Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Miley Cyrus and many more stars are seen everyday on television advertising fashion, charities and worldwide views. In today's society, people are influenced to act in certain ways depending on what the celebrities are portraying to be the 'popular' thing. IMMATURE STATEMENT: INSTEAD USE SOMETHING LIKE 'IN FASHION' or 'IN MODE'. Influence by definition involves copying of an action or building upon a skill. Television has more influence on people than books do due to the precise fact that television can provide a person with amplitudes CAN'T USE AMPLITUDES IN THIS FASHION more information in a way SHOULD USE 'MUCH'; SOUNDS MORE MATURE shorter period of time. The knowledge that a person obtains influences the way they behave and construct ideas. Television is presented to the population through a multitude of genres; fiction, fantasy, media, non-fiction documentaries etc. These allow a person to gain a general basis of knowledge on many subjects in a small amount of time. Television is also more current than books. Current world information is portrayed to the public through the media in a matter of hours whereas books take time to be edited and published. WHAT ABOUT NEWS PAPERS, PRINTED INFORMATION, MEDICAL JOURNALS ETC...DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU DEFINE AS BOOKS Television shows influence young children and can be educational (Sesame Street, Dora etc). The television shows presented to the public fulfill visual and auditory needs of the viewer which leave a lasting impression of the specific show. Television also provides a close relationship with the viewer and celebrities. These celebrities lay out a huge influence on the public when it comes to economic spending. Advertisements for famous celebrities influence the public to buy that brand and charities supported by celebrities are usually found to be those that are receiving the majority of funds from the public. For example, Brad Pitt was a huge influence in the amount of money raised for the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the rebuilding of New Orleans. Without this influence from the television, the economic funding from the public would not have been as great. Overall, television has a huge impact on people's actions.

Books can have more of an influence on people when approached through the basis of developmental skills. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF BOOKS. Books can provide a significant amount of knowledge and the human brain is only built to process so much information at a single time. DON'T NEED THIS CLAIM...DETRACTS. This allows a book to have a bigger influence on a reader than television on a viewer. HOW SO...YOU HAVEN'T SUBSTANTIATED THIS CLAIM. Books allow for the reader to paint an image of the characters and the setting as opposed to television which limit the imagination. Imagination is an important part of brain development and thus books are critical to this development. HOW IS THIS RELATED TO YOUR ARGUMENT OF DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS Books also influence the knowledge of an individual in the respect of literacy. Literacy is a critical development in today's society and in order to obtain a self-sufficient career one must be capable of reading. Furthermore, books influence television and therefore influence people more. SHOULD READ 'TO A GREATER EXTENT'. For example, the Harry Potter series was a best-seller novel long before it became a movie. These novels not only allowed children to improve their literacy, but built imaginations which were shattered when the movies arose.HOW SO...THIS STATEMENT JUST CONFUSES YOUR POINT. YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE POINT THAT BOOKS > TELEVISION, NOT THAT TELEVISION SHATTERS THE IMAGINATION. These books allow for building upon analytical skills and reasoning which is a detrimental life skill. DON'T USE A WORD IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE DEFINITION: DETRIMENTAL = CAUSING DAMAGE OR HARM SO HOW ARE REASONING & ANALYTICAL SKILLS DETRIMENTAL? Therefore, although television provides a large amount of information for people to ingest books are far more influential for the population when it comes to developmental skills and progession SPELLING; PROGRESSION in the literary world.

Television has more influence on a person's knowledge basin SPELLING: BASIS if only a limited amount of time is available. When time is not restricted, books have more of a influence on a person's developmental skills and imagination.WHAT ABOUT KNOWLEDGE BASIS? WHICH APPLIES TO THE INFLUENCE ON ACTIONS? Both television and books have an influence on society, it is the way that the public is influenced that needs to be examined. THIS IS NOT A CONCLUDING STATEMENT, BUT AN INTRODUCTORY THAT INTRODUCES ANOTHER CONCEPT TO BE DISCUSSED Television is superior in influencing the public in economic or fashion matters regarding celebrities and influences actions of people. However, books are more influential when it comes to literary and analytical progression.

Advancements in technology have helped to shape and modify the way people lead their daily lives and interact with one another. Proof of this is evident in the introduction of the television, now a common staple in households around the world. Despite being preceded in time, BY WHAT? SHOULD PUT PRECEDED IN TIME BY THE WRITTEN WORD television exerts a greater influence in society than the written word. Its advantage lies in being easily accessible to the masses, and therefore more relatable than a piece of literary work. POOR CHOICE OF WORDS/SPELLING ERROR 'RELATABLE': SHOULD STATE 'ACCESSIBLE TO THE MASSES, AND THEREFOR MORE PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO TELEVISION THAT TO A PIECE OF LITERARY WORK. Illiteracy is a major hinderance to literay works and their ability to influence people because how can one be influenced by a message for which they do not have the tools to decode. WHAT ABOUT BLIND PEOPLE? DEFINE THE POPULATION...INTRODUCING ILLITERACY MEANS ANOTHER KETTLE OF FISH AND DETRACTS FROM THE FOCUS OF THE ESSAY. ALSO HOW PERTINENT IS ILLITERACY IN SOCIETIES WITH A LARGE ACCESS TO TELEVISION I.E. THE DEVELOPED WORLD. Television is able to circumvent this obstacle by presenting visual cues through the screen that can be deciphered easily, and dubbing the televised segment with the language of the intended audience. However, books exhibit a higher degree of influence during times of revolution or change that require the knowledge these books possess. MISPLACED ARGUMENT; YOU GO FROM DISCUSSING TELEVISION AND THEN THROW IN A STATEMENT ABOUT BOOKS, JUST TO RETURN TO TELEVISION BELOW. INTERRUPTS FLOW.

Watching television can even be considered a hobby, much like reading, except more people are opting to substitute the former in place of the latter. CONFUSING; JUST SAY MORE PEOPLE ARE OPTING TO WATCH TELEVISION INSTEAD OF READING A BOOK. Reading is usually an independent activity while watching television can be a social activity undertaken by families, friends, strangers and even entire nations. HOW DOES THIS CHANGE HOW THESE MEDIA INFLUENCE PEOPLE...YOU ARE STRAYING FROM TOPIC. Millions will tune in at a regularly scheduled time to spend a half hour to an hour NOT NEEDED TO STATE A RANGE OF TIME...WASTES WORDS/TIME with the slightly glossier versions of themselves. SLIGHTLY GLOSSIER VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES SUBSTANTIATES WHAT? Being able to connect with the characters on screen is an important factor
to consider when determining the influence of television over people. The success of The Cosby Show can be substantially be attributed to the ability of the viewers to envision Bill Cosby as their own father. Of course one can argue that many literal SPELLING: LITERARY works exert their influence through the relatabilty AGAIN POOR CHOICE OF WORDS of the characters. However, the advantage afforded to television is that the characters can be presented in various situations to the viewers
on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. Characters in literary works are usually afforded only a few hundred pages on which to exert their influence. Therefore, books and television both offer relatable characters but television has the upperhand when it comes to repeated exposure. The works of Jane Austen are considered to be influential in changing
the perceptions of women in society, but the influence of Oprah is greater because of her ability to enter people's homes on a daily basis through the television. EXCELLENT EXAMPLE. The watercooler effect, in which people discuss characters and events they have seen on television and trade ideas, beliefs and related anecdotes, allows the formation and progression of pop culture. Pop culture, in turn, influences how people dress, how they communicate and what they believe in. POOR TRANSITION TO NEXT SENTENCE. In times of revolution or war, people turn to the history books in order to pave a course for the future. Books are a treasure trove of knowledge dating back through centuries of human history. Concerning personal developement, SPELLING: DEVELOPMENT one can
consult a self-help book. NO NEED TO DISCUSS SELF-HELP WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO SUBSTANTIATE WAR AS AN EXAMPLE. When a country is facing war or in need of economic reform, its leader can consult the history books and gain ideas from his/her predecessors. CAN'T THEY ALSO WATCH A DOCUMENTARY?

In terms of the ability to influence a wider range of people over a lengthier period of time, television trumps books. Books of great influence may be conserved for centuries, but in the context of a person's lifetime, television has a stronger hold. Television is now offered through many different mediums (online, cell phones etc) thereby increasing
its encounters with the masses. Therefore, the length of exposure is correlated to the degree of influence. YOU ARE FALLING INTO THE TRAP OF HAVING A WINNER: TELEVISION. REMEMBER THE MCAT WANTS BALANCE.

Seinfeld, Michael Moore’s Sicko and Titanic may seem to have almost nothing in common with each other. However, the sheer recognition of these contrasting titles demonstrates the power of television. The visual appeal combined with the convenience and ease of reaching a widespread audience has allowed television to impact viewers worldwide in all respects. With the surge in technology and growth in INSERT 'THE' global economy, the television has become a household box of information and entertainment that has influenced viewers in a way that books simply cannot. Since the invention of the television, the advertising industry has revolutionized the way in which it reaches and speaks out to mass audiences. BY BRINGING UP ADVERTISING YOU DETRACT FROM THE CORE FOCUS OF YOUR ESSAY...IS INFLUENCE DUE TO ADVERTISING, ITS GLOBAL REACH, ETC? The astronomical impact of the influence in television has manifested itself in the form of the way consumers dress, eat, drive as well as almost all other human actions.CONFUSING SENTENCE STRUCTURE. The television has allowed celebrities, athletes and other prominent figures to dictate the way consumers live. Such a widespread and direct influence has only been achieved through (SINCE) the advent of the television.

Nonetheless, the power of books has not only withstood the test of time but in certain cases, has shown to have more influence than the television. When teaching morals and ethics, books such as Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and George Orwell’s Animal Farm have imparted TAUGHT lessons of benevolence and human nature HOW DO YOU TEACH HUMAN NATURE? to a much higher degree than any television show. This is impart SPELLING: IN PART due to parental stress on reading as well as the integration of books into academic curriculum respectively. CORRECTION (SENTENCE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE): 'IN PART DUE TO THE FACT THAT PARENTS STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF READING AS WELL AS THE INTEGRATION OF BOOKS INTO THE ACADEMIC CURRICULUM. These so-called ‘classics’ today, (NO COMMA NEEDED) remain examples of influential materials that definitively reach consumers either through academic institutions or other means but nonetheless, convey influence to a much stronger degree than television. RUN-ON SENTENCE; MAKE THE CONCEPTS CLEARER BY REMOVING WORDS & GETTING AT EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY...YOU HAVEN'T ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED WHY THEY CONVEY A STRONGER INFLUENCE.

The issue of television influence compared to reading material is a difficult one to resolve and there are merits to both forms of media. However, the deciding factor that determines what takes precedence over the other comes down to the context of the term ‘influence.’ RIGHT: YOU NEED TO DEFINE WHAT INFLUENCE MEANS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ESSAY SO YOU CAN CHOOSE EXAMPLES THAT SUPPORT YOUR CLAIMS. If the relevant form of influence refers to materialism and aesthetic impact, television prevails due to their CORRECTION: ITS superior technology and widespread form of communication. CORRECTION: ITS WIDESPREAD USE. However, if the influence regards moral lessons and ethical guidelines, books have the upper edge. SURE, BUT YOU HAVEN'T REALLY SAID WHY...

In pre-television societies, books were heralded as a valuable and effective way to transmit societal norms, life philosophies, and general knowledge. With the technological advance of today, television has assumed many of the functions of books. Nowadays it is common to learn how to act, how to think, and what to do in almost any given scenario, through television. Both televison and books are helpful communicational resources, and have great influence on the general public.

Influence is the measure of how much something can affect people, particularily on how they view their lives, think, and behave. In this case, "people" is defined as the class of individuals who have access to television and books, and are capable of sight, hearing, and thought.

Television is more influentual on people when the information being communicated is recent, and the information is required to be transmitted to a lot of people in a fast and clear manner. An example of this is during times of dangerous local conditions. For instance, the Swine Flu outbreak in Mexico in the summer of 2009. This kind of information is best to be featured on t.v. immediately, so that many people can access this information quickly, and will be able to make efficient safety precautions, warn others, and do their own independent research for more information on the disease. TV is more effective than books for delivering current events, because unlike books, which take time to be published and printed, TV can convey information live.

However, books are more influential on people when the information in question is older, and is directed to a smaller range of individuals. For instance, the very influential book "The Origin of the Species" by Charles Darwin, is not recent, but it lays the foundation for the theory of evolution. This type of information is more influetial as a book so that it can be conserved for a longer periof of time, and is accessible to people who are interested in the topic. The words are written out, and direct quotations can be easily looked up people who wish to study and discuss the basics of evolution in detail. Unlike tv, in books, details can be easily accessible again and again.

In conclusion, both books and television are influential. How much they influence people depends on the type of information that is being conveyed. TV is more influential for recent, general information that is required to be transmitted quickly to many people. Books are more influential when the information being communicated is older, aimed at a smaller audience, and is required to remain in it's origonal form (direct quotes) for a longer period of time.

If a pictures worth a thousand words, often times a video, or tv show can be worth a million. Tv’s influence on people, defined as their ability to learn about an issue, such as with documentaries and educational films, can far outreach the influence that a book has on an individual. This is true because a documentary can be viewed in a relatively short amount of time, leaving the viewer with an overall understanding of the topic at hand. This is demonstrated in the elementary school classroom when teachers will subject their students to a short educational film that will engage interest and learning. Students will often be more involved and willing to learn when they get to watch tv, instead of silently reading and trying to find the main idea of the text individually. Watching tv reminds them of the information age we all live in now where access to information has become much more rapid and easy.

On the other hand, for more in depth learning experiences, such as those required to successfully complete undergraduate, masters and pHD degrees, a short documentary or educational film on a topic is often not nearly in depth enough. The individual must actively seek out information through research in textbooks and scientific journals. This can allow the individual to gauge a much better understanding of a topic, and go as far in depth until personal satisfaction is achieved. Also, the student can learn at their own pace, and freely go back to previous chapters to refresh understanding of a certain subtopic. This influence on reading material rather than educational films is a crucial difference to a full understanding of a particular topic or field, and achieving academic success.

Educational films do have more influence on the younger learner in early stages of education, because they allow the individual to feel comfortable in an environment more familiar throughout the information age. However, there becomes a stage in a student’s educational career where the only way to truly gain an understanding of a topic is to be immersed in the already over-extensive literature of that topic. Only then can the student participate in future writings on that topic, which will influence young students for generations to come.

Prompt #1

To influence is to have a direct affect on someone or something by changing it’s belief, character or development. It is to my belief that the given statement is; firstly challenging the influence of books on today’s modern society, and secondly asking what determines the measurement or amplitude of influence.

There are technological advancements made everyday, every one made with the intent of making our lives easier. As technology becomes more advanced, we become more reliant on these advances to better our lives while exerting minimal effort and using as little energy as required. Since the invention of the television, the idea of reading a book seems rather troublesome. Television allows one to have/enjoy an experience while having to put little or no effort into it, clearly abiding by the idea of “making life easier”. Minimal effort is put into watching television and thus the brain is stimulated also at a minimal level. This is due to the low energy requirement of being engaged while watching television. Television today, on a widespread level, is used to educate, to inform, and more commonly, to entertain individuals.

On the other hand, books were, and still are, used for many different purposes (ie. Education and/or Entertainment). Reading a book, or any text for that matter, requires a focused individual with an attentive mind. It requires a great deal of imagination and open mindedness to visualize or apply the information being read to things the individual may already know. In short, reading requires effort and may be seen as mentally exhausting, or counter-productive to the idea of “making life easier”. However because of the mental stimulation and effort put in, the information absorbed from reading will remain in the individual’s mind far after he/she has finished reading. A prime example of where this can be seen is in our education. The use of textbooks and reading materials seem almost infinite, as opposed to the limited media (TV videos, etc) we have in our resources.

To influence an individual, is to do something that directly affects that one individual. Influence may be measured in many different ways. For example; how strongly it affects one individual, or on a broad-scale view, how many people are affected and influenced. Technology and availability makes television more influential on widespread basis, able to affect several people in a short time. While books have a stronger more lasting influence due to the involvement required to read a book.