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won. These ideas were further spread by Trump, who took to social media and local news to repeat the sentiment. QAnon contributed to the uncertainty over the election and set the stage for a violent encounter. The impact of QAnon seeps deeper than public confidence. LaFrance explains that “the number of congressional candidates who follow Q, or, in some cases, have even made Q part of their policy [is] in the dozens” (Davies and LaFrance). When congressional candidates like Marjorie Taylor Greene believe in Q, QAnon-supported policy and legislation will inevitably make it into congressional conversation. The danger in this comes when people who believe in government cover-ups and stolen elections become the authors of new laws, facts and accountability no longer matter when laws are being made. While January 6 is the most obvious impact of QAnon, the long-term effects are much more far reaching. The legitimacy that QAnon has been granted by former president Donald Trump gives credibility to the concern that government processes like elections are rigged. These fears undermine confidence in the government and are magnified by the presence of QAnon believers running for congress. Censoring QAnon on social media and preventing its spread could have prevented this weakened confidence in government and public officials. Many social media users will argue that restricting certain ideas to prevent the spread of conspiracy theories will go against the free speech principles that social media platforms are built on. Their concern that limiting ideas on social media restricts free speech and makes open-minded discussion difficult is valid; however, unmonitored spread of dangerous ideas and misinformation is what allowed QAnon to flourish and grow into the threat that it became, and because QAnon was not censored until the movement became violent, it is too late to prevent QAnon and other conspiracy theories from spreading on social media. Alex Shephard explains in the essay “YouTube’s Fake News Problem Isn’t Going Away” how curbing fake news on YouTube is impossible with how the site is currently run. “One of the “deeper, subconscious needs” YouTube is built to fulfill leads people to insane conspiracy theories,” Shephard argues, “[and] part of the problem is that the social concept of “trending” is inherently broken” (Shephard). YouTube’s algorithm is designed to highlight videos that are gaining attention, and the most popular videos get put on a “trending” list. The fundamental problem with trending videos is that they are selected on views and popularity only, with no regard to if the video is misleading, has misinformation, or is downright dangerous. When videos containing misinformation are given a spotlight on a site’s front page, it can expose more people to fake news and conspiracies without them knowing the video is fake. This problem is not self-contained to YouTube, fake news and censorship loopholes are becoming an increasing problem in podcasts. In the article “Extremists Use Podcasts to Exploit Social Media Moderation Loophole,” Tali Arbel says “podcasts suffer from the same misinformation problem as other platforms, [but] it’s harder to analyze information from video and audio than text” (Arbel). While people continue to make content for QAnon, it is increasingly important for social media platforms to step up and prevent that content from getting onto people’s feeds. The added difficulty that podcasts present of analyzing audio makes it even easier to spread misinformation and conspiracy rhetoric. Social media platforms have made attempts following the January 6 insurrection to curb the spread of QAnon content. However, popular media forms like podcasts and videos prove that there are far too many loopholes for QAnon believers to get around and spread their content on social media. QAnon came into the public eye on January 6, 2021, when a mob stormed the Capitol to disrupt the results of the 2020 presidential election. However, QAnon did not become a problem in January. The insurrection was a result of years of unchecked spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Republican and rightwing leaders had conditioned their supporters for years to not listen to any bipartisan

news, which primed the Republican party to willingly accept QAnon when it broke into the mainstream. Outlandish and bizarre ideas of secret satanic pedophile rings were allowed to flourish under lax social media moderation. All these components formed to create a dangerous conspiracy that simmered under the surface until the violent insurrection on January 6. QAnon also effectively made long-term impacts on the U.S. political scene by creating distrust and breaking the public’s confidence in their political systems, and while social media platforms have tried to restrict the spread of conspiracy theories on their sites, it is too late to restrain QAnon, and social media platforms need to be held responsible for the damage done over the last four years.

Works Cited Arbel, Tali. “Extremists Use Podcasts to Exploit Loophole in Social-Media Moderation.” Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada], 16 Jan. 2021, p. A14. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/ A648589395/OVIC?u=txshracd2531&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=c52edde9. Accessed 30 June 2021. Argentino, Marc-André. “QAnon and the Storm of the U.S. Capitol: The Offline Effect of Online Conspiracy Theories.” The Conversation, 7 Janary 2021, https:/theconversation.com/qanon-and-the-storm-of-theu-s-capitol-the-offline-effect-of-online-conspiracy-theories-152815. Accessed 30 June 2021. Berkowitz, Reed. “QAnon Resembles the Games I Design. But for Believers, There is No Winning.” Washington Post, 11 May 2021, p. NA. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/ A661433423/OVIC?u=txshracd2531&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=cfed699f. Accessed 19 June 2021. Davies, Dave, and Adrienne LaFrance. “Journalist Enters the World of QAnon: ‘It’s Almost Like a Bad Spy Novel’.” NPR, NPR, 20 Aug. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/08/20/904237192/journalist-enters-the-world-ofqanon-it-s-almost-like-a-bad-spy-novel. Accessed 24 June 2021. Gertz, Matt. “From Pizzagate to the Capitol Riot: How Rightwing Media Extremism Led to the January 6 I Insurrection.” The Progressive, vol. 85, no. 2, Apr.-May 2021, p. 35+. Gale In Context: Opposing View points, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A663176026/OVIC?u=txshracd2531&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid =4f006369. Accessed 21 June 2021. Selk, Avi, and Abby Ohlheiser. “How QAnon, the Conspiracy Theory Spawned by a Trump Quip, Got so Big and Scary.” Washingtonpost.com, 1 Aug. 2018. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, linkg ale.com/apps/doc/A548539827/OVIC?u=txshracd2531&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=7af04935. Acessed 19 June 2021. Shephard, Alex. “YouTube’s Fake News Problem Isn’t Going Away.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/GKF GVF752713647/OVIC?u=txshracd2531&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=358a3239. Accessed 23 June 2021. Originally published as “YouTube’s Fake News Problem Isn’t Going Away,” The New Republic, 23 Feb. 2018.

Proliferated Addiction to Social Media and its Detrimental Effects on the Younger Generation

Shirley McCulloug

In this rapidly developing digital society, we are being subjected to the imminent future of social media irrevocably evolving into the destroyer of its creator. Social media initiates an addiction to a platform that is incessantly distributing an immeasurable amount of propaganda. The fabrication of this all-inclusive addiction to unfiltered media in itself should be a catalyst to implicate restrictions on these social sites, however, it also induces symptoms comparable to drug-related withdrawals. Adolescents with inordinately impressionable minds are being introduced to this explicit content at a crucial developmental age. When we examine the data of life unaccompanied by social media versus the present day we develop a coherent comprehension that a digital world results in inflation in affairs such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, and a decline in communication skills, motivation, and relationships. What does the future hold if we prolong social media usage in this unethical manner? How can we utilize the beneficial attributes of social media to modify these platforms to effectuate a more positive impact? How can we eradicate the addiction and manufacture a constructive tool to further promote our quality of life? The evolution of social media has formed a dependency for countless individuals. While we may postulate that these ramifications are inadvertent, Hannah Schwär, of dailyinsider.com, stated that “several ex-employees of Apple, Google, and Facebook have warned that large tech companies deliberately design apps to be addictive.” Additionally, there is a documentary on Netflix called The Social Dilemma that delivers statements from these former employees reciting the same allegations. This confirms that the addiction to social media is a premeditated response. This fixation can be pernicious because the negative effects are usually undetected, which insinuates that social media is hardly ever correlated with the symptoms we endure, and it is by no means held accountable for its adverse effects. The way your body responds to these meticulously designed sites is often misinterpreted or overlooked for issues that have become normalized amongst numerous individuals like fatigue or anxiety. To further elaborate on the discussion of why it is incredibly difficult to disengage from our devices, an article by Trevor Haynes, for Harvard.edu, provides a more in-depth educational interpretation on the internal mechanisms of the body, and what is inducing this consuming quality. Trevor begins by defining dopamine and when it is released. Dopamine is a chemical produced by our brains that plays a starring role in motivating behavior. It gets released when we take a bite of delicious food, when we have sex, after we exercise, and, importantly, when we have successful social interactions. In an evolutionary context, it rewards us for beneficial behaviors and motivates us to repeat them (Trevor).

He then clarifies how dopamine directly correlates to social media by stating that

Although not as intense as a hit of cocaine, positive social stimuli will similarly result in a release of dopamine, reinforcing whatever behavior preceded it. Cognitive neuroscientists have shown that rewarding social stimuli— laughing faces, positive recognition by our peers, messages from loved ones—activate the same dopaminergic reward pathways. Smartphones have provided us with a virtually unlimited supply of social stimuli, both positive and negative. Every notification, whether it’s a text message, a “like” on Instagram, or a Facebook notification, has the potential to be a positive social stimulus and dopamine influx (Trevor). This external validation has constructed a continuous cycle of instant gratification. The combination of social media and dopamine can also incite a dependency based on external factors such as the lack of social interactions amongst our peers, or the emotions one experiences in their daily routine. Let us take into consideration an individual who is enduring feelings of depression and factor in this release of dopamine. These men and women are capable of instantly accessing media that administers that release. These individuals will then begin to configure attachments to virtual artifacts such as people, games, or the apps providing these videos. Everyone longs for devoted relationships and to be included. Social media offers an environment where anyone may find a place where they belong, it is a world of limitless possibilities. For example, if we experience loneliness we have an immediate connection to someone in the palm of our hands. To further support this claim a scholarly journal article published by Alpha Psychiatry did a study that focused on individuals clinically diagnosed with a mental disorder, and their susceptibility to social media addiction. The results showed that Patients with anxiety disorders (PAD) and patients with depression (PD) were more addicted to social media than healthy controls (HC) despite similar frequencies of social media use. Dependent, histrionic, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, borderline, and paranoid personality features in HC increased the susceptibility to SMA. Borderline and dependent personality features comorbid with PAD increased the susceptibility to SMA study done” (Şentürk E, Geniş B, Coşar B. Social media addiction in young adult patients with anxiety disorders and depression. Alpha Psychiatry. 2021;22(5):257-262). This provisional gratification results in social media being an emotional escape for many individuals. This is where the issue emerges. Social media does not target a particular group. There are numerous components that can formulate a fixation. Anyone who has ever felt a sense of desolation can find solace in a world fabricated for perfection. We have seen that the tech industry purposely modifies platforms to assure our incessant involvement by targeting and manipulating our emotions. On the opposite side of the spectrum is a constant void that is trying to be filled by a temporary solution. How do we make a temporary solution permanent? We repeatedly use the substance to provide an everlasting feeling, but is it everlasting if the void returns when we refrain from the substance. On the surface level, this idea may appear to be an efficacious solution for all the above-mentioned misfortunes, but it is resulting in the collective gravitation to existing predominantly in this virtual artificial world, which in turn causes a decline in communication skills, relationships, and a dissociation from the real world. Social media is creating more problems than it is solving. It is an easy ephemeral solution that we are beginning to pay the price for. The addiction to this digital society is just the commencement of our pivotal destruction. We now have insight into the inner workings of the brain and how it provokes an addiction to social media,

more specifically how employers of these large tech companies are meticulously designing algorithms to exploit our human psychology. I will provide an elaborate exposition on how social media is affecting our quality of life, to illustrate how detrimental an addiction to social media can be. In a scholarly article published by Vladlena Bensona, Chris Handb, and Richard Hartshorne for Behavior and Technology information they provide the example that In their research of social media use by students, LaRose et al. (2011) concluded that compulsive use of web applications has negative academic, personal, and professional consequences, with compulsive use potentially resulting in diminished self-regulation, loss of self-control, and increased dysphoria. Further, compulsive use negatively impacted adjustments to University life, with both academic adjustment and expectations and psychological well-being, negatively influenced by compulsive use (LaRose et al. 2011). Masur et al. (2014) found that social media addiction often resulted in wasting time, diminishing social relations, decreased work and schoolperformance, loss of control, and withdrawal syndrome” (Vladlena Bensona, Chris Handb, and Richard Hartshorne). In the documentary I have previously mentioned, The Social Dilemma, they included a segment providing some statistics on the increased rates of self-harm and suicide in adolescent girls. The data showed that self-harm for girls aged 15 to 19, has increased by 62% since 2009, and for pre-teens aged 10 to 14 there is an increase of 189%. There were similar results for suicide with an increase of 70% in older teenage girls and 151% in pre-teen girls compared with the first decade of the century. This is not only affecting girls, the entire generation is exhibiting a decline in romantic relationships, getting a driver’s license, and going on dates. They are the first generation to develop in a world of social media, furthermore the generation that has exogenous hindrances, such as anxiety, depression, and overall fragility. Social media has noticeably negatively affected our life satisfaction. This is not a theory, this is concrete evidence that correlates the use of social media to poor quality of life. It is imperative to recognize that these effects are not commonly associated with the use of social media. We all postulate that the rising generation is collectively deteriorating, and we have yet to affiliate that these affairs materialized when social media was introduced. In an article published by Caroline Miller for childmindinstitute.org, she mentions extensive justifications of social media’s association with depression and anxiety. Some examples supported by numerous doctors and psychologists include that they spend much less time connecting with their peers in person and more time connecting electronically, principally through social media. Some experts see the rise in depression as e vidence that the connections social media users form electronically are less emotionally satisfying, leaving them feeling socially isolated. Another theory about the increase in depression is the loss of self-esteem, especially in teenage girls, when they compare themselves negatively with artfully curated images of those who appear to be prettier, thinner, more popular, and richer (Caroline Miller). Dr. Hamlet provided an example of a stress-inducing factor by stating that “Basically, multitasking isn’t possible. What you end up doing is really just switching back and forth between two tasks rather quickly. There is a cost to the brain.” What ends up occurring is that an individual will spend more time than needed on said task, which can then additionally lead to procrastination. This culminates in the individual having increased levels of stress due to less free time, less time to complete tasks, or completing tasks last minute.

Now that we have an articulate understanding of how social media is a detriment to the evolution of life, I will shift the focus to how it is inordinately impacting the younger generation, and how critical it is that we implement urgent changes before the ramifications are irrevocable. The age of adolescents engaging in the use of social media is rapidly decreasing. I have outlined a few of the deplorable outcomes social media brought forth, and the affiliation it has with several concerns. We are enabling 10-year-old children whose frontal lobe has not fully developed to engage in this setting with access to all this uncensored content that consists of erotic media, exposure to bullying, and unrealistic standards. According to healthline.com, the frontal lobe is responsible for reasoning and judgment, organization and planning, problem-solving, regulation of emotions and mood, motivation, including evaluating rewards, pleasure, and happiness, impulse control controlling social behaviors. The frontal lobe is one of the last regions of your brain to fully develop. Kids are not able to think logically until about the ages of 7-11. They are being introduced to social media in the most fundamental stage of their life. Children are undeniably incapable of handling the adversities social media presents, and this has been proven with the statistics we supplied on adolescent girls and increased rates of self-harm and suicide. Girls tend to use social media for the validation of their peers or virtual social communications, whereas boys generally use these platforms for entertainment or gaming. Gaming may appear harmless on the spectrum of being exposed to damaging content, but with the advancement in technology, we have seen an increase in gaming with live chats, and even the ability to talk with anonymous participants. Younger children are playing with older teenagers and even adults who are exposing them to unfamiliar mature information, which commences curiosity and exploration. They then use unrestricted platforms that are easy to navigate, even for first-time users, and saturated with false information, to do additional research or to feed into their newly established addiction. They are being placed alone in a room, with no supervision, filled with predators. Countless grown individuals have the opportunity to pose as a young child and manipulate kids, whether that be persuading them to send explicit photos and personal information, or convincing them to meet in person. Another principal issue not specifically regarding young children, but the younger generation (Gen Z) is that they are the first generation to grow up in the age of social media. Gen Z was raised with these addicting platforms, so it may be hard to discern the exponential changes. All of these components combined with an undeveloped frontal lobe is irrefutably a faulty combination. Many adults and parents have become absent-minded while children are simultaneously developing a loss of respect. Older generations can effectuate reform by taking responsibility and regulating the amount of time their children spend on social media. To any child, this will appear as an i nvasion of privacy, and possible feelings of being “treated like a child”, but we have explained the symptoms they encounter when you take their drug-like substance away. They will not be able to view the situation from your perspective, therefore it will presumably result in some form of irritability. I have noticed, however, that the older half of Gen Z who experienced a few vague years of life in the absence of social media are growing more aware that there has been a shift in humanity. It is a collective struggle. A legion of younger individuals are cognizant of this fixation and want out, but they are lost and undirected after years of oppression. Like a drug addict making an effort to be abstinent. The accustom to the instant release of dopamine has caused the real world to lack excitement and appear monotonous, or even appear frightening and intimidating. We need to illustrate that there is more to life than endless scrolling by actively involving them in tech-free activities. Everything has amounted to insignificance. We need to turn back the clock and embed meaning back into life. Once they begin to progressively disconnect from social media and engage

more in interests that bring them true enjoyment they will feel these desires gradually subside, and eventually recognize social media for what it truly is. We exist in an era where life before social media and technology has ceased to exist. This has transpired into the new normal, and it is essential that we do not form a reliance on these platforms compared to previous developments. This is unlike electricity, cars, or modern medicine. These are tools we have utilized to our utmost advantage. They haven’t evolved into a form of manipulation, and with these other creations, we have only seen increased beneficial statistics. They may not be flawless, but the negative consequences are inadvertent. If we continue down the path of not implementing restrictions we will create a bigger issue of normality, and eventually result in being destroyed by a tool we created. Given that life without social media is an unprecedented occurrence for a majority of Gen Z they are not conscious of how carelessly they are utilizing it. These are the future leaders. How can they be in a position to pave a path for the future, and make logical decisions if they are nurtured in an overstimulated environment? The evolution of social media and its effects will continue to develop until the individuals aware of a world previous to social media will become extinct.

Works Cited Schwär, Hannah. “How Instagram and Facebook Are Intentionally Designed to Mimic Addictive Painkill ers.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 11 Aug. 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/facebookhas-been-deliberately-designed-to-mimic-addictive-painkillers-2018-12. says:, Stephen Hartley, et al. “Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A Battle for Your Time.” Science in the News, 4 Feb. 2021, https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones- battle-time/. Şentürk E, Geniş B,Coşar B. Social media addiction in young adult patients with anxiety disorders and de pression. Alpha Psychiatry. 2021;22(5):257-262. Vladlena Benson, Chris Hand & Richard Hartshorne (2019) How compulsive use of social media affects performance: insights from the UK by purpose of use, Behaviour & Information Technology, 38:6, 549-563, DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2018.1539518 “Does Social Media Use Cause Depression?” Child Mind Institute, 17 Nov. 2021, https://childmind.org/article/is-social-media-use-causing-depres sion/

Pirates of the Caribbean

Colton Dillard

“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me. We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot, Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho” (TripSavvy). Singing this iconic tune throughout the classic Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, life-like animatronics create an impressive display of thrilling pirate adventures. After Walt Disney established a universal legacy for himself with the revolutionary production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, he continued to build his entertainment empire. Transforming the industry of animation, Disney desired to do the same to the amusement park. So, he built Disneyland. Behind the scenes of a child’s dream park, Disney put together a playground for the creative people of the world. These people who came to work on Disney’s magnificent wonder were named “Imagineers”. Constantly working with this imaginative team, Walt Disney encouraged his creative crew to design for the future. Reaching back to an old concept of Walt’s, Imagineers brought forth an ambitious pirate voyage. Sadly, this original design would be the last attraction in which Walt Disney was involved. Over thirty years after the Pirates of the Caribbean came to Disneyland, his company, Disney, would produce a film honoring the classic ride. Because he possessed a natural vision for what his innovations could lead to in the future, Disney was always a step ahead.

Pirate Attraction After waiting in line for forty-five minutes, the anticipation for amusement has piled up until finally it is your turn to become a pirate in the Caribbean. The boat begins to move. Slowly, you float through a mysterious swamp, which has an eerie lighting, while a haunting melody of a banjo twangs in your ear. Your vessel keeps drifting along in the water while passing through multiple scenes when suddenly... “BOOM!” A blinding light flashes, resembling cannon fire. When this rioting ride released to the public, people found it so enjoyable that they claimed Pirates of the Caribbean as a Disney must-see. Actually, crowds wanted the ride so much that after Disney World opened without “Pirates”, people were confused and would ask park faculty, “Where is the Pirates of the Caribbean?” In 1973, a slightly shorter version of the attraction opened to the waiting audience in Orlando. Now, throughout the six Disney “castle parks” five versions of the ride may be seen. Although this wonderful Pirates of the Caribbean attraction is quite harmless, one can become so immersed in the story that he or she jumps at a gunshot or starts singing, “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!” Spreading the amusement of Disneyland attractions to a larger audience, Pirates of the Caribbean was a perfect design of the fantastical age of piracy. Although the attraction was loved by the public, the ride still had to be altered due to certain controversial scenes. The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction is known as a dark boat ride, which passengers get to enjoy for an eventful fourteen and a half minutes. Adding to the excitement of the ride, two splashing drops quickly rush the guests deeper into the golden age of a pirate’s life. When the boat begins its voyage, passengers may be confused at passing a Southern plantation and swampy house boats. The reason for this Louisiana setting is due to the attraction’s opening in 1967 on New Orleans Square. Consequently, creators

matched the ride with the land to which it resided. After floating through the plantation, guests sail under a talking skull, which cruelly warns: Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course, mateys. And there be plundering pirates lurking in every cove, waiting to board. Sit closer together and keep your ruddy hands in board. That be the best way to repel boarders. And mark well me words, mateys: Dead men tell no tales! Ye come seeking adventure with salty old pirates, eh? Sure you’ve come to the proper place. But keep a weather eye open mates, and hold on tight. With both hands, if you please. Thar be squalls ahead, and Davy Jones waiting for them what don’t obey (Fandom). Because of the slow movement and lengthy beginning of the attraction, anticipation builds for worried passengers. This effect causes the first drop to become more threatening than it truly is. At the splash, one screams. Transitioning from a wanderer at Disneyland to a 1600’s pirate adventurer, guests are then immersed into excellent storytelling of pirate raids, sea battles, shimmering treasure, dark caves, rum, and catchy songs. When trying to maintain interest in the relatively new amusement park, Disneyland, Imagineers, who had designed other rides such as “Jungle Cruise”, decided on a concept for an attraction paying tribute to the golden age of piracy. Actually, the design of this “Yo-ho” adventure was originally intended to be a wax museum through which people could walk. After the success of a Disney boat ride from the World Fair, the Imagineers quickly redesigned the pirate museum to a pirate voyage. Now, the viewer would become the pirate; not a student being educated on pillagers. Bringing in Xavier Atencio, former animator, to design the ride, Disney told the movie veteran, “Think of it as a cocktail party. You hear pieces over here and pieces over there, but you never get the whole thing. So what? You have to go back (and ride it again)” (Orange County Register). Masterfully planning the angles at which visitors observe the ranging actions of the animatronics, Imagineers provided a way for onlookers to have the opportunity to thoroughly enjoy each scene. Atencio completed his cocktail party. Besides the well-written story, the attraction also consists of enchanting effects. One of the exciting rooms which guests pass closer to the end of the ride is the glorious cavern of treasure, which Imagineers filled with forty thousand shimmering gold coins. Because the Pirates of the Caribbean is a boat ride and has a long duration, 430,000 gallons of water must be used to fill the deep path. Accomplishing the task to amuse both children and adults, Imagineers invented a ride that not only brings charming effects and a brilliant story but also possesses a historic aspect. Since the opening of the classic Pirates of the Caribbean ride in 1967, alterations were made because of changes in society. Consisting of multiple controversial scenes such as lusty pirates desperately chasing frantic women, the ride was viewed to be glorifying offending abominations. The scene with the men chasing the women was changed to the women carrying goods, implying that the men were after the valuables instead of the women. Eventually, the act transitioned to the women chasing the men with rolling pins and other objects. Another part of the attraction fitted to the cries of culture was the notorious “auction” scene. Throughout the town there are many comical pirates completing mischievous deeds, but one which lost laughs as time sailed on was a gag in which foolish pirates cheering, “We wants the red-head!” (Disney Dose) auction off stricken women for brides. Not only did Disney modify the auction to the selling of chickens, but also changed “the red-head” to a new pirate character. Although the concept for the due change seemed needed, the response was mixed when park creators announced an alteration to the Disney attraction. Because this ride was so nostalgic, diehard Disney fans believed the company to be

needlessly giving in to public pressure. Others, however, were relieved. More modifications had been added in 2006, not because of the social changes, but due to an unexpectedly successful film from 2003 which was based on the ride. Throughout the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction many viewers are amazed at the intricate detail. Designing props from complex animatronics to thousands of gold coins, Imagineers tirelessly worked to add an older, adventurous side to Disneyland. Fortunately, the effort paid off, and Disney was miles ahead in the amusement game. Imagineers set a new standard. As a cherished suit must be altered to fit the body as time passes, so must a pirate-themed ride. Although certain scenes were relatively offensive, should Disney have “fitted” history to its liking? Xavier Atencio, creator of the ride, pointed out, “The ride was called ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, not ‘Boy Scouts of the Caribbean’” (Fandom). When faced with the tough decision in which two parties were strongly split on the idea of changing a classic, which was such the case with the Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney stayed consistent with its imaginative theme by adding or creating new characters to fit the story. The most significant thing about the history of this pirate attraction is it proves that Disney is thinking about the next thing, staying ahead of its time.

Pirate Movie Production is on its way while the large crew aids in preparing the actors and actresses for the next shot. Finally, the cave is complete. Wondering if the film will make its way to theaters or if Disney will cut the process, director Gore Verbinski continues forming the props, cast, and special effects to match his vision. Progressively, producers almost stop production until shown concept art for the Pirates of the Caribbean film. Although pirate movies, which Disney has attempted to produce multiple times, have not recently been successful, filming continues. After many close calls, the movie is released nationwide on June 28, 2003. Bringing in $305.4 million domestically, the Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl went on to become a record-breaking franchise consisting of five films as of 2017. Later fans enthusiastically claimed, “The Pirates of the Caribbean movies have become a staple in our pop culture” (Factinate). After being nominated for an Oscar as Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp continued acting throughout the franchise. Since the film has already been released it is easy to observe its success, but prior to the premiere, Pirates of the Caribbean was not a predictable winner. Paying tribute to the classic Disneyland ride and old pirate movies, the Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl revived the interest in the imaginatively “glorious” golden age of the rambunctious scallywags who tormented the seas for centuries. When released, critics praised the movie stating, “Filmmakers draw upon the entire legend and lore of pirate life— of high-seas ambushes, mountains of gold, cruel captains, lusty rogues, feisty damsels, drunken sailors, barroom brawls, ancient curses and furious sword fights” (The Hollywood Reporter). The film begins with Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) stepping onto Port Royal while his boat sinks just before the dock. This comedic introduction immediately captures audience’s attention. Throughout the story the audience realizes that Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) exiled Sparrow to a small island taking his precious ship, The Black Pearl, just prior to the beginning scene. But wait, a curse! As the title implies, there is a curse on the ship that dooms the crew of the Pearl as undead, which is only revealed in moonlight. Excitingly, Sparrow teams up with other main characters to retrieve a valuable medallion. Tensions rise between British sailors and pirate skeletons. Finally, the audience gets to witness the iconic cave scene where an epic sword fight unfurls and the movie reaches its climax.

Although the idea of an attraction-based movie was bound to fail, filmmakers pushed through and produced a classic film which eventually developed into a multi-movie franchise. Casting a perfect crew of actors and actresses is an essential ingredient in any movie recipe and certainly was for this character-heavy film. Although everyone knows Johnny Depp as playing the perfect Jack Sparrow, there were other preferences for the role at first such as Matthew McConaughey and Jim Carrey. Fortunately, Depp was picked for the part and was later able to contract $90 million for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Reviewers of Captain Jack Sparrow describe the character as such, “Depp plays his charming rascal in the lightheaded manner of a man who has either been in the sun too long or knows something no one else does” (The Hollywood Reporter). Interestingly, Depp based his portrayal of the captain on famous musician Keith Richards, who actually played Sparrow’s father in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. After his performance Depp was nominated for an Oscar. Playing the other lead pirate, Captain Barbossa, Geoffrey Rush became so passionate in the Caribbean environment that he never wished to take off his captain’s hat. Keira Knightley, who acted as Elizabeth Swann, was only seventeen years old when Curse of the Black Pearl was filmed. Because Knightley was a minor, her mother had to be on set throughout production. The part for Will Turner, a young man with pirate blood who hates pirates, was narrowed down to Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom. Because of the recent success of Bloom as Legolas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bloom was given the role. Adding to these perfect casting choices, the group of side characters consists of a comedic crew with a man who always chases his glass eyeball and another who owns a parrot that speaks for him. When creating the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, filmmakers needed to capture the audience with intriguing storytelling, incredible special effects, and nostalgic tie-ins to the classic ride which started it all. With a clever touch of creativity, writers included the iconic attraction scenes: the hopeful inmates coaxing a mischievous dog, which has keys to the cell dangling from its jaw; a tavern full of wenches; and, some believe “the smartest borrowing” (The Hollywood Reporter), the bone-chilling living skeletons. Actually, producers at first entitled the movie Pirates of the Caribbean but then later added Curse of the Black Pearl just in case the film succeeded and there would be sequels. That was a clever call! Searching far and wide for the best locations for filming, directors sometimes picked extremely remote locations to achieve the authentic eighteenth century pirate feel. The locations were sometimes so remote that for the production of Dead Men’s Chest, which was the sequel to Curse of the Black Pearl, Disney was forced to pave roads for transportation on the island. When filming On Stranger Tides became wet and stormy, Johnny Depp spent $60,000 on waterproof jackets for the five hundred man crew. Not only was the scenery impressive, but the special effects required true craftsmanship. Stellan Skarsgard, actor of the cursed pirate Bootstrap, had to stay still for four hours daily while his barnacle appearance was applied. After the Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl was released, the film met audiences’ hopes of amazing special effects, exceptional storytelling, and beautiful allusions to the original amusement park attraction. Filming a pirate adventure based on a beloved attraction, Disney felt skeptical due to relevant box office flops such as Treasure Planet and Country Bears. After the surprising success of the “Pirate” movies, some viewers pointed out, “Honestly, it seems pretty amazing that this movie ever got made at all” (Factinate). However, the success of the film was not achieved by pure luck. It took lots of work. Casting the right people for the right roles is difficult. The choice of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow may be one of the best casting calls in movie history. Although the Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl was released in 2003, the film’s special effects, which are a combination of physical and digital, are still impressive. Consequently, one appreciates the interesting story, the thrilling action, the mesmerizing scenery, the

captivating romance, and, at its best, the perfect twist of pirate myths and mystery. Not only should the audience appreciate the well created film, but they should also recognize the long history of production. For although Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl premiered in 2003, Walt Disney was pondering the idea of a pirate attraction long before the movie’s release. Again, he was ahead of his time. When creating the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, Walt Disney was not only adding to his fantastical park for the people of his day, but also for the generations to come. He reminded Imagineers and all alike, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world” (Goodreads). The creation of the Pirates of the Caribbean revealed Disney’s belief that to laugh like a child was especially important in adult life. Amazingly, this idea would be accepted in the future. After Walt Disney passed away Imagineers found that he had always been a step ahead. Being a futuristic in technology, story, and theme, Disney had built a beloved attraction with historic origins, which inspired a pirate blockbuster film franchise to be produced. These two projects reveal Disney’s “step ahead.” As he had a talent for revolutionizing theme park environments and film concepts, so he continued with Pirates of the Caribbean. The most significant aspect about the Pirates of the Caribbean is the parallel its history has with Disney’s hopes, dreams, and imagination.

Bibliography “42 Swashbuckling Facts About The Pirates of The Caribbean Movies.” Factinate, 2018, www.factinate.com/ things/42-swashbuckling-facts-pirates-caribbean-movies/ Brookshier, Lindsay. “Pirates of the Caribbean: A 50 Year History of Reflecting Modern Culture.” Disney Dose, 2018, disneydose.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-history/ “Disney Legend, whose work is heard every day in ‘Pirates,’ ‘Haunted Mansion’ songs, dies at 98” Orange County Register, 2017, www.ocregister.com/2017/09/11/disney-legend-whose-work-is-heardevery-day-in-pirates-haunted-mansion-songs-dies-at-98/ “Pirates of the Caribbean (attraction).” Fandom, disney.fandom.com/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_ (attraction) “‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ THR’s 2003 Review.” The Hollywood Reporter, 2017, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/pirates-caribbean-curse-black-pearl-thrs2003review-1005193 Sheetz, Janelle. “Everything You Need to Know About Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean Ride!” the disney food blog, 2020,https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/06/11/everything-you-need-to-knowabout-disneys-pirates-of-the-caribbean-ride/“Walt Disney Quotes.” Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/walt-disney Malloy, Betsy. “Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean: What to Know.” TripSavvy, 2019, https://www.tripsavvy. com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-4086546

IMF: No Strings Attached?

Aleeha Chaudhry

Introduction

International Monetary Fund is an organization working with 189 countries to ensure economic stability, facilitate international trade, and reduce poverty. International Monetary Fund completes its mission by keeping a track of global economies, by lending money and by ensuring practical assistance to its members that suffer from balance of payment’s difficulties. After the Bretton Woods conference (1970s), it appeared that some of these aims had been outmoded. Economic stability is not only linked to the financial problems which a country faces, but this aspect is also well connected to issues including unemployment, inflation and political instability. To assist countries to implement feasible economic plans, the key functions of investigation and lending are taken up by the IMF. This is the explanation given by the IMF for the conditions that underlay it’s lending procedures. Despite being the only source of funds for several countries, IMF is viewed as an organization with not an entirely positive objectives directed towards its debtors. It is reported through an article by ‘Business Standard’ that 86% of the loan is owed to IMF by its top ten recipients which include Ukraine, Portugal, Greece, Ireland, and Pakistan. This article was published in 2015, which implies that it is based on recent events that make this source reliable. Puneet Wadhwa, the author of this article, is a senior associate editor at the Business Standard and is a news reporter with a history of working in news platforms. Therefore, I believe that this source is reliable. Many developing countries are highly dependent on the loans that are given to them by the IMF but along with this assistance, they face an increased risk of a debt crisis as they are unable to payback their loans. According to an article of the Financial Times which is based on a recent research of IMF, since 2013, the median ratio of public debt to the gross domestic product in low-income countries has risen 13% points to hit 47% in 2017. This source is reliable as the author, Kate Allen, is a specialist in sovereign debt and the article was published very recently. Due to the strings attached to IMF’s funding, I chose this topic for my research report. The two issues that this research report will address are how the IMF forces countries to adopt policies of its interest and the dominance of the United States of America in the Bank.

Inappropriate policies of the IMF

Evidence suggests that the IMF bailouts cause an economic crisis as the debtor governments are forced to implement hostile policies which cause further dependency on IMF. ‘The Guardian’ states that Latvia missed a 200-million-euro payment of funds from the IMF for not compromising on its budget. (Weisbrot,2009). This source is reliable because the author received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan. The government of Latvia wanted to run an economical deficit of 7% of GDP, had already cut its budget down by 40% and had also planned to shut down several educational institutes to

meet the IMF’s goal which was to run a budget deficit of 5% of the GDP. This action by the government gave birth to protests and Latvia’s GDP declined by 18%. This decline in GDP makes it evident that IMF’s conditions are a threat to its borrowers. When IMF saw the Pakistani economy in decline, it agreed to increase Pakistan’s fiscal deficit to 4.6% of GDP but still held an uncompromising attitude against the reduction of interest rates. By implementing their blanket policies, IMF has been unsuccessful in recognizing the dynamics of the countries that they have worked with. This argument can be linked to the 1990s when IMF made the Central Banks of Kenya independent of the control over country’s capital, after intervening it (in 1990), as an excuse to end money laundering and corruption. Joseph Stiglitz, who completed his PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, criticizes IMF policies by saying, “IMF was not participating in a conspiracy, but it was reflecting the interests and ideology of the Western financial community.” The achievements of Joseph in economics make this information reliable. This quotation was published in 2016 in an article of the ‘Economics Help’, written by Tejvan Pettinger who studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University. Adding on, IMF is criticized due to a lack of transparency. According to Financial Times, Jeffrey Sachs, the head of the Harvard Institute for International Development, states that the IMF only addresses the issues related to transparency orally as it provides no public documentation of its decisions, except for brief press speeches. Sachs completed his Ph.D. in economics from the Harvard University, this source is reliable.

I believe that to solve these problems which unfairly burden countries, it is pertinent for the IMF to release annual reports for all its missions and programs, thereby, ensuring transparency. This will further help to draw a comparison between the situation before IMF’s funding and after it. Moreover, rather than just laying focus on securing the macroeconomic policies, it should equally focus on the causes that could cause a similar crisis in the future. In addition to this, IMF should implement policies that are targeting long term as well as short term solutions. This will help the aim to be achieved in a faster and more efficient manner.

Domination of the United States of America on the IMF

The United States is the most influential of the IMF’s members which results in it getting the most voting rights. It comprises around a fifth of all votes as it is the largest investor, but this also has a hand in the policies that IMF implements. North American environmentalist, Bruce Rich, says in his book on the World Bank that the U.S.A joysticks almost all the policies of the World Bank and even the negotiations with the main capitalist countries under its leadership. Rich is an American writer, and a lawyer who writes about the environment of developing countries, therefore, this information is reliable. There are certain examples that further support Bruce’s statements. Firstly, Fund was pressurized by the United States to extend credits to Argentina in the 1990s (Killick, 1998). Since Anthony Killick studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the Oxford University and served as a member of Royal Economic Society, this source can be relied upon. Adding on, during the presidency of President Ronald Reagan, IMF was forced to extend a 3.9 billion credit to Mexico (Cohen,1985) and during 1995, the government of Bill Clinton forced the Fund to aid Mexico. This is reliable as Daniel Cohn is a French economist and a senior advisor at The Bank Lazard. The top management of the IMF also spends a large amount of time consulting with the U.S.A than with any other country. The US involvement in the Bank’s affairs can be traced back to the Bretton Woods

conference when the location of the headquarters was to be decided. John Maynard Keynes (a well-known English economist) openly urged IMF and the Bank’s headquarters to be situated away from Congress and the US embassies. Keynes initially tried to encourage the participants to choose London as the final location. Realizing the situation of London at that time, he avoided Washington by proposing New York as another option. Henry Morgenthau, the secretary of the US Treasury, responded that it was essential to shift the head office from London to the US Treasury because at the end of World War II the British Empire was still prominent in London. Bank was initially created to ensure reconstruction of the countries affected by World War II. For this, the US preferred to launch the Marshall Plan for its own benefits because in this way it could totally control processes and make donations to whomever they liked (Toussaint, 2014). Eric Toussaint completed his Ph.D. in Political science from the Paris VIII and Lièg University, thereby, making this source reliable. Since the start of operations, the policies of the World Bank were determined by the context of the Cold war and US interests in this regard. Moving on, since its origin, the President of the World Bank has always been an American citizen that is proposed by the US government itself. Another great example of US’ dominance in the World Bank is the right of veto. Catherine Gwin (the author of US relations with the World Bank 1945-92) says, “The United States is also the dominant member of the Bank’s board - but only in part, it is the lead shareholder. Formally, most Bank decisions, including those affecting lending levels and loan allocations, require a simple majority vote of the board.” The author continues, “Decisions are, however, often worked out between the United States and Bank management before they ever get to the board, or among members of the board before they get to a vote. And most board decisions are taken by consensus. It is the weight of its voice, therefore, more than the exercise of its vote that gives the United States effective power on the board.” This shows that despite that possibility of countering the high voting shares of USA, it is unlikely to happen because most of the decisions are made beforehand. Increasing influence on IMF causes the significance of dollar to increase all over the world. Since the past ten years, two-thirds of foreign exchange reserves of countries have been in US dollars. It is also labeled as “reserve currency status”. This further causes the United States to run higher trade deficits which leaves a long-term financial impact and results into a currency crisis. I believe that to counter the influence of the United States, IMF should ensure that all the decisions are carried out in the presence of all its member states. It should be ensured that the voting rights have minimal, or no say in how its policies are drafted. This will give an equal chance to all its members in consultation and will not only benefit the countries such as the USA and the UK which are its main investors. However, certain incentives such as more voting rights for more investing countries should be given as these countries are the sole reason why IMF does not go bankrupt.

Conclusion

To conclude, it can be said that the IMF and the World Bank have certain problematic policies that are prevalent in some of the developing countries. The problem with these policies is this that they burden countries with more than they can repay and in return ask for policies to be implemented in their own favor. Funds justifies the allocation of loans on purely financial grounds but as mentioned earlier, the policies of lending capital are firstly determined by the involvement of the US government in the businesses of the IMF, mainly due to its political objectives. Catherine Gwin, who supports the US influence on the IMF, from the

Washington standpoint, says, “Although one need not dispute the Bank’s economic policy assessments of Allende’s Chile, Vietnam, and Nicaragua under the Sandinistas, it is worth noting that equally harsh assessments could have been made, but were not, of Somoza’s Nicaragua, Marcos’s Philippines, and Mobutu’s Zaire, regimes that were all important cold war allies of the United States.” However, I believe that Catherine’s claims are biased as she has worked at the World Bank from 2001 – 2007. This information can be relied upon as this was mentioned in an interview with Catherine in 2010. I believe that to some extent, the highest contributors are bound to have influence over the IMF because they invest the money which keeps the funding cycle continuous but at the same time, IMF’s policies should not completely be directed towards the US’, or any other countries’, interest as the main goal of the Fund is to promote stability and not to increase the influence of some affluent countries over the developing countries.

Bibliography

“CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT.” IMF, www.imf.org/en/Capacity-Development/what-we-do. Wadhwa, Puneet. “Top 10 Debtor Countries Owe 86% of Total IMF Loans.” Business Standard, Business Standard, 6 July 2015, www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/top-10-debtor-coun tries-owe-86-of-total-imf-loans-115070600274_1.html. Allen, Kate. “IMF Warns of Mounting Debt Crisis Risk in Poor Countries.” Financial Times, Financial Times, 22 Mar. 2018, www.ft.com/content/0b875b52-2d26-11e8-9b4b-bc4b9f08f381. Weisbrot, Mark. “Latvia’s EU Handcuffs | Mark Weisbrot.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 Jan. 2010, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jan/15/latvia-economy-eu-imf. Pettinger, Tejvan. “Criticisms of IMF.” Economics Help, 28 Nov. 2016, www.economicshelp.org/ blog/glossary/imf-criticism/. Bruce. “Foreclosing the Future: The World Bank and the Politics of Environmental Destruction.” Bibliovault. org, 2013 www.bibliovault.org/BV.book.epl?ISBN=9781610911849. Oatley, Thomas. “American Interests and IMF Lending.” Wiki Leaks, Wiki Leaks, 2004, wikileaks.org/gifiles/ attach/101/101571_oatley_yackee.pdf. Press, Associated. “Reagan Calls for ‘Global Economy’: $12-Billion Rescue Plan for Mexico Takes Shape at IMF.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sept. 1986, articles.latimes.com/1986-09-30/news/ mn-10327_1_global-economy. Toussaint, Eric. “Domination of the United States on the World Bank.” CADTM, 1 Sept. 2014, www.cadtm. org/spip.php?page=imprimer&id_article=2194. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 16 Aug. 2014, www. economist.com/books-and-arts/2014/08/16/everybody-wants-to-rule-the-world. Lagna, Andrea. “The IMF and American Power.” E-International Relations, www.e-ir.info/2012/08/09/theimf-and-american-power/.