The Economizing Problem

These Short Essays are partial fulfillment of Paper IE1001 of Part 1 of Certified Islamic Finance Professional (CIFP) [DRAFT V0. 4] INCEIFStudent Name: Mustafa AydemirStudent ID: 1200279 IE1001Assignment in Islamic Economics – Short Essay No 1 by Mustafa Aydemir – Version 0. 4. doc -1- Bismillahirrahmanirrahim The economizing problem – And its direct effect on the economy at large. A short essay from Islamic perspective by Mustafa Aydemir Human beings are greedy by nature and their needs are universally recognized as infinite.A simple prove for this statement is the wish of every person to live forever. The unlimited wants are the main reason that resources are considered insufficient or scarce. This is probably the strongest argument and a good justification to define an entire field of study to explain and solve the resulting economizing problem between unlimited needs versus limited resources. â€Å"Economics is the social science that studies the allocation of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants† (INCEIF Lecture Notes1), It is divided into Macro- and Microeconomics.The former is the field of economics that studies the behavior of the economy as a whole, and not just on a singular company, but entire industry sector and markets. Whereas, the latter focuses on supply and demand as well as other forces that determine the price levels seen in the economy. The previous section described the economizing problem, that is the relation between the scarcities or resources relative to ‘needs and wants’. People are self-interested economic agents that maximize their own utility by using goods and services (Williamson, 1985)2.In the capitalistic worldview, people are rational in their choices and would for example prefer a job paying 3000 USD salary over a job with a 1500 USD pay. The individual is looking after his own well-being, which is likely to increase by taking the higher income employment. 1 Title: Overview On Ec onomics; Class: Islamic Economics [IE1001]; Prof: Dr. Magda Ismail Abdel Mohsin; Institution: INCEIF; Date: 8/16/2006 # Of Pages: 28 2 The Economic Institutions Of Capitalism; Firms, Markets, Relational Contracting; Oliver E.Williamson; Yale University IE1001 Assignment in Islamic Economics – Short Essay No 1 by Mustafa Aydemir – Version 0. 4. doc -2- However, the well-being of all people needs to be guaranteed, which is well noted by theological, human and western researchers and recognized by all civilizations in the present and the past (Chapra, 1995)3. With the assumption that resources are limited, the well-being of the entire human race may remain just a dream if the scarce resources are not utilized efficiently and rightfully. In order to achieve this vision, societies develop effective strategies that can be considered as worldviews.For the sake of simplicity the (1) secular and the (2) religious worldviews are the only two that are subject to this essay. The s ecular worldview emphasis the importance of material aspects of well-being and disregards the religious aspect completely. The secularist argue that ‘maximum material’ well-being can be best realized if economic agents are given freedom to actualize their self-interest whatever it may be with regards to taste and preference and the guidance of God in any form is replaced by the help of human reasoning.Moreover, in this liberal view of secularism neither values nor government intervention can play a major role in the fair distribution of resources to achieve the well-being of all people. The liberal view has not succeeded and was overthrown nearly everywhere (Mirakhor, 2012)4. The need of people for social well-being is vital to the happiness of a human being. However, the secular worldview refers to market forces that would ensure social interests because competition will keep self-interest (that may lead to exaggerated greed) under control. 3 4 Chapra, M. Umer. (1995). Islam and the economic challenge.Leicester, U. K. : Islamic Foundation Abbas Mirakhor (2012).Lecture: Macroeconomic Policies & Islamic Finance. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: INCEIF IE1001 Assignment in Islamic Economics – Short Essay No 1 by Mustafa Aydemir – Version 0. 4. doc -3- In contrary to the secular or capitalist worldview stands the religious or spiritual worldview. It gives tribute and attention to both the spiritual as well as the material aspects of human wellbeing. In fact, the spiritual worldview does not necessarily reject logical reasoning in human improvement, individual freedom or self-interest (Chapra, 1995).This worldview, however, highlights that moral values and good governance are required as restraining factors for freedom and self-interest in the journey of a reaching a civilization where well-being in ensured to all people and to achieve social harmony and family integrity. The direct effects of the economizing problem to a nations wealth are manif old. Well after capitalism had been established in medieval Europe and the west, its consequences in terms of unemployment and mal-distribution of income and wealth became painfully evident (Haferkamp and Smelser, 1992).Market cycles are considered part of an economy and crisis are accepted as unavoidable. The market itself is the overarching governance frame that determines prices through supply and demand and overrules the social interest of human beings. It is like an autocratic dictator without mercy that supports the rich and the powerful and penalizes the poor and the needy people. Consequently, societies began overtime to assign an increasingly expansive role to the government to correct the shortcomings of capitalism (market capitalism) with billion or even trillion dollar bailout packages for so called ‘to-big-to-fail’ institutions.All paid with tax money. Simultaneously however a contrary view developed objecting to the governments’ involvement in the e conomy on efficiency ground. Anyhow, even after the massive global financial crisis in 2007/2008 the high net-worth individuals are better off (see 5 Haferkamp, H. , & Smelser, N. J. (Eds. ). (1992). Social change and modernity. Berkeley: University of California Press. IE1001 Assignment in Islamic Economics – Short Essay No 1 by Mustafa Aydemir – Version 0. 4. doc -4-Forbes Magazine6) and have more wealth than the middle class and low-income classes, likely due to cost cutting and austerity measures for companies and governments alike. The Islamic economic system is unique and provides a divine solution to the economizing problem this essay has elaborated thus far. It starts with the scarcity of resources that illustrates the issue quite clear. If we assume that resources are available in abundance (INCEIF Lecture Notes7) rather than limited, the paradigm shifts dramatically from strategies to accumulate wealth to strategies of wealth distribution.Wealth in Islam can be distributed by Zakah and Sadaqah but also by introducing a risk-sharing model into the financial system to replace it with interest (Askari, Iqbal, Krichene and Mirakhor, 2011)8. Islam recognizes differences in human potentials because each person is gifted with different skillsets and depth of abilities. Human beings are not identical is proof that no two individuals have identical capabilities. This differences will bring income and wealth inequalities in societies (Chapra, 1992)9. Furthermore, the self-interest and rational human aspects are fully endorsed but to a different end.Choices however are enhanced by ethical values and rules. Consider for example Islamic teachings where there is a sense of duty and obligation to follow rules of behavior and be in full compliance with them, often there are also some ends in view like Jannah (Paradise), the total well-being of society or approval and satisfaction of Allah. Even Allah’s love and mercy or fear of hell are motivato rs of a self-interested spiritual person. To the extent that ends is gaining strength over 6 7 The Worlds Billionaires List http://www. forbes. com/billionaires/ Retrieved on November 12, 2012Title: Overview On Economics; Class: Islamic Economics [IE1001]; Prof: Dr. Magda Ismail Abdel Mohsin; Institution: INCEIF; Date: 8/16/2006 # Of Pages: 28 8 Hossein Askari, Zamir Iqbal, Noureddine Krichene and Mirakhor (2011) Risk-sharing in Finance: The Islamic Finance Alternative; Singapore: John Wiley & Sons 9 Chapra M (1992). â€Å"Islam and the Economic Challenge†, The Islamic Foundation and International Institute of Islamic Thought, London and Herndon. IE1001 Assignment in Islamic Economics – Short Essay No 1 by Mustafa Aydemir – Version 0. 4. doc -5- the obligation and duty.Muslims may think of consequences in the hereafter more than over what was to be material well-being in this world. The position of Quran is in the first instance decoupling of actions from conseq uences, actions are done as a sense of duty to do what Allah teala and his beloved Messenger have ordered. At the same time, however, the Quran itself repeatedly emphasizes the desirable and undesirable consequences of actions (Lecture Notes Prof Mirakhor, 2012)10. In conclusion, Ibadah is the justification for rules. If one adores almighty Allah swt, one does what the creator orders.Hence, peoples unlimited wants are recognized and mentioned in the Quranic verse And ye love wealth with inordinate love: (al-Fajr 89:20)    and following hadith: Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas and Anas bin Malik: Allah’s Messenger said, â€Å"If a son of man had a valley full of gold, he would desire to have two. Nothing can fill his mouth except the earth (of the grave). Allah turns with mercy to him who turns to Him in repentance. †(Al-Bukhari and Muslim) That is why it may seem that Islamic economic system is probably the strongest alternative to greed and unfair markets that have led the world from crisis to crises. At least it is worth a try in the advanced economies. 10 Abbas Mirakhor (2012).Lecture: Macroeconomic Policies & Islamic Finance. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: INCEIF IE1001 Assignment in Islamic Economics – Short Essay No 1 by Mustafa Aydemir – Version 0. 4. doc -6

The influence of mass media in the american election Research Proposal

The influence of mass media in the american election - Research Proposal Example The US mass media concentrates almost exclusively on elections during the presidential election year. Several television channels are wont to support one or other presidential aspirant. Traditionally, Fox News and the National Review have supported the Conservative point of view, whereas the Liberal ideology has been promoted by MSNBC (Quinn). The use of exit polls by the media to predict winners in elections, on the basis of whom voters say they had voted for in the elections, subsequent to casting their vote has resulted in considerable controversy. These estimates are generally made on the basis of marginal differences in the stated number of votes. Such predictions have the effect of influencing persons who have yet to exercise their franchise (Mass Media Play Important Role in U.S. Elections). The general view is that television channels do not provide accurate political information to their viewers. Some people argue that TV channels have failed to provide their viewers with correct information. However, this notion is not correct; because several studies in this area have revealed that TV news channels reach a broader section of the populace, in respect of political issues, than newspapers. More importantly, during election times, TV channels provide accurate information about candidates; and clarify at length the ideological and issue based differences between them. Studies by scholars in this regard indicated that the audience of these broadcast acquire better and more accurate political information, if they concentrate on the content of these programs. Therefore, the attention of the audience is essential in grasping the various issues under discussion (Perloff). Barack Obama’s outstanding victory at the polls has confirmed the fact that he understood the nuances of the mass media’s power to influence people. In fact his dominance over McCain was total in every area that related to social media activity. Obama based his

Advantages and Limitations of Traditional Research and Action Research Essay - 1

Advantages and Limitations of Traditional Research and Action Research - Essay Example This is very necessary as teachers strive to align the learning experience with technological evolution in the digital era. The use of technology standards (NETS) for teachers would be very appropriate for an action research study. This is on the grounds that one of the center standards of NETS is that instructors ought to have the capacity to outline, create, and evaluate genuine learning and educating encounters. Subsequently, assessments that join contemporary mechanical devices and assets is valuable (Smaldino, Lowther, & Russell, 2012). Thus, the results of an action research study will provide teachers with invaluable insight on planning and adjust the applicable learning encounters that use computerized assets and devices in advancing understudy innovativeness and learning. It will also enable the teachers to develop technology-based learning background (Smaldino, Lowther & Russell, 2012). Students will also be enabled to cope with their education skill and assess their progress. The study will also dwell on how teachers can focus on different learning activities. Finally, a research on the techno logy standards will enlighten teachers on ways of giving their understudies changed and different summative and developmental evaluations. These are the one adjusted to mechanical and substance gauges, and apply the ensuing data to educate the showing and learning methodology. One of the external decisions that greatly affected my classroom practice was the introduction of high stakes tests, as well as a grading policy by the head of the department. The directive stipulated that teachers were expected to conform to standardized rubric assessment criteria in all subjects. I considered this decision as inappropriate and one that would affect teaching practice in a negative way.

Marketing management- next Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing management- next - Article Example It is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products. In India the growth of retail business is at its budding stage. Organized retail business has a grasp of nearly 7% in Indian Market and there is umpteen opportunity for its development. Off late big brands and fashion houses are aiming towards the Indian market. Due to the immense cross culture factor or globalization, trends from across the globe are getting accepted by far and large. Even in India, people are getting influenced by various other cultures and the Indian crowd is happily embracing it. Apparently growth of retail business in Indian market is at its best. Under such circumstances, it would be the accurate time for Next to hit the Indian market. Even though it has three branches in India, it should start eyeing other locations in India. Not many people are aware of Next plc, so Next should keep in mind of having phenomenal launch in India. Lot of retail chains are getting established in India. Indian players like Future Group, RPG Group, reliance Retail, and global players like Wal-Mart, Metro etc are having their presence in India. Still the organized retail sector in India is not very big. Hence Next can enter into Indian market and it has lot of potential to grow with its wide product range. I have considered area of study to be clothing. There is lot of competition in apparel industry because people have started becoming more brand conscious in clothing segment. Hence it is very important to position yourself well in such an industry. B - PLC Stage PLC (Product Life Cycle) is the course of product’s sales and profits over its lifetime. It involves five distinct stages. Product Development Introduction Growth Maturity Decline Clothing is a necessity for every human being. In a country like India the scope for branded product (in clothing) is very high. India is a country which is fast developing and the purchasing power of people in India is increasing. So the share of wallet for branded apparels is surely increasing. That is the reason why all big names in the clothing segment exist in India. But the entry of these companies has happened recently and they have still not captured the market. Next in India is at introduction stage. As it has entered the Indian market recently and at the moment has only three stores in India. As far as Boston’s Matrix is concerned â€Å"next† has low market share but the market they are in has high growth. So â€Å"next† is in the question mark quadrant. C - Target Market India is one of the emerging markets and it is becoming more and more important buyer in our global economy. India has a nice percentage of world total population so if not right now, in few years, India will be one of the most important buyers in the world (sayeconomy.com). Hence it is very important to choose the right segment in Indian market to succeed. â€Å"Next† has three stores in India (Two store s at Delhi/Gurgaon and one store at Mumbai). This clearly shows that the segment they have targeted is the urban/metro segment. The purchasing power of people in these area is comparatively more than those who stay in small cities and villages. â€Å"Next† has also targeted the middle class and upper middle class. When you sell products which are luxurious item and not necessarily necessities, then an organization usually target middle class and

Food Insecurity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food Insecurity - Essay Example As far as hard statistics go, the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) estimates that over 852 million people in the world struggle from chronic hunger, while a much larger 2 billion faces constant fear of starvation due to poverty (FAO,2003). Being the most basic of necessities, providing easy and affordable access to nutritious food is paramount to stopping deaths due to hunger, malnutrition, and diseases worldwide. While the issue of food insecurity plagues primarily the developing and developed countries, the developed world isn't immune to it altogether. In the United States, 10.9% of the households were food insecure at least some time during the year, of which, 4.0% were very food insecure for some time during the year (United States Department of Agriculture,2007). The states with the highest food insecurity during 2004-06 were Mississippi (18.1%), New Mexico (16.1%), and Texas (15.9%), while North Dakota (6.4%) had the lowest food insecurity. (Household Food Security in the United States, 2006 Food insecurity in United States households is usually recurrent or episodic, but not chronic (unlike that in developing and undeveloped countries). This means that these households faced shortage and anxiety over food for not more than 1 or 2 months, and not the whole year round. Some particular household groups are more susceptible to food insecurity than others, with prevalence of food insecurity much higher than the national average. These groups include households headed by single women (30.4%), and single men (17.0%), Black (21.8%) and Hispanic (19.5%) households. Households with income below the official poverty line had the highest prevalence of food insecurity (36.3%). Of the 12.6 million households with food insecurity, 10.32 million live in metropolitan areas, making the access to a nutritious source of food a non-issue (USDA, 2007). Thus, food insecurity in these metropolitan areas results primarily from poverty or occasional natural causes (such as natural disasters), u nlike undeveloped and developing countries where food availability and not affordability is a major cause of food insecurity. Women, due to their roles in managing family feeding are at heightened risk of food insecurity. Lower levels of education and inequality in terms of employment opportunities, as well as biological factors such as pregnancy and childbirth make single women without spouses especially susceptible to the consequences of food insecurity. The median income of single women over 16 yearsin the United States is $22,097, compared to $32,396 for males (United States Community Survey, 2006). Consequently, households headed by single women also show a much larger deviation in terms of food insecurity than the national average (30.4% compared to the national average of 10.9%). Poor education is one of the primary causes for this deviation, as the median income of single females with less than high school education is $13,255, compared to $49,164 for single females with graduate or professional degrees. Children are another major cause of poverty and the resulting food insecurity in households headed by single women with no spous

Principles of Marketing Financial Services Essay

Principles of Marketing Financial Services - Essay Example Around the world, financial services organizations are driven to increase revenues while decreasing costs. They need the ability to quickly go to market with new products, deepen customer relationships, increase revenue per customer, and improve the accuracy of their strategic decision making. At the same time, they need to control operational and compliance costs, ensure interoperability of existing applications and infrastructure, and provide seamless interactions with their customers. All within an increasingly complex compliance environment. High-performance financial institutions understand the link between operational performance and financial performance. The ability to uncover and turn vital insights into operational value levers—such as customer-facing activities, exposure to credit risk, and market share—and link them to financial value levers like operating margin, loan-loss ratios, and cost of assets in a timely and accurate fashion is key to optimizing over all performance and driving value creation. Abbey’s vision is to be the outstanding financial services company in the UK. It is the sixth largest bank in the United Kingdom and aims to achieve the largest position in the market. The purpose of Abbey is to achieve above average growth in share holder value over the long term by meeting stakeholders needs. A detailed and more specific description of the products and services offered by Abbey includes – Current Accounts, Credit Cards, Loans, Mortgages, Insurance, Savings, ISAs and Child Trust Fund. ... The ability to uncover and turn vital insights into operational value levers-such as customer- facing activities, exposure to credit risk, and market share-and link them to financial value levers like operating margin, loan-loss ratios, and cost of assets in a timely and accurate fashion is key to optimizing overall performance and driving value creation -> Abbey An Overview : Vision: Abbey's vision is to be the outstanding financial services company in theUK. It is the sixth largest bank in the United Kingdom and aims to achieve thelargest position in the market. Purpose: The purpose of Abbey is to achieve above average growth in shareholder value over the long term by meeting stake holders needs. Products and Services: A detailed and more specific description about theproducts and services offered by Abbey includes - Current Accounts, CreditCards, Loans, Mortgages, Insurance, Investments and Pensions, Savings, ISAs and Child Trust Fund. Strategies Implemented : The right mixture of strategies which suits the market place and customers are being implemented so that there would be an optimum utilization of resources and maximization of profits can be achieved. -> SWOT Analysis : Its main strength is its expert knowledge of finance. This meant that it should focus on this area. Its main weakness is its size. As only the sixth largest bank it could not offer thesame range of products as bigger banks. This meant that it should offer a simplerange. The main opportunity was to provide simpler products which customer wouldbetter understand. The main threat is from other banks, who might want to take over Abbey, so it

Negative Body Image Essay Example for Free

Negative Body Image Essay A study showed that women experience an average of 13 negative thoughts about their body each day, while 97% of women admit to having at least one â€Å"I hate my body† moment each day (raderprograms). Teens today are faced with many pressures: how they dress, who their friends are, who they are going to date, and most importantly, what they look like. In today’s society, body image is more than just the mental picture a person has of what their body looks like. For many, body image is also a reflection of how they feel about themselves and their lives. People with a negative body image believe that if they do not look right, other things, such as their personality, intelligence, social skills, or capabilities, also are not right. They think that if they fix their bodies, all their other problems will disappear. This can result in unhealthy weight management practices and an unhealthy relationship with food. People excessively diet and exercise out of fear of gaining weight. The media today portrays stick thin women with beautiful faces and size 0 bodies, but the truth is, the majority of runway models meet the Body Mass Index (BMI) criteria to be considered anorexic (raderprograms). When influenced by role models like these, teenagers start to feel inferior if they do not look the same. In turn, when put under the pressure of women in the media, teenagers will most likely develop a negative body image, eating or mood disorder, or other unhealthy addictions if they feel their bodies do not â€Å"measure up† to those of women portrayed. Negative body image is a serious issue that can be greatly influenced by today’s media. Body image refers to a person’s feelings about how attractive their body is. Celebrities like Kate Moss are 30+% under their ideal body weight, along with this, adolescent girls are more afraid of gaining weight than getting cancer, losing their parents, or nuclear war (raderprograms). Research has shown that media exposure to unattainable physical perfection is detrimental to people, especially women, and that the detrimental effects are currently more the rule than the exception (An Intervention for the Negative Influence on Body Esteem 405-418). Negative body image affects all aspects (physical, mental, social, and spiritual) of the body negatively and cause problems like depression, anxiety and social anxiety. Roughly half of the women in the U. S. wear size 14 or larger though most standard clothing retailers only cater to size 14 and smaller (raderprograms). Having a negative body image can be detrimental to a person’s self-esteem; they will always scrutinize themselves in mirrors and be envious to other’s bodies, whether it is celebrities, friends or even complete strangers. Many people with a negative body image will start to diet to control their weight and get it to where they want it to be. At any given time, one in every three women and one in any four men are on a diet (raderprograms). People diet to be thinner and more attractive, to look like people they see in the media. A People magazine survey showed that 80% of female takers felt that women in movies and television programs made them feel insecure about their bodies (raderprograms). The media is very negative towards people who are not as small as models and (most) actresses. The average U. S. model weighs 117 lbs and is 5’11†, while the average U. S. woman weighs 140 lbs and is 5’4† (raderprograms). The media also is a very strong advocate of dieting and especially diet pills. While dieting can be done healthily, some teenagers abuse dieting; 73% of teenage girls who abuse diet pills and 79% of teenage girls who self-purge (the act of forcibly making themselves vomit or abusing laxatives to not absorb calories) frequently read women’s fitness and health magazines (raderprograms). People who diet have an increased amount of depression due to body image and not getting the results they expect. Thirty-five percent of â€Å"occasional dieters† progress into pathological dieting (disordered eating) and as many as 25% advance to full blown eating disorders (raderprograms). Medical researchers believe that 80 percent of all eating disorders started with a diet (The Causes of Negative Body Image). Media causes teens to feel insecure and have low self-esteem. It is one of the leading causes of Eating Disorders in the United States. Eating Disorders affect 10+ million females and 1+ million males (raderprograms). Many teens suffer from eating disorders and it majorly affects a person’s life. â€Å"When you have an eating disorder at a young age, you can’t shake it easily. I’ve suffered with anorexia and bulimia since I was 12 years old, along with severe depression and anxiety disorders. It was largely influenced by the media and the pressure to be thin. You’re always pre-occupied with the voices telling you not to eat this, or not to eat that because you want to be thin, right? It’s always there and it’s hard. You know what you’re doing is wrong, but man does it feel so right. † (Billstein). For females between the ages 15-24 who suffer from anorexia, the mortality rate associated with the illness is twelve times higher than he death rate of ALL other causes of death (raderprograms). When a person develops an eating disorder they may also become addicted to exercise along with restricting calories. Exercise addiction is maladaptive, causing more harm than benefits. People become addicted to exercise in order to be thinner. This is usually paired with an eating disorder or negative body image. A person will exe rcise and burn off every calorie that they have consumed during the day and run their calorie count into the negatives so they do not absorb any calories at all. â€Å"I feel in control of my body when I exercise. I can see exactly how many calories I have burnt out of my body; being able to burn the small amount of calories that I have managed to eat just feels good. † (Billstein). About 10% of gym users have exercise addiction. Another disorder that ties in with eating disorders is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD is â€Å"imagined ugliness†, where a person picks apart everything about themselves until their self-esteem is very low, making them susceptible to mood disorders. It is the gateway drug to eating disorders and negative body image, depression, anxiety and other altered mood disorders. 0% of people diagnosed with eating disorders also suffer from BDD. â€Å"When I look at myself in the mirror, I don’t see what other people see. I see a girl with a large forehead, big thighs, a fat stomach and beady little eyes. I hate my body so much that what I see is totally transformed and disgusting. I don’t want to look like this, that’s why I resorted to o ther things that I could control: eating and how much. † (Billstein). When a person has depression, anxiety, eating disorders or other altered mood disorders they may become addicted to unhealthy activities. An unhealthy addiction that many people, teenagers primarily, form is self-harm. It has many names: self-injury, self-injurious behavior, self-abuse, self-cutting, and repetitive self-harm syndrome. It is most often called self-mutilation. Regardless of what name a person uses, it is the intentional destruction or alteration of one’s own body tissue without conscious suicidal intent (How Negative Body Image Affects the Body and Mind). Self-harm consists of any bodily injury whether it be cutting, burning, scratching, picking or preventing the healing of wounds. Individuals self-harm to release pain. Some people say they self-mutilate because they are emotionally numb and it helps them feel something. When cutting, the person feels in control of the pain, while on the inside, they cannot control mental pain from disorders or depression. Those who cut feel a relief afterwards but it gets more intense of an addiction the longer it goes. They experience strong cravings to harm themselves and withdrawals when in recovery. â€Å"I cut because I can control it. I’m not saying that it’s a good thing, but I’m in recovery and I have relapsed. It takes control of your mind; you’re in a sad state when you take that blade to your skin. You have the scars forever to remember the times you’ve been through, but they show strength not weakness. They’re battle scars and they show that you’ve conquered, not been defeated, you’re still alive and here, and that’s beautiful. † (Billstein). 90% of self-injury individuals begin harming themselves during their teen years or younger. (Cutting: Self Injury Facts amp; Statistics). Only 4% of women in the world truly think they are beautiful (raderprograms). There are some positive body image influences in the media including Dove skincare. They have the ‘Real Beauty’ campaign showing moderate to plus size models in a positive atmosphere. There is a drastic difference between Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ campaign (Figure 1) and Victoria’s Secret’s new ‘Love My Body’ campaign (Figure 2). Some forms of media are only positive to a certain weight group (i. e: ‘Love My Body’ campaign). Women should not be ashamed of their bodies, they should embrace them and show off their best features. â€Å"You’re going to be in this body for the rest of your life, so you might as well learn to like it† (Billstein). Figure 1 (Rana). Figure 2 (McDonell-Parry). Overall, negative body image is a very dangerous issue to have because it can lead to destructive behaviors like eating disorders, low self-esteem, mood disorders, exercise addiction and other unsafe body disorders. When teenagers are put under the pressure of women in the media, they are at a higher risk of developing a negative body image, eating or mood disorders and other unsafe addictions if their bodies are not as slim.