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TV ads are built on one simple idea: If you buy X, you'll get Y. But Y is rarely the product itself. Rather, it's a positive emotion, a perfect relationship, higher social status or an amazing experience. For example, if you buy Big Red gum, you'll get to "kiss a little longer." Or if you go to Toys "R" Us, you'll reconnect with your youthful self, allowing you to have even more fun with your kids: After all, you don't wanna grow up, 'cause maybe if you did, you couldn't be a Toys "R" Us kid! Leaving the jingles aside, if you had a Verizon phone, you'd be able to stay close with your family. Or if you owned a Kia car, you would immediately transform into an ultracool rodent. (Well, maybe that one's a little far-fetched!) Maybe more importantly, in terms of TV ads' impact on culture, buying Calvin Klein jeans will make you sexy like Kate Moss, or buying Nike sports apparel will make you ready to "Just Do It,...

While  Earth Day is one of those hoilidays people do not take the most swerious such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years etc, and while every day is technically a day to be kind to the planet, this is a day to show appreciation and get into new habits if needed. There are so many little things you can do to celebrate and help save the Earth, and we’ve got 10 super easy ideas below! 1. Plant something Trees not only cool things down (collectively, they can help decrease a city’s temperature by up to 10 degrees) but they also clean the air and give off more oxygen, among a ton of other benefits. Plant one in your family’s yard (if Mom or Dad need convincing, tell them that it’s been proven that trees can increase your property value by 15%). Another option is to plant your own fruits and veggies which will benefit your health and reduce the amount of fossil fuel emissions by not having to transport the food to stores. 2.  Ride your bike Find transportation alternatives that he...

 According to a Pew Research Center study of US adults conducted Sept. 8-13, 2020, only 9% of adult social media users frequently post or comment on political or social topics. 70% of social media users claim they never (40%) or seldom (30%) do so.  Four out of 10 Americans claim they never publish or talk on political or social problems online.  The top two reasons people give for not posting about these issues are fear of being attacked for their beliefs. On a third of individuals who never or seldom post or share about these topics cite each statement.  Not having anything to offer to the discourse, not paying close attention to political or social topics, or not wanting to offend others are important reasons for not posting about these subjects. Their findings are consistent with past Center studies of political posts on social media and other political actions including voting and participation. Those in the ideological middle (conservative or moderate Democrats...

  This picture illustrates the world's largest social networks, as measured by monthly active members (MAUs). Currently, over 4.5 billion individuals worldwide use some type of social media, accounting for around 57% of the global population.  Despite the fact that social media has a large and diversified audience, only a few businesses control the bulk of the world's most popular social media platforms. Meta, the old Facebook, owns four of the top five most popular platforms.  Where do Facebook members live? The platform's largest viewership is from India, with almost 350 million users. The United States has 193.9 million users, followed by Indonesia with 142.5 million.  Not every social media behemoth is in Meta's network. Meta's second-largest platform, and third largest social network globally, WhatsApp has almost 2 billion MAUs.  Like Facebook, around 390 million WhatsApp users reside in India. Brazil has 108 million WhatsApp users.  Global Social Medi...

 Since the beginning of the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan in 2001, American taxpayers have spent $6.4 trillion.  Over the last fiscal year, the government spent $2 trillion more than that amount.  More than 801,000 individuals have perished as a direct consequence of war, according to the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. Washington, D.C. According to a recent analysis, taxpayers in the United States have spent $6.4 trillion on military operations in the Middle East and Asia since September 11, 2001.  In comparison, the federal government's 2019 fiscal year expenditures were $2 trillion. According to the Treasury Department, the United States government spent $4.4 trillion in the fiscal year that concluded on September 30.  More than 801,000 individuals have perished as a direct consequence of war, according to a study by Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. Over ...

Only 70 countries around the world "save daylight" every year Once again, it's that time of year! In the morning, you open your eyes to see the kitchen clock showing 8 am, despite the fact that your alarm clock was scheduled to go off at 7 am. You're certain you'll be late to work.  But hold on a second.  You are on time. Daylight Saving Time is now in effect.  Clocks throughout the globe go forward or backward an hour twice a year, depending on the year.  But why bother? And will the United States' erratic time zones come to an end?  When Daylight Savings Time was first introduced, farmers were given an additional hour in the sun each day for harvesting crops. However, this isn't the underlying reason for its widespread adoption.  By lengthening daylight hours, Daylight Saving Time (DST) reduces power use. To make the most of the longer days, many nations, including the United States, observe Daylight Savings Time (DST) for eight months of the year then r...