General instructions: You need to write in complete sentences for this assignment (with the exception of references of course). Please submit this assignment as a word document or pdf using APA style on Carmen. Formatting your paper in APA style means that you should include the following: a title page, running heads, page numbers, double-spaced texts, indentation, one-inch margins (default setting), and a reference list on a separate page if any.  You do NOT need to include an abstract, introduction, or conclusion for all papers in this course.

The body of your paper should NOT go over 3 pages (excluding the reference page).

Part 1

Theories and models explain real life phenomena. For this part of the assignment, you will apply a theory, model, or effect that we learned about to your own experiences or observations. You may choose a theory, model, or effect we discussed in Week 3, or you may choose a different one from your readings. Describe how each part of this theory, model, or effect applies to a situation you have personally observed or experienced. For example, you might describe how the hyperpersonal model applies to your friend meeting someone on Tinder and developing a relationship. Your experience may be perfectly described by the theory, model, or effect. But, it is okay if your experiences or observations do not fit perfectly with the theory, model, or effect. In this case, you can point out parts of the theory or model that could be improved based on what you experienced or observed. You may have to look up additional information about your theory, model, or effect. If you do, please cite your sources.

Part 2

Later in this course, you will need to know how to find academic sources of information about communication technology. For this part of the assignment, you will practice finding these sources. Specifically, you need to find one peer-reviewed journal article about a communication technology of your choice (e.g., video games,  cell phones, virtual reality, social media). In your submission, you need to 1) provide an APA style citation for the article (either the 6th or 7th edition of APA is fine), 2) briefly summarize the article, and 3) explain what this article can teach us about the communication technology you chose. Please keep your responses to this part brief, ideally no more than two paragraphs.

Here are some resources that might help you with this part of the assignment:

Purdue OWL APA
APA Style Blog
How to read a journal article (& save yourself some time)Preview the document
Searching for academic papers: Using Library Research Databases.pptxPreview the document
The textbook (it has references lists that contain journal articles you might be able to use for this assignment. You would still need to look up the actual article and read it though.)
Grading Criteria

Grading will be based on…

The connection of course material to your responses (especially for part 1)
Your ability to critically think about the topics and provide novel insights
The quality and clarity of your responses to the prompt
The use of correct grammar and punctuation
Whether or not citations were provided and whether or not they were formatted properly according to APA style
Whether or not you addressed all parts of the prompt and met deadlines
Whether or not you generally followed instructions

The first part need to be addressed by using Agenda setting theory Topics covered in media influence what people think is important —> media tells us what to think about, not what to think. For example, COVID-19 has received much media coverage in the last two months, they may not change your opinions on COVID-19, but will definitely make you think that it is IMPORTANT.