RATE THIS EXAMPLE FROM "BENEFICIAL" TO "HARMFUL"

BENEFICIAL HARMFUL

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Elmo on Vaccination

Background Information
The U.S. surgeon general and Elmo team up to promote vaccinations. Elmo explains why they are important and why kids should not be afraid. This is a type of public service announcement.
Technique Used
Simplify Ideas
This is propaganda because
Instead of exploring both sides of the vaccination issue, this is an attempt to simplify concepts and target young audiences (and their parents) with a beloved character.

Comments

  1. user-avatar
    BLAHBLAHBLAH
    Tue, 09/29/2015 - 00:43
    BLAHBLAHBLAH
    This teaches kids a lot about shots and other things
  1. user-avatar
    Andreja
    Tue, 09/29/2015 - 00:47
    Andreja
    It is beneficial because it tells us to take shots. It is a form of plain folks because its general information, and celebrities.
  1. user-avatar
    spicy_ramen
    Tue, 09/29/2015 - 00:48
    spicy_ramen
    We think it's beneficial.
    Testimonial
    we think that it is effective
  1. user-avatar
    Adam, Megan
    Tue, 09/29/2015 - 00:50
    Adam, Megan
    It is beneficial. They used fear. It is a little effective.
  1. user-avatar
    Crash
    Tue, 09/29/2015 - 00:52
    Crash
    Beneficial

    Emotion technique

    Effective
  1. user-avatar
    Ben & Joe
    Tue, 09/29/2015 - 03:53
    Ben & Joe
    I'd say it's pretty beneficial, it explains why vaccines are good and that people should use them more. It's also good because it uses Elmo, and that means that kids may listen.
  1. user-avatar
    mikeandchelly
    Tue, 09/29/2015 - 03:54
    mikeandchelly
    We think this ad is testimonial because it features Elmo. One of the most famous child puppets on television. We think it is effective because Elmo gives off a statement.
  1. user-avatar
    Not so Slim Shady
    Tue, 09/29/2015 - 03:58
    Not so Slim Shady
    It was beneficial because it gave information on vaccinations and what they do. It was pretty effective because it explained why kids need them in a way that would make parents want to get their kids vaccinated.
  1. user-avatar
    Eli & Lizzie
    Wed, 09/30/2015 - 05:00
    Eli & Lizzie
    This is beneficial because they're talking about the dangers of not using medicine so its teaching us, about curing things that we need to get rid of so people don't die, or get extremely sick.
  1. user-avatar
    REGINOLD
    Wed, 09/30/2015 - 05:04
    REGINOLD
    This was beneficial to young children who enjoy Elmo. I think this is a effective form of Testimonial propaganda
  1. user-avatar
    dada
    Wed, 09/30/2015 - 05:05
    dada
    interesting
  1. user-avatar
    geroge
    Wed, 09/30/2015 - 05:18
    geroge
    I think that this piece of propaganda is very beneficial. It uses a beloved character to really stand out to children.
  1. user-avatar
    D.T.P
    Fri, 10/09/2015 - 02:47
    D.T.P
    I think Elmo and him are using Testimonials because they used a famous or important person, and sent the people a message
  1. user-avatar
    Kaylie Mandes
    Fri, 10/09/2015 - 02:51
    Kaylie Mandes
    I think it was good to show us that you think you are scared of something and its not as bad as you think when you are not thinking about it.The type of propaganda that this is ,is Glittering generalities because you in-prove something when you are not thinking about it.
  1. user-avatar
    Micheal jordan
    Fri, 10/09/2015 - 02:51
    Micheal jordan
    I think this video was very harmful because they have the target audience as young children so that way they can run to the parents and ask to get a vaccine. They forgot some very important information of what the vaccine does to your body. That's how these kids are ending up with autism and other different diseases.
  1. user-avatar
    Nichole Kripal
    Thu, 04/14/2016 - 10:25
    Nichole Kripal
    This is propaganda because it is targeting children to get a vaccine shot. They use Elmo as an advocate for children to look up to, "If Elmo did it and it didn't hurt, then I can do it". This is also targeting the existing fears and anxiety some children may have when it comes to getting shots and because children cannot recognize propaganda's intent this can be seen as a form of manipulation which is harmful. This can be helpful for the parents that are trying to get their kids to get their shots or are fans of Elmo. Some people have prejudices against vaccines so when seeing this propaganda it may be a slap to the face in the end when Elmo and the Doctor look into the camera and ask why more people don't get their vaccines. This is more aimed toward the central processing because it is trying to motivate people and children to get their vaccines while giving the ability for young children to understand why these vaccines are essential. This message is powerful through those means because not it is seen by children who then report back to their parents. This is a smart marketing tool because children have a lot to do with their parents decision making on products, or in this case vaccines. Because Elmo got it they may even volunteer to get their vaccines.
  1. user-avatar
    Erendy Torres
    Thu, 04/14/2016 - 11:13
    Erendy Torres
    This video is considered propaganda because it tries to convince people to get vaccinated. Most importantly, it reaches out to young children so they won’t be afraid of getting vaccines. Whether getting vaccinated or not, has always been a debatable subject. I don’t consider this video to be harmful. As a matter of fact, it is informative and helpful for those people who are skeptical about getting vaccinated. However, people who are completely against vaccines, might not agree with this video no matter the content. As mentioned, this video could be helpful for children. Because Elmo appears on this video, it is evident that it is aimed towards children. The video tries to convince children that getting vaccine is not that “scary.” The doctor even suggests Elmo to “sing a song” while he gets the shot so he won’t feel anything. Children are usually scared of getting vaccinated because they think it is “painful.” Not only that, but parents incite that effect on children. Most parents “baby” their children to the point in which the kids feel afraid about everything. Videos like these are made to break those fears and habits.The type of mental processing this example appeals to the most is the central route of persuasion. Most people have the ability to understand the concept of vaccinations. When people are more adapt at grasping ideas, it is easier for them to be persuaded. This means that using the central route reaches out to the audience more effectively. Essentially, the central route is a direct way to reach out to the audience. Also, the effect of using the central route remains more effective with time.
  1. user-avatar
    Colleen Cabral
    Thu, 04/14/2016 - 13:20
    Colleen Cabral
    This video was propaganda because of its influence to get vaccinated. It is a helpful aid in persuading young children to protect themselves by getting the vaccine shot. The video educates children in what germs are and how to prevent themselves from it. The surgeon general also gives the comparison of protecting oneself with an umbrella- a metaphor that children can easily comprehend. It creates an element of familiarity (for better understanding).
    Situations that lead to these types of persuasions are caused by fear. Children are, generally, afraid of the pain that comes with shots. Therefore, Elmo demonstrated a fun way to distract himself from the shot (singing a song).
    By focusing on the quality of the message, children can gain more confidence in receiving the shot. In following the peripheral route, a child’s belief in a less painful shot will turn into a more positive attitude.
  1. user-avatar
    Jeremy Ferguson
    Fri, 04/15/2016 - 08:01
    Jeremy Ferguson
    I think this message is propaganda I believe feeding into stereotypes is unethical. Videos such as these only show select clippings that benefit their cause. The messages in it may or may not have been true and for that reason I believe it to be propaganda, and because it feeds into biases. It’s harmful because it spreads stereotypes instead of ending them. If we didn’t know these stereotypes existed, would they? It can be helpful to show girls they can do whatever they want to do; assuming they don’t think they can do anything they want to do now. This situation is created from stereotypes and is ironic because the beginning of it feeds into stereotypes. It is mainly central because they present multiple aspects of the topic giving people information to analyze. This route means that more people will get the idea the message is trying to relay and it will have a longer term effect.
  1. user-avatar
    Jeremy Ferguson
    Fri, 04/15/2016 - 08:10
    Jeremy Ferguson
    **rated the wrong one. My computer wouldn't pull up the video so I had to do it on my phone and posted that last one on the wrong one. This is the right one.**

    This message is not propaganda because it is not unethical in nature and not based on biases. That depending if you think vaccines are good or bad for you, but for the sake of this assignment I’ll side on the point that they’re good. It could be harmful if vaccines were bad and this video influenced the children to get them, but it’s helpful because vaccines are generally helpful in nature and this video is influencing children to get them. While influencing children is unethical helping the parents to get the children to get their vaccines is not. Children not wanting vaccines is more than likely why this video was made. It take a central route if children are able to comprehend central route processing otherwise its peripheral. This type of processing would be persistent because if they show the child the video and they remember it and sing the song when they’re about to get a vaccine it means the message was delivered and the route helped them.
  1. user-avatar
    Duyen Ho
    Fri, 04/15/2016 - 14:33
    Duyen Ho
    This ad is propaganda because it is providing information to their targeted audience about vaccinations. This ad could be harmful because it can almost feel like an attack if someone is not getting vaccinations. Especially since towards the end Elmo asks, “why doesn’t everyone get a vaccination?” Elmo and Doctor Murthy then end the ad looking questionably at the camera. It could be helpful because it is providing information about why vaccinations are good for younger children to get. What situation(s) or social forces lead to the creation of this example? The social force that led to the creation of this ad was the children not receiving their vaccinations due to many reasons, but one being because they are scared of them.
    The mental processing for this ad is most likely peripheral because it takes shortcuts to explaining why children should receive their vaccinations. The mental processing means that the creators are being a bit persistent. If they were being really persistent, they would have made the ad more focused on the parents/guardians who are taking the child to the doctors.
  1. user-avatar
    Dionely Acosta
    Sat, 04/16/2016 - 00:34
    Dionely Acosta
    I know this is propaganda because it is trying to convince young children to not be afraid to go to the clinic to get their vaccination. This could be harmful because maybe some people in the world do not have the necessary resources in order to get a vaccination.This could be helpful because it makes the process of a vaccination seem less scary and since most kids love Elmo it make them feel more comfortable and feel like it relates to them. This is helpful because it brings awareness that people should be getting their vaccinations in order to stay happy and healthy.The situation that leads to this example is that maybe parents are not taking it serious enough to have their children get vaccinated, or parents perhaps feel bad seeing their children cry or in pain but they have to understand that at the end of the day it is a process that everybody has to go through. The type of mental processing that this appeals to the most is the central route because viewers realize that this is impacting families and their loved ones. This type of mental processing means that the message is credible since it affects health which is an aspect that is in every single human.
  1. user-avatar
    Arlene Zamora
    Sat, 04/16/2016 - 02:42
    Arlene Zamora
    This is an example of propaganda because it’s one sided. It only shows why you should vaccinate and the benefits of it but it doesn’t give the pros and cons in order for parents to make their own decisions. This could be harmful because they are using Elmo as a way to simply the information but also this can result in children associating Elmo with getting vaccinations. Like what we talked about in class, if you like Elmo and Elmo is for vaccinations then so will you. This is harmful because it’s not allowing a child to make his own decision he will simply do whatever Elmo tells him/her. This could be helpful because if a child for example is afraid of getting shots he/she may have a more positive outlook on that. I think what led to the creation of this example is perhaps that outbreak of parents not vaccinating their kids that went on and the whole measles scandal that followed after it, here in Orange county. I think this uses the central processing ELM model because after watching this video a parent may go out and do research to find what is the best choice for their child. I think what this mental processing means for the persistence of this message is that perhaps parents will start to do their research and be more aware of their children’s health and picking a stance on whether to vaccinate or not.
  1. user-avatar
    Ezequiel Ramos
    Sat, 04/16/2016 - 02:53
    Ezequiel Ramos
    I believe this ad was propaganda because it simplifies information and ideas. It described what a vaccination was and made it simple to appeal to children. I don’t believe this ad could be harmful in any way; it could be more useful than anything. What lead to this ad was the refusal of vaccinations by children and their parents. It was as if more and more children were getting sick so they launched this ad. I believe this ad relates to peripheral processing because it doesn’t directly say that kids need to vaccinated, it allows individuals to pick up cues and relate that information to themselves. I believe this route helps the message to be passed on and talked about between individuals, like word of mouth
  1. user-avatar
    Marissa Rey
    Sat, 04/16/2016 - 03:40
    Marissa Rey
    This form of propaganda can be informative but controversial; at the same time it seems innocent enough to get your child to know about what kind of vaccinations their is and what they do to your body however, their is some issues with vaccinations that some parents seem to be worried about. They feel that vaccinations might cause more harm then they do good to the body. As innocent as it may seem in this informing video, their are two sides to the spectrum to this video. According to the ELM model, they use the peripheral process because it is not upfront about the message of persuasion.
  1. user-avatar
    Dyanne Dumas
    Sat, 04/16/2016 - 10:24
    Dyanne Dumas
    Although the video itself is not a form of "harmful" propaganda, it is propaganda nonetheless. The video is responding to needs and values (getting a vaccination to be healthy) while simplying information ( explaining exactly what a vaccine is and why we need it) and in a way it kind of attacks opponents at the very end when elmo asks "Why doesnt everyone get vaccinations?" as if this view SHOULD be held by everyone. Again it is a very positive view in my opinion but it is a view that is almost forced upon the viewer. It is not explaining both sides to what are the pros of cons of not getting vaccinated it just states you should get vaccinated. According to the ELM model this might be a form of peripheral process because it takes shortcuts to explaining vaccinations and such. In my opinion it is a helpful ad that would advocate getting vaccinated, however it can be harmful to those who don't share my beliefs. The situation to which this ad responds to may be to statistics showing that younger children are more likely to not be vaccinated.
  1. user-avatar
    Bree Reyes
    Sat, 04/16/2016 - 11:31
    Bree Reyes
    The surgeon general and Elmo promoting vaccinations is propaganda because it only promotes pro-vaccination ideals/messages, which means it does not show the anti-vaccination side at all, giving it a simplified technique. It could be harmful, because it does not address the issues behind vaccinations, resulting in people mindlessly getting their children vaccinated, without understanding the full concept and pros/cons of it. It can be helpful because vaccines help prevent disease, which is beneficial for everyone. Situations like disease outbreaks and the controversy behind anti-vaccinators was influential in the creation of this propaganda. This example uses peripheral processing, because Elmo and the surgeon general are used for credibility boosting. Due to this processing, the issue of vaccines will remain controversial, because this propaganda is not long-lasting.
  1. user-avatar
    Lawrence Thompkins II
    Sat, 04/16/2016 - 13:21
    Lawrence Thompkins II
    This example propaganda can be a little harmful to its viewers. It only highlights the positives about getting vaccinations. Not once does it mention any side effects that could or would occur after receiving a vaccination. It used kid friendly language by saying the vaccination gives the body super heros to further make a viewer want to get vaccinations, or flu shot. It had the potential to be helpful if it presented the counter argument of its possible side effects.
  1. user-avatar
    Deysy Perez
    Sat, 04/16/2016 - 13:48
    Deysy Perez
    This video is propaganda because it purpose is to persuade and influence the attitudes and actions of audiences who have children that are in the ages where they need vaccinations. It simplifies why it is important for children to have their vaccinations, and what they do to protect them from “germs” by creating antibodies. It simplifies the facts for the pro side of vaccinations, but not the con. This could be harmful because it uses a character that children love and trust, and if their parents are against vaccinations, they could question why Elmo says they need vaccinations. It could be harmful as well because they do not present facts about what some bad side effects can result from vaccinations.This appeals most to peripheral processing because it uses Elmo as figure of credibility and the surgeon general, they simplified why vaccinations are important and what they do (heuristic cues).
  1. user-avatar
    David Cabaldon
    Sat, 04/16/2016 - 14:08
    David Cabaldon
    This video addresses the hot topic of vaccinations and takes a pro-vaccination stance. It is propaganda because it does not address any of the possible negative side effects of vaccines, and uses Elmo as a way to reach kids emotionally. This video is helpful because it causes kids to think that if Elmo can get a shot, I can too. It is also providing kids with information about why vaccines are important. However, it is harmful because it only gives one side of the picture. I believe that both peripheral and central processing are at play here. The central route is used to help encourage kids to not be afraid of shots and see that they are actually good, and the peripheral route is used by not bringing up the negatives of vaccination, causing the casual audience to see all vaccines as entirely good and not having any possible side effects or negative ramifications.
  1. user-avatar
    Michelle Pineda
    Sat, 04/16/2016 - 14:16
    Michelle Pineda
    I believe that the Elmo commercial for the vaccine is absolutely propaganda because they are emphasizing the important need for vaccinations to not only the kids but to the parents as well. This message may be harmful because it is in a way making kids conform to a certain type of oppression. It shows that there is an absolute need for vaccination when back then kids weren't required to take as many vaccinations as today. This commercial can be helpful because it simplifies an important topic. According to the ELM model, this message takes the peripheral route. With having a fun character that is familiarized by children, this ad indirectly sends out the message of vaccination. It is simplified to the point that the audience will follow due to the credibility behind all of the characters. Persistence of this message will convince the audience of this “necessity.”
  1. user-avatar
    Katerina
    Wed, 11/30/2016 - 16:43
    Katerina
    I feel that this is an example of propaganda because it simplifies the pros and cons of vaccination and also this example uses transfer because it is associating vaccination with a positive symbol which would be Elmo and the trustworthy doctor.

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