ZackDavis1997 (PRO)The word that comes to mind when I think of use of graphic images is simply manipulation, does the good outweigh the means, the fact that using the images would not only cause those to be distressed, but cause us to not think clearly of what the message is but how the image speaks to us should say something. That they intentionally used those images to get their way of making us send money to their organization, they knew as a group that those images would sway our decision. Therefore I am arguing that by knowingly posting such distressing images to compromise us, they make us feel shame and less as a person for not donating to them, is this right going through this in life, making us feel less because we don't have enough. And another point is most of us feel like we are being manipulated, if you feel like you are being manipulated and you do give money, how will that make you feel, and if you will feel equally bad. Therefore I suggest using facts and statistics alone as a way to support the causes, and non emotional pictures, because using a manipulation tactic as a means of getting what you want, can have a drastic outcome to the person who is being manipulated.
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2021-01-08 09:59:30
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Gekk (CON)I want to thank Zack for this debate as I am sure it will be a fun exercise.
When making a persuasive argument there are normally three ways to try to convince someone of your argument as laid out by Aristotle.
When we discuss images of foreign countries in distress we can assume there is a pathos based persuasive method being used. This makes us feel bad for how well our lives are and can persuade us to donate money when we would otherwise not. While this persuasion may seem unethical these types of appeals are used every day. Often rhetoric that is persuasive will include elements of Logos or logical elements, elements from authority, and of course pathos elements that are there to make us feel something. This is often why many commercials include actors smiling when using products because it is portraying a form of happiness. While this may feel like manipulation or dubious it is clearly how the world often works, as humans we tend to make decisions based on external stimuli and by creating a persuasive argument including logos, pathos, and ethos elements it can move us to action. While it feels unethical and in some cases it may be, when referring to people in other countries who are suffering it may have an overall net benefit that makes it worth the level of annoyance or perceived manipulation.
Most Americans actually rank in the top 10% the richest people in the world simply by making an average income(https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/08/23/most-americans-vastly-underestimate-how-rich-they-are-compared-with-the-rest-of-the-world-does-it-matter/
In fact the median "world" salary equates to about $2,100 USD per year. That is not an exaggeration that is the median income, thinking that through the median income for a worker somewhere in the world is around $40/week. This is vastly different compared to even the minimum wage in the United States of $7.25/hr which equates to $290/week or $15,080/year. Minimum wage is the US is barely above the poverty level of around $12,000. This means poverty around the world and is quite rampant. What this means is money that tends to be donated from individuals in the United States tends to go fairly far in other countries. It is also why the US is able to outsource much of it's manufacturing to China and lots of technical jobs to India at cheaper prices then hiring local here in the US.
This is why there is often an aggressive campaign and responsibility often put on US citizens to help the less fortunate throughout the world often through charities as it can be difficult to help those in need directly. While I don't always agree with the Pathos based tactics used in advertising by non-profits it does serve a significant role in forcing us to realize just how lucky we are to live in one of the richest and most prosperous countries in the world. Due to this it is my stance that we should not ban international charities from using Pathos or emotional based images as a form of persuasion.
Return To Top | Posted:
2021-01-09 04:05:32
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