, with the focus on the central question. 
• Write two or three body paragraphs; write a clear topic sentence and support your ideas with good clear reasons. Give examples. Describe results and link them with a good range of linking words.
• The conclusion should be logical, clear and short; summarize the main points and give your opinion.

When you finish writing, read your essay five times:

• Check grammar and vocabulary use, spelling, and punctuation
• Make sure you used a range of linking phrases.


Read more:

Essay Writing Tips 

Essay Writing Ideas

Types of Essays

12 Essays (Topics)

English Tests

Final Exam Preparation

Choose a topic and write at least 250 - 300 words. You have 45 minutes for this task.

1. Some colleges and universities are now designing “mobile courses” i.e. their courses can be used on phones, tablets, iPads etc.  Say if you agree or disagree with the idea of learning in this way.  Support your answer with reasons and examples.

2. In many countries, college and university graduates must pay for their education. In some cases the money is cut from their salaries when they start working. Do you agree or disagree with this idea for the UAE? Support your answer with reasons and examples.

3. Many graduates are now choosing to work in Abu Dhabi. Compare and contrast working in Fujairah versus working in Abu Dhabi. Say which city you would prefer to work in and give a reason for your choice.

4. Dubai Women’s College now has a large number of male students. Compare and contrast studying in a single gender class (women only) with a mixed gender class (men and women together). Which would you prefer and why.

5. Many graduates prefer to work in the government sector after graduating. Compare and contrast working in the government sector versus the private sector. Say which you would prefer and why.

6. Dubai Women’s College now has a large number of evening classes to cater for the working students. Compare the similarities and differences between AM classes and PM classes and say which you think are better and why.

7. Compare and contrast arranged marriages and love marriages. Say which one you would prefer if given the choice and why.

8. Nowadays many people like shopping on the internet. Compare and contrast shopping on the internet with the option of shopping in a mall. Say which you prefer and why.

9. In many countries around the world, English is used as a means to teach university classes even though English may not be the first language of the students. Compare and contrast the advantages of using English as the means to deliver these lessons instead of using the native language of the students. 

10. Many people believe that raising children in the country is better than raising them in the city. Compare and contrast the benefits of living in the country and living in the city giving examples.

11. These days many students prefer to go overseas to complete their university education. Compare and contrast the benefits of studying abroad and studying in your home country. Support your answer with examples.

12. Fast food is readily available throughout the world and many people prefer to eat out at restaurants rather than cooking at home. Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of eating at restaurants compared to eating home cooked meals.

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Exam Preparation

Write an essay about ONE of the following topics.

Write 300 words.

Choose:

A	“Obesity (being overweight) is now considered to be a major problem in the UAE.”  Discuss some of the causes of this problem and suggest possible solutions

Or:

B	In what ways can social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, be helpful/unhelpful for companies in today’s world? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

If you are not sure how to start, read the following tips:

A Simple Essay Format

Types of Essays

Choosing the correct type of essay to write in response to a writing prompt is key to getting the question right. 

Although there are a lot of different types of essays and it is easy to get confused, essentially there are four major types of essays.

Four Basic Types of Essays
Each type of essay determines the writer’s purpose. Does the writer want to describe an individual experience, describe something, explain a subject, or persuade the reader to accept a particular point of view? The four types of essays discuss these purposes:

1. Narrative Essays: Telling a Story
In a narrative essay, the writer tells a story about a real-life experience. While telling a story may sound easy to do, the narrative essay challenges students to think and write about themselves. When writing a narrative essay, writers should try to involve the reader by making the story as vivid as possible. The fact that narrative essays are usually written in the first person helps engage the reader. “I” sentences give readers a feeling of being part of the story. A well-crafted narrative essay will also build towards drawing a conclusion or making a personal statement.

2. Descriptive Essays: Painting a Picture
A cousin of the narrative essay, a descriptive essay paints a picture with words. A writer might describe a person, place, object, or even memory of special significance. However, this type of essay is not the description for description’s sake. The descriptive essay strives to communicate a deeper meaning through the description. In a descriptive essay, the writer should show, not tell, through the use of colorful words and sensory details. The best descriptive essays appeal to the reader’s emotions, with the result that is highly evocative.

3. Expository Essays: Just the Facts
The expository essay is an informative piece of writing that presents a balanced analysis of a topic. In an expository essay, the writer explains or defines a topic, using facts, statistics, and examples. Expository writing encompasses a wide range of essay variations, such as the comparison and contrast essay, the cause and effect essay, and the “how to” or process essay. Because expository essays are based on facts and not personal feelings, writers don’t reveal their emotions or write in the first person.

4. Persuasive Essays: Convince Me
While like an expository essay in its presentation of facts, the goal of the persuasive essay is to convince the reader to accept the writer’s point of view or recommendation. The writer must build a case using facts and logic, as well as examples, expert opinion, and sound reasoning. The writer should present all sides of the argument but must be able to communicate clearly and without equivocation why a certain position is correct.



Types of Essays - End the Confusion

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ACADEMIC RESEARCH ESSAY STRUCTURE

Academic Research Essay Title 

(must be printed on the front page; this page is not numbered)

Summary (must be printed on one separate page; 150 words)

Introduction (less than one page; must be printed on a separate page)

Research question/s: ……………………………………………………………

Research hypothesis: …………………………………………………………………………

Research objectives:

1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. …………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Thesis statement: ……………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 1 (Title) ……………………………………………………………

Chapter 2 (Title) ……………………………………………………………

Chapter 3 (Title) ……………………………………………………………

Conclusion (less than one page; must be printed on a separate page)

References (in APA style; on a separate page; about 4-8 sources)

Appendix (Academic Honesty Statement; must be signed by the student) – this page must be attached

Appendix 2 (if necessary; it contains tables, charts, graphs, pictures, questionnaire samples, etc.) – it is not mandatory.






Essay Example


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HOW YOUR RESEARCH ESSAY WILL BE ASSESSED

Research Essay Assessment

Assessment Criteria
Introduction (10 points): Focuses the reader’s attention on the subject of the research essay; clear formulation of research objectives, research questions and thesis statement.
Summary or Abstract (5 points): Brief, logical, and reflects the content of the research essay.
Conclusion (10 points): Logically complete the development of the thesis, research question and research objectives.
References page (10 points): Follow the APA guidelines.
Format (10 points): Follow the guidelines for the format of the paper: Times New Roman 12, spaces between lines 1.5, and margins 1” to 1.25”.
Sentence structure, syntax and punctuation (15 points): Avoid sentence fragments, comma splices, and fused, incomplete, or awkward sentences. Avoid misuse or omission of the apostrophe, brackets, colon, comma, dash, ellipsis, exclamation point, hyphen, period, question mark, quotation marks, semi-colon, slash, underlining, or italics.
In-text citations and paraphrase (10 points): Effectively quote and paraphrase from sources.
Organization and coherence (10 points): Arrange ideas in a logical order; use transitions and other cohesive devices to link ideas effectively within and between paragraphs.
Spelling and capitalization (10 points): Avoid spelling and capitalization errors.
Grammar and usage (10 points): Avoid inappropriate verb or pronoun use, unclear pronoun reference, inappropriate shift in person or tense, redundancy, imprecise language, or incorrect usage.

                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                             Total (100):    _________

Any of the following may result in failure or a lowered grade: 

1. Topic not approved in advance 

2. Outline, notes, and draft not approved

3. Research question lacking or unsupported

4. An essay that consists of direct quotations

5. Cheating, plagiarism, or falsification

6.  A carelessly written or typed paper

8. A late paper

9. Failure to use APA referencing style

10. A lack of correlation between works that are cited in the body of the paper and sources that are listed on the works cited page.




Useful Tips


USEFUL TIPS for Windows Users

How NOT to put a page number on the first page of a Word document:

Go through the following step-by-step process (keep on clicking):

Open Word document

HOME

Page Layout

Page Setup

Page Setup Dialog Box (it is a hardly visible "arrow" near/just below Hyphenation)

Layout

Headers and Footers: Different first page

OK

Having gone through the above process successfully, go on clicking:

Insert 

Page Number

Bottom of Page Plain Number 2

Double-click on a page (any page) of your Word document

Congratulations! Now you have NO NUMBER on the front page. 

You must understand: this is Microsoft Word Document secret J

Read more:

Types of Essays

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Academic Research Essay Format Requirements

Dear Student,

Your research essay must be printed on A 4 format paper, Times New Roman 12, spaces between lines 1.5, margins - normal. The total number of words must not exceed 3000. 

The following research essay is only an example and should be considered as a guide, but not as an original essay with its authentic content.

Your research essay should consist of the following parts.


TITLE PAGE (the title page is not numbered):

College

Course title and course code

Title of the research essay, e.g.
THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON TEENAGERS IN THE UAE

Your name

Your ID

Your teacher's title (e.g. Dr., Mr., Ms.) and full name

Date


SUMMARY

About 100 words. The summary must be printed on a separate page.


INTRODUCTION

The Introduction must be printed on a separate page. Introduce the main idea and the basic questions you are going to describe.

Explain your topic clearly and briefly. For example, 

Social media is gaining popularity worldwide, and it has also become popular among teenagers in the UAE. This essay focuses on the positive and the negative effects of social media on teenagers. The following research questions were raised:

1. What are the effects of social media on teenagers in the UAE?
2. What are the reasons for social media popularity among teenagers?
3. What are the positive and the negative effects of social media on teenagers?

To identify and analyze the effects of the social media on teenagers in the UAE, the following research objectives were formulated:

Objective 1: Find out recent statistics about the effects of social media among teenagers worldwide and in the UAE.

Objective 2: Investigate the reasons why social media is so popular among teenagers in the UAE and other countries.

Objective 3: Investigate the positive and the negative effects of social media on teenagers.

It is expected that the results of this research will help students, parents and teachers to understand better the positive and the negative effects of the social media on teenagers and will help educators to monitor and improve teenagers’ daily lifestyle.


CHAPTER 1: Social Media and Young People (Literature Review)

Social media is still too new to have a well-accepted definition, but there is some agreement about its general characteristics. Social media facilitates the pace and quality of interactions via an interwoven web of people, cultures and organizations and institutions (Manovich, 2001; Infante, Rancer & Womack, 1997; Scott 2007). Weiner has defined it as media that enables the transformation of enormous amounts of electronic information. It allows any number of users to access, merge, and sequence information according to their preferences and requirements. It, therefore, can transcend boundaries dictated by a given topic (Weiner, 2006). The pre-history of social media is often traced back to the 1940’s ideas of Norbert Wiener (Bush, 1990) and his concept of “cybernetics” (Pfaffenberger, 1990, p. 1). Subsequent incarnations include Ted Nelson’s 1965 definition of social media as “a merger or hybrid of the library, the newspaper, and television, implemented on a small computer” (Nelson, 1990), and McLuhan’s conceptualization of “hot media” and “cool” media as extensions of humans’ five senses (McLuhan, 1967, p. 26). These definitions have variously emphasized aspects such as human machines interaction, the power of information transfer, and the idea of information as having deeply personal, political, economic, aesthetic, psychological, moral, ethical, and social consequences. In this paper, social media will be defined as “media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable communication techniques, such as the use of web-based, mobile technologies, to turn communication into interactive dialogue.”

The strength of media system dependency theory has been its explanatory power: it is relatively easy to apply, it provides a basis for describing escalating crises, and it is multidimensional. Given the need to look critically at theory, however, it is worth noting its weaknesses as well (Littlejohn, 1999, pp. 351-354). A notable shortcoming is that media system dependency theory tends to be static, with less power to explain long-term media effects. However, it will serve the current purposes of evaluating links between social media use and the UAE young people.


CHAPTER 2: Usage of Social Media and Reasons of its Popularity

A fundamental question that was considered in the study was the frequency of social media use. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses show that social media has a very strong presence in the lives of these UAE participants. The following comments were typical: “Yes, communication through emails, blogs, and Facebook increased in the UAE – I posted my news and photos on my Facebook” and “I prefer emailing, sharing stories, discussing and spending more time on my PC.” High usage statistics are exhibited in broad categories. When questioned regarding the length of use, more than half of the participants (53%) reported using social media for over two years. 

A significant percentage of newcomers (25%) had begun using social media within the previous year. One way of measuring levels of usage is to ask how confident users are in their ability to use social media Websites. Confident usage suggests substantial familiarity and experience. A substantial majority of participants (57%) felt “confident” in the knowledge they possessed about various social media sites, and nearly a fifth (17%) felt “very confident” in their skills. Attitudes toward social media were also quite positive, suggesting a favorable level of interaction with these sites by residents. When queried about the ability of social media sites to credibly and accurately relay information as compared with traditional media, far more either agreed (46%) or strongly agreed (25%), than disagreed (21%) or strongly disagreed (8%) that such sites were reliable in this manner.

In general, UAE respondents favored the same category-leading sites popular in the West and worldwide (Abdel-Azim, 2010). The social network service of choice was Facebook, which was identified as the service of choice by 86% of respondents (followed by LinkedIn at 56% and MySpace 36%). It is consistent with the 2011 Grafdom study, which found that the UAE had the highest Facebook usage of all Arab countries. Twitter usage (40%) was greater than Grafdom found, but this may be due to the relatively large percentage of young and educated participants in this survey’s sample. Some 336 survey participants were university and college graduates who must frequently conduct online searches and manage search results (Grafdom, 2011). 


CHAPTER 3: The Positive and the Negative Side of the Social Media and its Effect on Teenagers

Social media appealed to most participants as both entertainment and for more practical reasons. Survey respondents mentioned that they liked the games, tests, and gift-giving features of Facebook. Their choice of a particular social networking site was based on the perception that it offered leads that competing sites did not offer. For another popular site, YouTube, they liked the ability to comment upon and rate videos. They liked the convenience offered by social bookmarking sites like Delicious for managing and viewing websites. Flicker was mentioned as a means of finding excellent photos of lesser known photographers.

Regarding more practical considerations, when surveyed about the potential benefits of social media to improve a person’s communication skills, an overwhelming number (97%) agreed. They mentioned its aid in making communication more precise, in expanding vocabulary, and in developing writing skills. Results also describe the usage and benefits of social media for managers who need to communicate internally and externally. When surveyed about which departments would be most likely to use social media to advantage, the largest percentage (29%) went to public relations departments, while the second spot was roughly shared equally by Public government use (15%) and use by management (11%).

The usefulness of the technology for managers correlates with a study that included more than 3,000 human resources and finance/accounting managers from 13 countries in Europe, South America and the Middle East, which found that 66% of UAE managers indicated that they use social networking sites a minimum of two to three times a week (Half, 2010). This was compared to the global average of 49% of respondents who describe themselves as somewhat active users. Only respondents from Brazil (75%), Spain (72%) and Ireland (70%) were more likely to identify themselves as more active users than those from the UAE. More than half of those surveyed in the UAE (58%) said they would check the online profile of a candidate when looking to fill an open position” (Half, 2010).

The potential dangers of social media for UAE teenagers came out in focus group discussion. Participants noted threats to teenagers and even children under ten years of age who are using Blackberries and chatting with older adults who are complete strangers. They mentioned their use of inappropriate pictures. The use of photo-sharing sites among survey participants was surprisingly small (24% used Flicker, 12% used Photobucket). This might be tied to a special sensitivity of the UAE population to issues of privacy.


CONCLUSION

The conclusion must be printed on a separate page. In the Conclusion section, you should describe briefly the main ideas and demonstrate how you proved your attitude. In addition, you can write, e.g., “The following conclusions were made: …” and then mention them, like “First, …, Second, … Third, …. Finally…”

Finish your essay with an interesting or surprising idea, suggestion, recommendation or comment. Here is an example of Conclusion:

The most popular types of social media in the UAE are generally the same as those used in other regions of the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond. These include social networks (Facebook), video sharing sites (YouTube), and micro-blogging sites (Twitter), among others.

UAE respondents were both skilled in the use of a variety of social media, and well aware of its potential ethical and practical limitations. It has served as a vital source and vehicle for news, information, business development, opinion sharing, cultural production, and entertainment. But residents were also well aware of its potential as a platform for making business and government practices more transparent, and its usefulness as a mobilizing platform for political change.

Further research is needed to determine the larger impact of social media, particularly on UAE youth and women. Also, further research should be conducted to determine a more comprehensive picture of its benefits, liabilities, and potential in an area that maintains one of the world’s highest net migration rates.

In the UAE, and perhaps the Gulf region at large, social media has established its place as an integral and interdependent actor in society.


REFERENCES [must be printed on a separate page, in alphabetical order, in APA style]

Abdel-Azim, A. (2010). Online privacy concerns among social networks’ users, Cross-cultural Communication, 6, 74-89.

Grafdom. (2011). UAE social media brands, 2011 report. Retrieved June 20, 2011 from http:// www.grafdom.com/100-uae-social-media-brands-2011/

Half, R. (2010). UAE professionals as active social media users. Retrieved June 26, 2011 from http://www.roberthalf.ae/portal/site/rh-ae/menuitem.b0a52206b89cee97e7dfed10c3809fa0/? vgnextoid=41aaba91ed33b210VgnVCM1000003c08f90aRCRD&vgnextchannel=bdc4b2ca9 2889110VgnVCM1000003041fd0aRCRD 

Littlejohn, S. W. (1999). Theories of human communication (6th ed.). Albuquerque, NM: Wadsworth Publishing.

Manovich, L. (2001). The language of new media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

McLuhan, H. M., Fiore, Q., & Agel, J. (1967). The medium is the message: An inventory of effects. New York: Random House.

Nelson, T. H. (1990). Literary Machines. Sausalito, CA: Mindful, pp. 870-883. 

Pfaffenberger, B. (1990). Democratizing information: Online databases and the rise of end-user searching. Boston: G. K. Hall.

Weiner A. (2006). Hype cycle for the media industry, 2006. Stamford, CN: Gartner Inc.


ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT (this is the last page of the essay, printed on a separate page; it must be signed)

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