Periodic Research Paper:
1. Identify an article on some reasonably significant aspect of Marketing from an online source.
2. Using the following as a guideline, critique the article. Address each of the six parts of the assignment listed below. Your grade will reflect your success in providing answers to these questions. If you want to present your work in a question/answer format that is acceptable.
3. All attachments must be presented in either a ".doc" or ".docx" file format and must include your name and the title of the assignment in the document title. Note: there is no "correct" length for this paper. All you need to do is respond appropriately and adequately to the questions.
Name of Website
URL
Date of Publication
Title of Article
Author
Part I: Briefly summarize (in several paragraphs...more, if necessary) the main points stressed in the article.
Part II: Explain why you think the article is important in reference to this course.
Part III: Identify the points in the article with which you were most in agreement? Explain why you feel this way.
Part IV: Identify the points in the article with which you were most in disagreement? Explain why you feel this way.
Part V: List at least three questions that you feel the article left unanswered. At first, it may seem difficult to think of these, but there are always questions that are unanswered.
Part VI: Discuss three ways in which the article might have a future impact on any aspect of Marketing. Be specific.
Sources could, for example, include businessweek.com, forbes.com, or wsj.com. These are just suggested sources. Any source may be used, but the source must be online and the article must involve some reasonably significant aspect of marketing. You may choose any area of marketing; it is not necessary to cover the area that is currently being reviewed in class. A more recent article is preferable to one that is not.
Please state the summary in your own words. When you reference the article, please make sure that you document your sources completely. Plagiarism in any form may result in the assignment of an “F” for each occurrence, as well as possible expulsion from the class.
In the event that it may prove helpful, here is a sample periodical research paper:
Name of Website: The Wall Street Journal
URL http://www.wsj.com/articles/pediatricians-rethink-...
Date of Publication: October 12, 2015
Title of Article: Pediatricians Rethink Screen Time Policy for Children
Author: Sumathi Reddy
Part I: This article discusses medical recommendations for parents of young children that have not been changed for more than 15 years. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has always recommended that children under the age of 2 years old should not have any screen time and children over the age of 2 should be limited to a maximum of 2 hours of screen time a day. Sumathi published this article in response to the AAP’s article, “Beyond ‘turn it off’: How to advise families on media use” that was written on October 1, 2015.
AAP acknowledged in the referenced article that technology is rapidly changing while their policies and recommendations were not exactly keeping up to date with the new technological advancements. Dr. Ari Brown, who was the lead author of the AAP article that is referenced, explained that science moves slower than technology which as a result the AAP advice and recommendations that are deemed current are actually based on research that is not current. Sumanthi also quotes Dr Brown when she states, “All technology is not the same, all media is not the same.”
The article continued to discuss a number of experiments that were done while conducting research on the topic of children’s technology usage from ages 9 months to 3 years old. One experiment was conducted by measuring brain activity when English speaking 9 month olds watched a Mandarin teacher on a screen vs. the brain activity when a live teacher was in the room. The outcome of this test showed a significant change in brain activity with the live teacher. Another was conducted to see how many new words would be learned with children from 24 months to 30 months from a teacher via video chat vs. a live teacher. The results showed that the same amount of new words was learned from either learning tool. This is said to be because the more realistic the interaction is, the high educational value it has. A third experiment conducted to test brain engagements of children ages 18 months to 24 months while watching DVDs vs. playing with blocks. The results showed higher brain engagement in the children playing block. The final experiment discussed involved 2 ½ to 3-year-old children completing regular puzzles vs. completed puzzles on a touchscreen. The outcome of this experiment showed that children are adaptable to different learning techniques but if the learning format changes children may face some difficulty and “there is a lag in performance”.
Sumanthi explains that Dr. Barr and the AAP want to provide parents with guidelines to help them with what they should or shouldn’t do. Another important factor discussed in children’s exposure to screen time at an early age is television that is on in the background of children playing. Dr. Barr explained that children’s interaction with toys is disrupted subconsciously if the TV is on even if it is not intended for the child to watch.
The article closes by explaining that ultimately screen time is at the discretion of the parent and that the content of the screen time is always very important. This means that the content should be age appropriate. Technology should not be used to bribe a child to behave the way they are supposed to or calm a child down. Parents should be aware the effects screen time has on the development of their children and always monitor and supervise all usage of technological devices.
Part II:
This article is important in reference to this course because technology is a huge factor in marketing for all businesses. Our textbook notes that “our society is in a period of dramatic technological change”. I think this statement stands very true with this article. Most companies have a specific demographic consumer group they try to market towards. For example a company that designs children’s video games or cell phone apps for children are looking to market towards parents of young children, grandparents of young children and young children directly. This is because they design their product for a certain age and then want to market to those who are going to buy the app or game for the child to play it. Our book also states that, “technological change is the result of research, so it is difficult to predict”. Although the research referenced in this article is medically driven, I think it still has an effect on marketing and ultimately profit for many technological companies. If doctors are showing that screen time and non educational games are not beneficial to a child’s development many parents are going to take the medical advice and not expose their children to the screens. If research is also showing that children’s development is also affected by background screens, they may purchase less technological devices, apps or games that are marketed for adults to avoid their children being exposed to it accidently. This may also influence companies that pay for advertisement in the specific application or movie. Companies rely on a tremendous amount of business as a result of their marketing techniques. If research is done that negatively affects business, marketing techniques have to be re-evaluated and re-adjusted based on the information the consumer is exposed to.
Part III:
One point that I agree with in this article is from Claire Lerner, senior parenting adviser for Zero to Three, a nonprofit that promotes early development, that states, “Parents need to be mindful that screen time is age- and content-appropriate.” Many gaming companies and movies can leave scenes out of advertisement that would show it as being more mature than it is. Marketing can be skewed in many different ways and it is very easy for parents to be fooled that something is age appropriate when really is not. Another recommendation Claire makes is, “Talk to your child about what they’re watching, expand on it by putting a physical object that they are viewing into their hands.” I think this can benefit companies who design children’s video games and apps by making them as realistic as possible. Studies show that children benefit from interactive screen time so parents will be looking for the most interactive games and applications to download and buy.
Part IV:
One point I did not like in this article was that the description of the experiments had very little detail. I think that knowing how many children were studied and over what period of time helps the reader understand the viewpoint of the medical professionals. This article carries a lot of value to many parents who may or may not purchase a technological device. Another point I did not like is that as the medical professions acknowledge, technology is not going anywhere. This means that regardless of what the research shows technology is going to continue to advance. I think the article could make recommendations on what applications or movies would be best suited for parents because for many families, establishing no screen time in the home is not an option.
Part V:
1. Is there enough research done to show development delay that has a permanent effect on a child exposed to more than the recommended screen time?
2. Does the AAP have any intention of partnering with companies that design children’s apps or games to design the ideal product with the highest educational influence possible?
3. If studies show that 38% of children under the age of 2 have used a mobile device, does this mean that parents are ignoring the medical recommendation or are they not informed of the correct information?
Part VI:
One way this article might have a future impact on technology in marketing is medical professionals are going to continue to update their recommendation based on the current research taking place. Another way is that companies that sell games and apps for children may want to modify or change their product line to mimic the recommendation that parents are listening to. A third way is that more research may be done to evaluate the influence screen time has not only on children but may also be done to evaluate the influence on adults and then may affect companies that market apps, games, and moves to adults. Technology is constantly changing which will then influence marketing techniques that utilize technology to change.