Jamal El-Danaf:Cloning: Ethics and Science

RUNNING HEAD: Cloning Cloning: Ethics and Science by Jamal El-Danaf Cloning: Ethics and Science Outline Claim: I believe cloning should be legalized because it has countless benefits. I. Benefits the humanity A. Cures diseases B. Poses health risks C. Diminishes health problems II. Condemns ethics, morals and human dignity A. Plays the role of God B.Is everyone’s right C. Violates human dignity Abstract The Canadian novelist Doug Coupland says: “Cloning is great. If God made the original, then making copies should be fine”. After that cloning started to be a controversial issue with the success in cloning the first sheep “Dolly”. However the American physician, scientist, educator, and public intellectual Leon Kass says: “Cloning looks like a degrading of parenthood and a perversion of the right relation between parents and children”. Proponents of Kass agree that parent-child relationship is much more precious than creating bodies and identical copies. Unlike these views, David Baltimore, the American biologist, university administrator, and Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine was neutral and says: “I think we can allow the therapeutic uses of nuclear transplant technology, which we call cloning, without running the danger of actually having live human beings born”. Advocates of David view cloning as advantageous and harmful simultaneously. In this paper I will discuss the issue of human cloning, shedding the light on its benefits and taking ethical principles into consideration. Key words: cloning, ethics, morals, benefits, harms, social status, embryos, lives, copies, human dignity Cloning: Ethics and Science The history of cloning began with the innocent sheep “Dolly” and scattered to enroll several other victims who fall for the sake of science. “Dolly” offered the chance for new lives by encouraging cloning. In the light of this tremendous technique, two conflicts appear. Either advocate cloning for the purpose of remedies, or surrender to religious and moral principles. In fact an unpretentious genetic change might become gainful or mortal in the scuffle for existence, and what might be illegal in the past can become legitimate because of the evolution towards the industrial age. I believe cloning should be legalized because it has countless benefits. Human cloning, the act of creating an exactly genetic individual of the other, is a controversial issue. In my opinion it is key for solving serious health complications. Scottish scientists declared the success in cloning the first sheep which awakened people to the outlook of human cloning. The sheep “Dolly” has sacrificed its body for the sake of science and offered the humanity an unforgettable service. Furthermore artificial insemination, fertility drugs and in vitro pollination were the reason of the existence of children that have no chance to exist without contemporary science. So why should we deprive them from life? Addionally cloning springs the chance for homosexual men to have a child because it does not embrace the association of any other person (Anderson, 1999, par I, III) .Moreover Skin cells are taken and efficiently used to treat patients with cancer (Suvelscu, May2007, p.4). Can you imagine that simple cells can really treat cancerous patients and give them hope? Obviously, if everyone feels with the needy, things might be much better, but disappointingly our goodness is hindered by egoism. Cloning produces normal offspring during reproduction by banning transmissible diseases (Robertson, 1994b as cited in Brock, 1998, E-7). It is worth mentioning that cloning treats nervous system and other body tribulations by making use of embryonic stem cells (Ian & Jaenisch, March28, 2001). It also permits a twin to find an organ or tissue needed for transplants (Robertson, 1994b, 1997; Kahln, 1989; Harris, 1992 as cited in Brock, 1998, E-8). On the other hand human cloning poses serious health risks. Unfortunately, it kills potential cells of the body such as human skin cells (Suvelscu, May2007, p.7) and requires experimentation on monkeys because human eggs are frail (Mundell, May15, 2013, par.I). Besides it leads to various psychological distresses in twins despite there is no infringement to human rights (Callahn, 1993; Labar, 1994, Macklin, 1994; McComrik, 1993; Studdars, 1978; Rainer, 1978; Verhey, 1994 as cited in Brock, 1998, E-14). Despite being twins, one cannot reveal the same identity as the other. For example my twin and I sometimes experience telepathy, but my self-concept of who I am is different from hers. This makes my unique identity. Erick Erickson illustrated this point by the theory of human developmental stages that states: “Identity formation develops more during each stage of life”. Nevertheless cloning results in extracting limitless cells and tissues from a diseased person to examine why certain infection occur upon experimentation (Suvelscu, May2007, E-4). This facilitates the gradual monitoring of disease progression by scientists, thus specifically determining the incidence and prevalence of contagious diseases. This facilitates making the appropriate step-wise measures for the sake of human health and wellness. Moreover cloning gives stroke patients a working brain tissue (Suvelscu, May2007, E-4) thus saving their lives and enhancing their cognitive abilities as well. Not forgotten that stem cell differentiation offers nerves, muscles and bone tissues by cloning thus saving our sacred bodies (Mundell, May15, 2013, par.3). Focusing on the empty surface of the cup is illiteracy while recognizing the full part gives a sense of optimism. Ethics, originated from “ethos”, are our interpretations of the principles of evil and good. Morals are lessons deduced from any event or situation. Unlike ethics, morals are more about religion. Human dignity, the theoretical foundation of human rights, states that every individual has the right to be valued and respected regardless cultural backgrounds. From the ethical perspective, human cloning is a crime because it plays God and encourages vanity in the spirits of people (Anderson, 1999, par.I). Ethical principles state that only God is supposed to create life and we cannot muddle with Mother Nature. Likewise, cloning undermines embryo’s status because it is created for experimentation (Suvelscu, May2007, p.9). Yes scientists cannot guarantee the success of cloning and more likely to repeat the method more than once. Additionally, cloning targets the use of operative -nascent stem cell rather than the use of fertilized germ (Mundell, May15, 2013, par.9). This reflects the possibility of failure thus diminishing human rights before birth. Opponents argued that religion is a completely separate field from science and suggested that it should look at the beneficial outcome of human cloning. They added that the right of reproduction like any other right should be discussed by law and every individual should acquire it in their preferable way (Robertson, 1994a; Brock, 1994 as cited in Brock, 1998, E-4). Freedom of election, living, participating and marriage should balance the freedom of reproduction. From this view cloning satisfies the right to choose the best mean of reproduction including IVF, oocyte endowment and so on (Brock, 1998, E-5). Furthermore, the right to select our own style, color and major should equalize the right of forming our own identity. Identity is not only formed by personality and self-image, but also genetics. So humans have the right of forming their own genetic identity (Ian & Jaenisch, March28, 2001). Nonetheless, social status as viewed by sociologists and anthropologists is ones position in society. Religious men view it as ones respect and dignity. But unfortunately cloning reduces ones reverence in society because of being viewed as replaceable (Macklin, 1994 as cited in Brock, 1998, E-17). Addionally, it is a crime and violation of human dignity because it incorporates the use of technologies to meet several requests (Harris, 1998, pp.279-282). Technology might cease but reality is never gone. Cloning used to be science fiction, but now it is the fact of science. Through its combinations a precious product is produced; the human being. However, the moral and ethical codes cannot be ignored in the field of science regardless what cloning offer the society. There is no good or evil. A balance can be drawn between the therapeutic uses of cloning and moral standards simultaneously. Reference page Anderson, S. (1999). The cloning of Human Beings. Retrieved from http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Bioe/BioeAnde.htm on June 5, 2013 Brock, D. (1998). Cloning Human Beings. Retrieved from http://bioethics.georgetown.edu/nbac/pubs/cloning2/cc5.pdf on June 5, 2013 Harris, J. (1998). Goodbye Dolly? Journal of Medical Ethics, 24:279-282. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1377577/pdf/jmedeth00311-0019.pdf on June 6, 2103 Jaenisch, R. & Wilmut, I. (March28, 2001) Don’t Clone Humans. Science, vol.291, Iss5513, 2552-2552. Retrieved from http://cmbi.bjmu.edu.cn/news/0104/8.htm on June 8, 2013 Mundell, E.J, (May15, 2013). Scientists Use Cloning Techniques to Produce Human Stem Cells. HealthDay News. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/news/20130515/scientists-use-cloning-technique-to-produce-human-stem-cells?page=2 on June7, 2013. Savulescu, J. (May2007). Ethics of Stem Cell and Cloning Research. Retrieved from http://www.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/28153/ethics_stemcell_cloningresearch.pdf on June6, 2013.

Sela Batouzian:Murdering Babies Should stop

Murdering Babies Should stop Close your eyes and imagine for a second how would you feel if someone decided to take your life and made the decision for you without your approval? Then you realized without a previous alert that your ability to live was taken away from you, and you can no more breathe or enjoy the gift of life; what will your reaction be when you find out that your own parents decided to get rid of you? If we are not allowed to murder human beings, then how could it be okay to kill an unborn child? Don’t the unborn babies have the right to be protected like us? The answer is yes as the unborn babies deserve to be protected and given the chance of life just the same like you and me. Abortion is unethical, and parents should not abort their kids due to the psychological and physical consequences. To begin with the psychological effects, after the abortion process, many of the parents experience depression and sense of guilt ,and start blaming themselves for taking the life of their own child. They undergo a post abortion syndrome, that is characterized by social and relational breakdown, sexual dysfunction ,loss of self steam, guilt, anxiety, and even the attempt for suicide.8 weeks after the abortion , 55% of women will express guilt and 40% of them will show regret. And studies have proved that the women who experienced abortion have a 65% higher risks for undergoing a depression periods. As mentioned above, although there are many studies that prove that abortion has psychological effects on the parents, Arthur argues that there may be a period of depression that is short termed and it is due to the unexpected pregnancy itself rather than the abortion process; he added that the long and serious depressions are very rare (Arthur, April 1997). Abortion can also lead to physical injuries. The Finland research proved that abortion besides killing the innocent child, also injures the mother, and can lead to cervical ,ovarian and uterine cancer. And women who do get abortion are at higher risks for developing such deadly and life threatening diseases. Think about it for a second; how would you feel if a woman you loved not only killed an innocent sweet child but also is killing herself. In The royal college of general practitioners, Rachel reported that physical consequences can result from the incomplete evacuation of the female uterus.The procedure can also damage the uterus and cervix that can lead to infertility in women(Rachel, 2011). But some argue that with the improvement of technology and pharmacology protects the female’s body from possible harm like the abortion pills RU486 and the availability of procedures such as vacuum or aspirating the zygote has less side effects than abortion surgically, also it costs less ,takes less time and leave the patient free of complications. As a conclusion, parents should not abort their kids because of the psychological and physical consquences.It is not the parents right to choose but the child’s right to live .No one is allowed to terminate someone else’s life and deprive him from his simple right, the right to live. References: Arthur,J. (march/April 1997).psychological After-effect of Abortion: the real story. The Humanist magazine (New York), (vol.57,No.2). Rachel.(2011).Archdiocese of St.louis. Retreived from archstl.org David M. Ferugsson, L. John Horwood and Joseph M. Boden,”Reactions to abortion and subsequent mental health”,T he British journal of Psychiatry 195:420-426(2009)

Hajar Radwan:The Use of Photoshop in the Media

The Use of Photoshop in the Media Name: Hajar Radwan ID: 201202653 Lebanese American University ABSTRACT: In our world today, media has taken over the planet and it’s the main creator of the perception of beauty. It also plays a significant role in our simplest daily activities such as when we do our grocery shopping, we chose the product according to individualized preference based on the competence of the commercial and its affect it has on us as consumers. The media represents this product to the world in idealized state of perfection through the use of Photoshop which is also used today among normal individuals not only professional photographers. Therefore, sometimes Photoshop can play an innocent role in media where advertisers enhance the image of certain product in order to make it more appealing to the eye of the consumer. On the other hand one cannot ignore that the images projected through Photoshop are not real presentation of the product but instead they are completely altered images. For example, Photoshop is used on celebrities and models to make them appear flawless on movie screens and magazine covers. This definitely affects men and women to a great deal since we look up to them as role models, trend setters and fashion icons. Outline Claim: The main use of Photoshop today is to make commercial products more appealing to the eye of the consumer and in return sell more products ; however, it is also lying to the consumer by manipulating and changing body image using digital alterations. I. The media is falsifying the perception of beauty. A. The use of Photoshop in commercials (Steven, 2012) (rawi, 2012). B. The misleading and deceptive side of the Media (Welson, 2009) (Dreifus, 2007) (Kite, 2013) C- Shedding the light on some Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009). D-The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming (Erlanger, 2009) (Welson, 2009) E-. The use of Digital Forensics to detect digital alterations that has gone to extremes (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) II- A- The role of Photoshop in commercials and advertisement. 1. Famous restaurants such as MacDonald's use food styling in order to make their burgers and fries more mouth watering. (Steven, 2012) 2. Many cosmetic commercials use air brushing for sake of selling more products (rawi, 2012) (Kite, 2013) B- Photoshop is manipulating and deceiving society (Kite, 2013) (Williams, 2008) 1- Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow have had their magazine cover Photo shopped (Welson, 2009) (Brown & Collins, 2010) 2- Photoshop is manipulative and deceptive. (Stone, 2009) (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009) C- Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) 1. Demi Levato on the cover of Cosmo Magazine (Kite, 2013). 2. Kelly Clarkson's slim figure on Self Magazine (Kite, 2013). D- The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming debate (Erlanger, 2009) (Welson, 2009) 1. Valerie Boyer proposed a law that requires photo shopped photographs to be labeled as retouched 2- Christine leiritz and Dominique Isserman defended Photoshop (Erlanger, 2009) 3. Kate Winslet claimed that GQ magazine has altered her figure to super slim without her consent (Welson, 2009) 3. Mr.Linderbergh claimed that retouching as crossed the line and has gone beyond ethical boundaries (Welson, 2009) 4. Christine Leiritz argued that people are not stupid and they know that the photos they see are retouched (Erlanger, 2009) 5. Dominique Isserman claimed that camera can change reality of photos (Erlanger, 2009). E- The use of Digital Forensics to detect digital alterations that has gone to extremes. (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) 1. Using digital alteration based on personal preferences. (Williams, 2008) 2. Family albums are no longer presentation of past memories. (Williams, 2008) 3. Digital Forensics is software used to detect any altered photos (Dreifus, 2007) III- The media today is the main trend setter. A- Photoshop might have some advantages in advertisement and sell products (Steven, 2012) B- The media is creating an image that doesn’t exist something alien and non-human (Brown & Collins, 2010) (Baker, 2012) C- Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009) D- The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming debate (Welson, 2009) (Erlanger, 2009) E- Photoshop has gone to the extremes of changing reality (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) In our world today, media has a very imperative role on our everyday lives. Through the media we make all sorts of decisions such as which hair shampoo one should use , what mobile one should buy, how one should dress and look like , what sort of food one should eat etc… Therefore the media is the ultimate innovator; we make decisions based on what it projects to the public eye. One cannot ignore the impact the media has on people's self image. Everywhere we go one can see images of celebrities on magazines, in movie theaters and on TV sets having perfect smiles and bodies resembling the ideal human. Thus people strive to look the way that these celebrities appear in the media. Unfortunately, this is impossible since almost all pictures we see have been digitally altered in some way. In other words, men and women are trying to reach an idealized state that doesn’t exist in nature. Moreover, the media is falsifying the perception of beauty by manipulating and changing body images using digital alterations such as Photoshop to a state of perfection. On the other hand, Photoshop can play an innocent role in media where advertisers enhance the image of certain product in order to make it more appealing to the eye of the consumer. For example, during grocery shopping we chose what toothpaste or brand of cans to buy based on the competence of the commercial and its ability to present the benefits of the product in an image that is appealing to the consumer. Therefore , the main use of Photoshop today is to make commercial products more appealing to the eye consumer and in return sell more products ; however, it is also lying to the consumer by manipulating and changing body image using digital alterations. The main benefit of Photoshop in advertisement is to enhance the image of the product and attract consumers who are drawn to such commercials. Many believe that the use of Photoshop is to enlarge a size of burger or to edit a steak to a perfect color and make it look mouthwatering is harmless to people in a sense that it's not going to cause them to have deep psychological problems such as low self –esteem etc.. On the contrary, it's going to build up in people the will and desire to want to try the merchandise they see. For example , the world famous restaurant MacDonald's uses Photoshop in food styling in order to perfectionise their fries and burgers and make them look bigger, juicer, fresher ( Steven,2012) etc.. And attract viewers to go to the restaurant and try it. Most often we go and the food looks nothing like the commercial, the burger looks much smaller and plainer due to the effects of Photoshop. Many Food editors claim that no one wants to look at commercial demonstrating plain fries, cheese rolls and steak they want to see something delicious looking. Moreover something that will convince them that trying this ice cream or chocolate bar will give them sensual minutes filled with pleasure and satisfaction. If we run through all the commercials related to famous chocolates such as Lindt and Galaxy we see the chocolate has been digitally altered by manipulating the color and appearance of the chocolate so that they show the viewer how slowly it flows and melts. Moreover, the commercials give the viewers hope that eating this will help them escape momentarily everyday problem and demands. Usually the actress takes a bite slowly and she closes her eyes as if she is floating on a cloud. This is all done using Photoshop where experts manipulate the paper wrapper, size and appearance of the chocolate. Moreover, cosmetics brands usually use Photoshop to magnify the effect of their products. For instance, if we look at commercial for Maybelline New York which is based on the slogan ''maybe she is born with it'' its main role is to send a message to women and convince them that using their products they will look like their natural self. Therefore, photographers use Photoshop to clarify completely the skin of models removing all dimples or patches on the skin. This is done in order to highlight the effect of the product and encourage women to try it and some actually measure up to standards. Therefore, Photoshop is essential for business and sales (Rawi,2012). The more we enhance the look and the effects of the product the more likely sales will shoot up to the roof. Also MaxFactor focuses on the lashes of models and it makes them appear longer, thick and fully filled and they claim that the newest mascara it's actually going to transform someone's lashes to that degree of thickness. Don’t get me wrong some really do make one's eyelashes longer but never to that exaggerated extent. Photoshop is an essential element in commercials and advertisement and it's not meant to cause any harm for the public eye. On the contrary its main role is to be a magnet for audience and persuade them to try whatever the commercial is trying to sell. Today, most advertisers are claiming that digital alterations are used in a manner that is pure and innocent and its main aim is to stand out and show their products in a unique way. On the other hand, people go to restaurants and consume food that looks absolutely nothing like the commercial. Who are the advertisers fooling? Why don’t they send an honest message and image to the public? Photoshop is playing with people's minds by making them believe that images of celebrities in magazines are real thus its traumatically effecting people's emotional well being (Brown&Collins,2010). Young girls today look at music videos, commercial ads and magazine covers of their favorite actress and singers who are basically role models to them and fashion icons and they strive to be like them (Kite,2013). That’s the main reason why many young girls and women go through nutritional disorders such as anorexia and bulimia etc... Photoshop is manipulating, misleading and dehumanizing people thus the media is the primary establisher of the perception of beauty (Stone,2009). If you look at the magazine cover of Vogue on May 2008, it presented the famous actress Gwyneth Paltrow with skin clear as snow and flawless like a baby despite her age (Wilson,2009). Looking at this image, many women feel inadequate in a sense that they feel like they are not good looking enough so many undergo plastic surgeries and buttocks fillings in order to appear younger. One of the indicators that magazine covers are digitally altered is the example of actress Reese Witherspoon. Reese's eyes color, dimples changed drastically after her angelic Maries Claire appearance on February 2008 to her published vogue cover on November (Wilson,2009). These sudden and drastic changes show that photographers use Photoshop in order to change the actresses' style from one fashion magazine to another. Surely, something is wrong when Reese's eyes changed from blue to green. Definitely these changes are abnormal and impossible to happen at that age. So we can conclude that magazine editors and Photographers change the appearance of celebrities based on their preferences and on the theme they want to project. Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies who act as if they are projecting real images to the world and act as if they appear that way in everyday life. In July 2012 Cosmo Magazine featured Disney Channel's 19 year old Demi Levato speaking bravely about her battle with anorexia and bulimia while her cover snap shot has been digitally altered to a thinner figure(Kite,2013). Demi is a role model for many young girls who watch Disney channel. They relate to her at a personal level and they aspire to be like her. If one is talking about their struggle with anorexia and bulimia that are diseases related to body weight and image, they have to be frank and sincere. Having her figure altered on the cover and discussing in the issue her struggle with her body image is simply ironic and unintelligent. As if they think that the public is too dim-witted to recognize that her body is misrepresented. Another example of Photoshop phonies is the American Idol superstar Kelly Clarkson who appeared on Good Morning America revealing her figure which looked like the exact opposite of her slim figure on cover of the September issue of Self Magazine 2009. It was absolutely ridiculous since the issue was discussing body confidence and how to feel comfortable in one's own skin. She quoted" my happy weight changes, it will be in different sizes all the time, when people talk about my weight. I'm like, 'you seem to have problem with it; I don’t I am fine!' '(Kite, 2013). If she was perfectly happy with her body than why digitally alter your figure size?! Rather than apologizing for the unethical editing of her images, she is claiming to be something she is not therefore she is a phony and her ignorance of it is astonishing. The Self Magazine editor Lucy Danziger defended her magazine by saying'' Yes of course we do post production correction on our images. Photoshop is an industry standard'' (Kite, 2013). By this she is admitting that today Photoshop is essential for business and its one of the essential items necessary for boosting sales. Furthermore, she defended Kelly by saying "Kelly exudes confidence and is a great role model for women of all sizes and stages of their life"( Kite,2013).How can such a liar be a role model for young girls and women who looked up to her? Moreover, how can she talk about body confidence when she obviously lacks one? This is absolutely shameful that our own role models are acting so ignorantly and they act according to their own will not taking into consideration the people who they are affecting and hurting by their actions. The use of Photoshop has gone to the extreme to point where people are changing their race. For example, the African American singer Beyonce appeared extremely white in Loreal's digital manipulation and actress Gabourey Sidibe appeared also whitewashed on cover of Elle Magazine September issue 2010(Kite,2013).This effects many colored women since they look around and they never see their own race projected in a positive manner. As a result many of them feel inadequate and they try to change themselves in order to fit in. The use of Photoshop is a never-ending debate, claim that Photoshop is an essential element for business while others claim that it is harming and lying to the public. Valerie Boyer 47 year old member of French parliament received big attention when she proposed a draft law that would require all digitally altered photographs of people used in advertisement should be labeled as retouched which raised a huge debate whether this would actually reduce anorexia or destroy photographic art (Erlanger,2009).Many people supported her proposal such as Andreas Lebert editor of woman's German magazine said he was ''fed up'' with retouching photos of extremely underweight models(Erlanger,2009). While others were against it such as Ines De La Fressange a former model and clothes designer called Ms. Boyer's bill '' demagogic and stupid''(Erlanger,2009) she argued that many people suffer from anorexia because of deep psychological distress that is beyond looking only on Photoshoped photos. Therefore, the real goal behind Photoshop is still unknown; some justify its use as pure innocence and while others look at it as lying to society and projecting a false image of reality. Philippe Jeammet, a professor of psychiatry at the University Paris Descartes said ''Retouched photos are deceptive, an illusion and we must think of the consequences'' (Erlanger, 2009). Which is true, they are basically altering reality and the consequences are getting stuck and losing our humanity along the way. He supported Mrs. Boyer's proposal claiming that it’s the least they can do. People have the right to know the truth and all it takes is a small label on photo saying that it has been Photo shopped. It's a simple request that can make a huge difference; it will make society aware of the fact that not everything is what it seems. Christine Leiritz, the chief editor of French magazine Maire Claire believed that Mrs. Boyer's proposal is ridiculous since the readers she argues are not idiots they know that a photographs of celebrities who are in there 50s and appear 23 on covers such as actress Sharon Stone then of course this image has been manipulated (Erlanger,2009).Since Magazines claim that they use digitally altered photographs and they claim that the readers know that the pictures have been manipulated then why dont they agree on Boyer's proposal which requests from magazines to confess and be frank about the work they are viewing to the world. It makes perfect sense that today photographers and editors refuse this proposals because if they accept it, no one is going to read or even look at the magazine. They want to create a world full of imagination that gives the reader the ability to hope and dream. On the other hand, this can be done not only using digital manipulations but also through revealing the truth it can make people more aware and conscious of the reality of the world we are living in. Dominique Isserman , a French fashion photographer thinks that Mrs. Boyer has completely misunderstood the nature of photography itself (Erlanger,2009). She argued that a camera can easily distort reality through the use of different lens without retouching. They can easily exclude something and include something else(Erlanger,2009).She pointed out that the famous photo of actress Keira Knightly for Coco Channel has not been retouched to create bigger breast but actually the added some thighs because she was extremely thin in that region (Erlanger,2009). Therefore in her opinion a photograph can be deceiving and image might be altered places where people don’t think it has been manipulated. That's why it's necessary and vital to put notes on a photograph saying it has been altered otherwise people will assume it's real and unaltered. In 2003, one of the famous retouching controversies was that of Oscar Winner Kate Winslet. She claimed that the British edition of GQ Magazine have completely altered her figure size to super slim with her consent (Wilson, 2009).Thus revealing that not all of Hollywood actresses are with digital alterations and lying to the public eye. Some celebrities prefer to be real and they try their best not to allow any person to judge them for it just like what Kate did. Kate knows how her body functions and how it looks. Moreover, she doesn't want anyone to try to change her into something she is not. Mr.Linderbergh , one of the world's most famous image markers quoted'' Heartless retouching shouldn't be chosen as tool to represent women" and also commented by saying that digital alterations have taken a huge part in visually defining how women today should look like (Welson,2009). Today , women are judged based on pictures of models ,actresses and socialites who look perfect and its truly heartless since these women are phonies and are selfish they don't even care to stop and think of the many young girls and men who kill themselves because they don't feel they are good looking enough to even exist. Digital manipulations has gone to the point where people are completely changing their reality based on their liking and these manipulations can be detected using Digital Forensics(Dreifus,2007) (Williams,2008).Dr. Hany Farid , head of Image Science Laboratory at Darmoth is founder of digital forensics which is a field of detecting manipulated images (Dreifus,2007).Digital Forensics is a new field that allows experts to look at digital media- images, audio and video and try to recognize any manipulated images through the use of mathematical and computational techniques (Dreifus,2007). During the interview with Claudia Dreifus, Dr. Farid was asked how he makes soft ware's to detect any manipulated images he simply said that he thinks the way a forger would think. By this he meant that he gets familiar with the basic forger's tool which is Photoshop and learn techniques and tools. In sense that he dedicated some time to get familiar with the different feature of Adobe Photoshop which range from ability to change intensity of light, transparency, blend images etc… It also has staggering array of brushes, colors, modes, effects etc… Therefore, it can alter an image from head to toe (Dreifus,2007). For example, it can alter skin appearance, body size, smile, brighten teeth, and change hair color. After he acquired his expertise with Photoshop he discovered one of the hardest things for forgers to match is the lighting so he developed a technique to measure if the light is consistent with various part of the image (Dreifus,2007). In addition he uses the eyes as an indication since a small reflection of light projects in the eyes and using the technique he developed, Dr.Farid can know whether the light was present during the photo shoot (Dreifus,2007). Last but not least he count s the number pixels of a digital image and once any sort of alteration has been used on the image the number changes (Dreifus,2007). Anyone today with help of Photoshop can add family members who are unable to attend events, liposuction, and hair restoration and even can reanimate the dead (Williams,2008). Using digital alteration family members believe that family photos are no longer presentation of past events and memories are altered according to what people want it to be. Theresa Newman Rolley, an accountant in Williamsport, hired Wayne Palmer who works as a photographic retoucher to create a portrait of her and her diseased father because she lacks one and she claims that looking at the portrait brings tears to her eyes despite the fact that the portrait captured a moment that never happened in real life (Williams,2007). '' Such manipulations represent a new coping mechanism for us'' said Heather Downs, a visiting assistant professor of sociology at the University of Illinois (Williams,2007). Sometimes the use of Photoshop has a sentimental side and we want as human beings to hold on to something that reminds us of the past events and our beloved ones who passed away or those who aren’t able to attend events that are important to us. Even if the picture is not a true reflection of reality, people feel some sort of attachment to them and therefore photographs aren’t actually real proof of events that actually occurred. A photographer can create a different impression of the same scene by using Photoshop. For instance, imagine you are taking a photograph near a lake in one photo the photographer can make u appear like u are having a blast or he or she can make u seem frighten or indifferent it all depends on the image we want to project. Chris Johnson, a photography professor at California College of Arts in the bay area explained that what we are doing with digital alterations is fulfilling the wish that all of us have to make reality on our liking (Williams,2007). Mary Warner Marien, an art history professor at Syracuse University and the author of '' Photography: A cultural History'' said that it was a tradition in India to cut and paste snap shots of absent family members into wedding photographs as a gesture of respect and inclusion (Williams,2007). Some believe that whatever is in front of a lens is a true resemblance of reality and that’s why some western cultures are ignorant of the fact that they are simply lying to themselves and they are turning their backs on the truth which they are well aware of. Technology is growing and developing at fast rate and the media is facilitating this outgrowth. The media is our one and only source of information regarding every new product, looks and events occurring worldwide. But lately, the media is putting too much emphasis on superficial looks and appearances of women and men. The media is the main trend setter and women follow up with the latest magazines and TV shows in order to stay updated with the fashion world and also for the sake of looking the best way possible. Little do they know that everything projected to them is false and far from reality. The media is deceptive and it has a devastating impact on people's self – image by using digitally altered photographs. Photoshop is an ongoing epidemic where not only professional photographers and editors are using it but it's also available for public use. People today are changing reality based on personal preferences and therefore a photograph is no longer presentation of past events and memories. It’s the nature of our existence to desire something to hold on to and of course if we had the chance to change a bad memory we will take it with no hesitation. In addition, we cannot ignore the fact that Photoshop makes commercials or movies with all the effect more entertaining to watch and they use of it definitely boosts up sales. On the other hand, we cannot neglect the consequence it has which mainly revolves around us losing touch with our humanity. Men and Women are seeking to reach a state of idealism and perfection which is not how God created humans. Each one of us is unique with all his or her flaws and we should wake up from the delusion we are living in and take a stand against the methods that are dehumanizing and demanding from us perfection. In conclusion, whether Photoshop should be used or not is a critical debate since it has advantages and disadvantages. Humans should take advantage of technology which is making our lives easier and use it in rightful manner without letting it dominate us and take control of our lives. Baker, M. (2012, january 2). Mallen's baker's CRS Blog. Retrieved april 28, 2013, from www.mallenbaker.net: http:// www.mallenbaker.net/csr/post.php?id=425 Brown, T., & Collins, S. (2010, April 26). What ''They'' Want From ''Us'' : Industry Expectations of Journalism Graduates. SAGE, pp. 68-82. Dreifus, C. (2007, October 02). A CONVERSATION WITH Hany Farid. NewYork Times, p. F2. Erlanger, S. (2009, september 03). Point, Shoot, Retouch and Label. NewYork Times, pp. E1-3. Ferla, R. L. (2009, December 03). What a Lens Can't Capture. NewYork Times, p. E6. Kite, L. K. (2013, april 18). Beauty Redefined. Retrieved from www.beautyredefined.net: http://www.beautyredefined.net/photoshopping-altering-images-and-our-minds/ Steven, J. (2012, june 21). DialyMail. Retrieved from www.dailymail.co.uk: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162080/McDonalds-Photoshop-video-reveals-menu-burgers-look-like-youre-served.html#ixzz2Rl1s8Kkr Stone, B. (2009, April 20). Adobe in Push to Spread Web Video to TV Sets. NewYork Times, p. B6. Welson, E. (2009, May 28). Smile and Say 'No Photoshop'. NewYork Times, pp. E1-2. Williams, A. (2008, August 17). I Was There. Just Ask Photoshop. NewYork Times, pp. ST1-2. The Use of Photoshop in the Media Name: Hajar Radwan ID: 201202653 Lebanese American University ABSTRACT: In our world today, media has taken over the planet and it’s the main creator of the perception of beauty. It also plays a significant role in our simplest daily activities such as when we do our grocery shopping, we chose the product according to individualized preference based on the competence of the commercial and its affect it has on us as consumers. The media represents this product to the world in idealized state of perfection through the use of Photoshop which is also used today among normal individuals not only professional photographers. Therefore, sometimes Photoshop can play an innocent role in media where advertisers enhance the image of certain product in order to make it more appealing to the eye of the consumer. On the other hand one cannot ignore that the images projected through Photoshop are not real presentation of the product but instead they are completely altered images. For example, Photoshop is used on celebrities and models to make them appear flawless on movie screens and magazine covers. This definitely affects men and women to a great deal since we look up to them as role models, trend setters and fashion icons. Outline Claim: The main use of Photoshop today is to make commercial products more appealing to the eye of the consumer and in return sell more products ; however, it is also lying to the consumer by manipulating and changing body image using digital alterations. I. The media is falsifying the perception of beauty. A. The use of Photoshop in commercials (Steven, 2012) (rawi, 2012). B. The misleading and deceptive side of the Media (Welson, 2009) (Dreifus, 2007) (Kite, 2013) C- Shedding the light on some Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009). D-The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming (Erlanger, 2009) (Welson, 2009) E-. The use of Digital Forensics to detect digital alterations that has gone to extremes (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) II- A- The role of Photoshop in commercials and advertisement. 1. Famous restaurants such as MacDonald's use food styling in order to make their burgers and fries more mouth watering. (Steven, 2012) 2. Many cosmetic commercials use air brushing for sake of selling more products (rawi, 2012) (Kite, 2013) B- Photoshop is manipulating and deceiving society (Kite, 2013) (Williams, 2008) 1- Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow have had their magazine cover Photo shopped (Welson, 2009) (Brown & Collins, 2010) 2- Photoshop is manipulative and deceptive. (Stone, 2009) (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009) C- Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) 1. Demi Levato on the cover of Cosmo Magazine (Kite, 2013). 2. Kelly Clarkson's slim figure on Self Magazine (Kite, 2013). D- The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming debate (Erlanger, 2009) (Welson, 2009) 1. Valerie Boyer proposed a law that requires photo shopped photographs to be labeled as retouched 2- Christine leiritz and Dominique Isserman defended Photoshop (Erlanger, 2009) 3. Kate Winslet claimed that GQ magazine has altered her figure to super slim without her consent (Welson, 2009) 3. Mr.Linderbergh claimed that retouching as crossed the line and has gone beyond ethical boundaries (Welson, 2009) 4. Christine Leiritz argued that people are not stupid and they know that the photos they see are retouched (Erlanger, 2009) 5. Dominique Isserman claimed that camera can change reality of photos (Erlanger, 2009). E- The use of Digital Forensics to detect digital alterations that has gone to extremes. (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) 1. Using digital alteration based on personal preferences. (Williams, 2008) 2. Family albums are no longer presentation of past memories. (Williams, 2008) 3. Digital Forensics is software used to detect any altered photos (Dreifus, 2007) III- The media today is the main trend setter. A- Photoshop might have some advantages in advertisement and sell products (Steven, 2012) B- The media is creating an image that doesn’t exist something alien and non-human (Brown & Collins, 2010) (Baker, 2012) C- Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies (Kite, 2013) (Erlanger, 2009) D- The use of Photoshop raises a very critical and alarming debate (Welson, 2009) (Erlanger, 2009) E- Photoshop has gone to the extremes of changing reality (Dreifus, 2007) (Williams, 2008) In our world today, media has a very imperative role on our everyday lives. Through the media we make all sorts of decisions such as which hair shampoo one should use , what mobile one should buy, how one should dress and look like , what sort of food one should eat etc… Therefore the media is the ultimate innovator; we make decisions based on what it projects to the public eye. One cannot ignore the impact the media has on people's self image. Everywhere we go one can see images of celebrities on magazines, in movie theaters and on TV sets having perfect smiles and bodies resembling the ideal human. Thus people strive to look the way that these celebrities appear in the media. Unfortunately, this is impossible since almost all pictures we see have been digitally altered in some way. In other words, men and women are trying to reach an idealized state that doesn’t exist in nature. Moreover, the media is falsifying the perception of beauty by manipulating and changing body images using digital alterations such as Photoshop to a state of perfection. On the other hand, Photoshop can play an innocent role in media where advertisers enhance the image of certain product in order to make it more appealing to the eye of the consumer. For example, during grocery shopping we chose what toothpaste or brand of cans to buy based on the competence of the commercial and its ability to present the benefits of the product in an image that is appealing to the consumer. Therefore , the main use of Photoshop today is to make commercial products more appealing to the eye consumer and in return sell more products ; however, it is also lying to the consumer by manipulating and changing body image using digital alterations. The main benefit of Photoshop in advertisement is to enhance the image of the product and attract consumers who are drawn to such commercials. Many believe that the use of Photoshop is to enlarge a size of burger or to edit a steak to a perfect color and make it look mouthwatering is harmless to people in a sense that it's not going to cause them to have deep psychological problems such as low self –esteem etc.. On the contrary, it's going to build up in people the will and desire to want to try the merchandise they see. For example , the world famous restaurant MacDonald's uses Photoshop in food styling in order to perfectionise their fries and burgers and make them look bigger, juicer, fresher ( Steven,2012) etc.. And attract viewers to go to the restaurant and try it. Most often we go and the food looks nothing like the commercial, the burger looks much smaller and plainer due to the effects of Photoshop. Many Food editors claim that no one wants to look at commercial demonstrating plain fries, cheese rolls and steak they want to see something delicious looking. Moreover something that will convince them that trying this ice cream or chocolate bar will give them sensual minutes filled with pleasure and satisfaction. If we run through all the commercials related to famous chocolates such as Lindt and Galaxy we see the chocolate has been digitally altered by manipulating the color and appearance of the chocolate so that they show the viewer how slowly it flows and melts. Moreover, the commercials give the viewers hope that eating this will help them escape momentarily everyday problem and demands. Usually the actress takes a bite slowly and she closes her eyes as if she is floating on a cloud. This is all done using Photoshop where experts manipulate the paper wrapper, size and appearance of the chocolate. Moreover, cosmetics brands usually use Photoshop to magnify the effect of their products. For instance, if we look at commercial for Maybelline New York which is based on the slogan ''maybe she is born with it'' its main role is to send a message to women and convince them that using their products they will look like their natural self. Therefore, photographers use Photoshop to clarify completely the skin of models removing all dimples or patches on the skin. This is done in order to highlight the effect of the product and encourage women to try it and some actually measure up to standards. Therefore, Photoshop is essential for business and sales (Rawi,2012). The more we enhance the look and the effects of the product the more likely sales will shoot up to the roof. Also MaxFactor focuses on the lashes of models and it makes them appear longer, thick and fully filled and they claim that the newest mascara it's actually going to transform someone's lashes to that degree of thickness. Don’t get me wrong some really do make one's eyelashes longer but never to that exaggerated extent. Photoshop is an essential element in commercials and advertisement and it's not meant to cause any harm for the public eye. On the contrary its main role is to be a magnet for audience and persuade them to try whatever the commercial is trying to sell. Today, most advertisers are claiming that digital alterations are used in a manner that is pure and innocent and its main aim is to stand out and show their products in a unique way. On the other hand, people go to restaurants and consume food that looks absolutely nothing like the commercial. Who are the advertisers fooling? Why don’t they send an honest message and image to the public? Photoshop is playing with people's minds by making them believe that images of celebrities in magazines are real thus its traumatically effecting people's emotional well being (Brown&Collins,2010). Young girls today look at music videos, commercial ads and magazine covers of their favorite actress and singers who are basically role models to them and fashion icons and they strive to be like them (Kite,2013). That’s the main reason why many young girls and women go through nutritional disorders such as anorexia and bulimia etc... Photoshop is manipulating, misleading and dehumanizing people thus the media is the primary establisher of the perception of beauty (Stone,2009). If you look at the magazine cover of Vogue on May 2008, it presented the famous actress Gwyneth Paltrow with skin clear as snow and flawless like a baby despite her age (Wilson,2009). Looking at this image, many women feel inadequate in a sense that they feel like they are not good looking enough so many undergo plastic surgeries and buttocks fillings in order to appear younger. One of the indicators that magazine covers are digitally altered is the example of actress Reese Witherspoon. Reese's eyes color, dimples changed drastically after her angelic Maries Claire appearance on February 2008 to her published vogue cover on November (Wilson,2009). These sudden and drastic changes show that photographers use Photoshop in order to change the actresses' style from one fashion magazine to another. Surely, something is wrong when Reese's eyes changed from blue to green. Definitely these changes are abnormal and impossible to happen at that age. So we can conclude that magazine editors and Photographers change the appearance of celebrities based on their preferences and on the theme they want to project. Most celebrities are Photoshop phonies who act as if they are projecting real images to the world and act as if they appear that way in everyday life. In July 2012 Cosmo Magazine featured Disney Channel's 19 year old Demi Levato speaking bravely about her battle with anorexia and bulimia while her cover snap shot has been digitally altered to a thinner figure(Kite,2013). Demi is a role model for many young girls who watch Disney channel. They relate to her at a personal level and they aspire to be like her. If one is talking about their struggle with anorexia and bulimia that are diseases related to body weight and image, they have to be frank and sincere. Having her figure altered on the cover and discussing in the issue her struggle with her body image is simply ironic and unintelligent. As if they think that the public is too dim-witted to recognize that her body is misrepresented. Another example of Photoshop phonies is the American Idol superstar Kelly Clarkson who appeared on Good Morning America revealing her figure which looked like the exact opposite of her slim figure on cover of the September issue of Self Magazine 2009. It was absolutely ridiculous since the issue was discussing body confidence and how to feel comfortable in one's own skin. She quoted" my happy weight changes, it will be in different sizes all the time, when people talk about my weight. I'm like, 'you seem to have problem with it; I don’t I am fine!' '(Kite, 2013). If she was perfectly happy with her body than why digitally alter your figure size?! Rather than apologizing for the unethical editing of her images, she is claiming to be something she is not therefore she is a phony and her ignorance of it is astonishing. The Self Magazine editor Lucy Danziger defended her magazine by saying'' Yes of course we do post production correction on our images. Photoshop is an industry standard'' (Kite, 2013). By this she is admitting that today Photoshop is essential for business and its one of the essential items necessary for boosting sales. Furthermore, she defended Kelly by saying "Kelly exudes confidence and is a great role model for women of all sizes and stages of their life"( Kite,2013).How can such a liar be a role model for young girls and women who looked up to her? Moreover, how can she talk about body confidence when she obviously lacks one? This is absolutely shameful that our own role models are acting so ignorantly and they act according to their own will not taking into consideration the people who they are affecting and hurting by their actions. The use of Photoshop has gone to the extreme to point where people are changing their race. For example, the African American singer Beyonce appeared extremely white in Loreal's digital manipulation and actress Gabourey Sidibe appeared also whitewashed on cover of Elle Magazine September issue 2010(Kite,2013).This effects many colored women since they look around and they never see their own race projected in a positive manner. As a result many of them feel inadequate and they try to change themselves in order to fit in. The use of Photoshop is a never-ending debate, claim that Photoshop is an essential element for business while others claim that it is harming and lying to the public. Valerie Boyer 47 year old member of French parliament received big attention when she proposed a draft law that would require all digitally altered photographs of people used in advertisement should be labeled as retouched which raised a huge debate whether this would actually reduce anorexia or destroy photographic art (Erlanger,2009).Many people supported her proposal such as Andreas Lebert editor of woman's German magazine said he was ''fed up'' with retouching photos of extremely underweight models(Erlanger,2009). While others were against it such as Ines De La Fressange a former model and clothes designer called Ms. Boyer's bill '' demagogic and stupid''(Erlanger,2009) she argued that many people suffer from anorexia because of deep psychological distress that is beyond looking only on Photoshoped photos. Therefore, the real goal behind Photoshop is still unknown; some justify its use as pure innocence and while others look at it as lying to society and projecting a false image of reality. Philippe Jeammet, a professor of psychiatry at the University Paris Descartes said ''Retouched photos are deceptive, an illusion and we must think of the consequences'' (Erlanger, 2009). Which is true, they are basically altering reality and the consequences are getting stuck and losing our humanity along the way. He supported Mrs. Boyer's proposal claiming that it’s the least they can do. People have the right to know the truth and all it takes is a small label on photo saying that it has been Photo shopped. It's a simple request that can make a huge difference; it will make society aware of the fact that not everything is what it seems. Christine Leiritz, the chief editor of French magazine Maire Claire believed that Mrs. Boyer's proposal is ridiculous since the readers she argues are not idiots they know that a photographs of celebrities who are in there 50s and appear 23 on covers such as actress Sharon Stone then of course this image has been manipulated (Erlanger,2009).Since Magazines claim that they use digitally altered photographs and they claim that the readers know that the pictures have been manipulated then why dont they agree on Boyer's proposal which requests from magazines to confess and be frank about the work they are viewing to the world. It makes perfect sense that today photographers and editors refuse this proposals because if they accept it, no one is going to read or even look at the magazine. They want to create a world full of imagination that gives the reader the ability to hope and dream. On the other hand, this can be done not only using digital manipulations but also through revealing the truth it can make people more aware and conscious of the reality of the world we are living in. Dominique Isserman , a French fashion photographer thinks that Mrs. Boyer has completely misunderstood the nature of photography itself (Erlanger,2009). She argued that a camera can easily distort reality through the use of different lens without retouching. They can easily exclude something and include something else(Erlanger,2009).She pointed out that the famous photo of actress Keira Knightly for Coco Channel has not been retouched to create bigger breast but actually the added some thighs because she was extremely thin in that region (Erlanger,2009). Therefore in her opinion a photograph can be deceiving and image might be altered places where people don’t think it has been manipulated. That's why it's necessary and vital to put notes on a photograph saying it has been altered otherwise people will assume it's real and unaltered. In 2003, one of the famous retouching controversies was that of Oscar Winner Kate Winslet. She claimed that the British edition of GQ Magazine have completely altered her figure size to super slim with her consent (Wilson, 2009).Thus revealing that not all of Hollywood actresses are with digital alterations and lying to the public eye. Some celebrities prefer to be real and they try their best not to allow any person to judge them for it just like what Kate did. Kate knows how her body functions and how it looks. Moreover, she doesn't want anyone to try to change her into something she is not. Mr.Linderbergh , one of the world's most famous image markers quoted'' Heartless retouching shouldn't be chosen as tool to represent women" and also commented by saying that digital alterations have taken a huge part in visually defining how women today should look like (Welson,2009). Today , women are judged based on pictures of models ,actresses and socialites who look perfect and its truly heartless since these women are phonies and are selfish they don't even care to stop and think of the many young girls and men who kill themselves because they don't feel they are good looking enough to even exist. Digital manipulations has gone to the point where people are completely changing their reality based on their liking and these manipulations can be detected using Digital Forensics(Dreifus,2007) (Williams,2008).Dr. Hany Farid , head of Image Science Laboratory at Darmoth is founder of digital forensics which is a field of detecting manipulated images (Dreifus,2007).Digital Forensics is a new field that allows experts to look at digital media- images, audio and video and try to recognize any manipulated images through the use of mathematical and computational techniques (Dreifus,2007). During the interview with Claudia Dreifus, Dr. Farid was asked how he makes soft ware's to detect any manipulated images he simply said that he thinks the way a forger would think. By this he meant that he gets familiar with the basic forger's tool which is Photoshop and learn techniques and tools. In sense that he dedicated some time to get familiar with the different feature of Adobe Photoshop which range from ability to change intensity of light, transparency, blend images etc… It also has staggering array of brushes, colors, modes, effects etc… Therefore, it can alter an image from head to toe (Dreifus,2007). For example, it can alter skin appearance, body size, smile, brighten teeth, and change hair color. After he acquired his expertise with Photoshop he discovered one of the hardest things for forgers to match is the lighting so he developed a technique to measure if the light is consistent with various part of the image (Dreifus,2007). In addition he uses the eyes as an indication since a small reflection of light projects in the eyes and using the technique he developed, Dr.Farid can know whether the light was present during the photo shoot (Dreifus,2007). Last but not least he count s the number pixels of a digital image and once any sort of alteration has been used on the image the number changes (Dreifus,2007). Anyone today with help of Photoshop can add family members who are unable to attend events, liposuction, and hair restoration and even can reanimate the dead (Williams,2008). Using digital alteration family members believe that family photos are no longer presentation of past events and memories are altered according to what people want it to be. Theresa Newman Rolley, an accountant in Williamsport, hired Wayne Palmer who works as a photographic retoucher to create a portrait of her and her diseased father because she lacks one and she claims that looking at the portrait brings tears to her eyes despite the fact that the portrait captured a moment that never happened in real life (Williams,2007). '' Such manipulations represent a new coping mechanism for us'' said Heather Downs, a visiting assistant professor of sociology at the University of Illinois (Williams,2007). Sometimes the use of Photoshop has a sentimental side and we want as human beings to hold on to something that reminds us of the past events and our beloved ones who passed away or those who aren’t able to attend events that are important to us. Even if the picture is not a true reflection of reality, people feel some sort of attachment to them and therefore photographs aren’t actually real proof of events that actually occurred. A photographer can create a different impression of the same scene by using Photoshop. For instance, imagine you are taking a photograph near a lake in one photo the photographer can make u appear like u are having a blast or he or she can make u seem frighten or indifferent it all depends on the image we want to project. Chris Johnson, a photography professor at California College of Arts in the bay area explained that what we are doing with digital alterations is fulfilling the wish that all of us have to make reality on our liking (Williams,2007). Mary Warner Marien, an art history professor at Syracuse University and the author of '' Photography: A cultural History'' said that it was a tradition in India to cut and paste snap shots of absent family members into wedding photographs as a gesture of respect and inclusion (Williams,2007). Some believe that whatever is in front of a lens is a true resemblance of reality and that’s why some western cultures are ignorant of the fact that they are simply lying to themselves and they are turning their backs on the truth which they are well aware of. Technology is growing and developing at fast rate and the media is facilitating this outgrowth. The media is our one and only source of information regarding every new product, looks and events occurring worldwide. But lately, the media is putting too much emphasis on superficial looks and appearances of women and men. The media is the main trend setter and women follow up with the latest magazines and TV shows in order to stay updated with the fashion world and also for the sake of looking the best way possible. Little do they know that everything projected to them is false and far from reality. The media is deceptive and it has a devastating impact on people's self – image by using digitally altered photographs. Photoshop is an ongoing epidemic where not only professional photographers and editors are using it but it's also available for public use. People today are changing reality based on personal preferences and therefore a photograph is no longer presentation of past events and memories. It’s the nature of our existence to desire something to hold on to and of course if we had the chance to change a bad memory we will take it with no hesitation. In addition, we cannot ignore the fact that Photoshop makes commercials or movies with all the effect more entertaining to watch and they use of it definitely boosts up sales. On the other hand, we cannot neglect the consequence it has which mainly revolves around us losing touch with our humanity. Men and Women are seeking to reach a state of idealism and perfection which is not how God created humans. Each one of us is unique with all his or her flaws and we should wake up from the delusion we are living in and take a stand against the methods that are dehumanizing and demanding from us perfection. In conclusion, whether Photoshop should be used or not is a critical debate since it has advantages and disadvantages. Humans should take advantage of technology which is making our lives easier and use it in rightful manner without letting it dominate us and take control of our lives. Baker, M. (2012, january 2). Mallen's baker's CRS Blog. Retrieved april 28, 2013, from www.mallenbaker.net: http:// www.mallenbaker.net/csr/post.php?id=425 Brown, T., & Collins, S. (2010, April 26). What ''They'' Want From ''Us'' : Industry Expectations of Journalism Graduates. SAGE, pp. 68-82. Dreifus, C. (2007, October 02). A CONVERSATION WITH Hany Farid. NewYork Times, p. F2. Erlanger, S. (2009, september 03). Point, Shoot, Retouch and Label. NewYork Times, pp. E1-3. Ferla, R. L. (2009, December 03). What a Lens Can't Capture. NewYork Times, p. E6. Kite, L. K. (2013, april 18). Beauty Redefined. Retrieved from www.beautyredefined.net: http://www.beautyredefined.net/photoshopping-altering-images-and-our-minds/ Steven, J. (2012, june 21). DialyMail. Retrieved from www.dailymail.co.uk: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162080/McDonalds-Photoshop-video-reveals-menu-burgers-look-like-youre-served.html#ixzz2Rl1s8Kkr Stone, B. (2009, April 20). Adobe in Push to Spread Web Video to TV Sets. NewYork Times, p. B6. Welson, E. (2009, May 28). Smile and Say 'No Photoshop'. NewYork Times, pp. E1-2. Williams, A. (2008, August 17). I Was There. Just Ask Photoshop. NewYork Times, pp. ST1-2. . .

xena Amro:Accept the Challenges

Xena Amro When I was in Grade Eight, I taught myself English through reading books. I still struggle sometimes with some English rules because I never fully learned all the grammar basics. The school I attended never cared much about students who got low grades; they would focus more on the “bright students”, students who got the highest marks. One day, my teacher was distributing the corrected English exams, and I was the one who has gotten the lowest grade. I was very embarrassed. I couldn’t stand the idea of being the biggest failure amongst my classmates. I raised my hand and stood up, shyly asking my teacher in Arabic, “How can I improve?” And I remember that scene as if it happened yesterday. She answered me with one word. “READ” That day, I chose to listen. I got home from School and picked up the first book I read “Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days” by Stephen Manes. I enjoyed the book so much that I decided to read another one…and then another one… and then another one… And then all of a sudden my reading would increase to three books a day! I would sit on the bed all day long just reading the Sweet Valley Twins Series, and the dictionary lay open next to me for every word I couldn’t pronounce, or couldn’t comprehend the meaning of. Then one day, I had an assignment in class to write an essay, and I wanted to try my best. As I was writing in my copybook, my teacher came and stood next to me reading my unfinished essay. She frowned and asked the boy sitting next to me if I had cheated or if I had written it before class. He shook his head, and even though that remark was supposed to hurt me or make me feel sad, I was happy. I knew that the remark meant I had made recognizable progress. Summer came and I never stopped reading books to the extent that even my parents started noticing this change and were proud of me. During that time, I wanted to try something new. So I wrote my first poem. It was a silly love poem, but it was my own writing, my own achievement, my own hard work… I wrote more poems and stories, but I never tried to publish one, because even after all these years from having the lowest grade in class till reaching Grade 12 with one of the highest English scores… I still have writing insecurities. It’s hard for me to admit it publicly, but I do. I’m very passionate about reading and writing because they define me, they define my commitment, but for me, my writing is never good enough. I always say to myself, “I could be better” “I need to try harder” “My writing is one hell of a piece of crap!”… I would say all those things to myself but I would NEVER say “I am going to stop writing” or “That’s it I am quitting” Because I am not a quitter. Because my pencil is a weapon to fight oppression. Because each word I choose, I learned with great effort. And so I hope with this personal story I am sharing today, I will inspire people to never quit doing whatever they love. Always keep on learning, and never let your insecurities get the best of you. Because who knows? You might turn out to be the next “Jane Austen”. But even if you are not, you will have tried.