Culture Today Research Articles

Ayurvedic management of Amalpitta - A Case Report

Amlapitta is one of the most prevalent diseases in today's culture. It can be found in people of diverse ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and communities. Amlapitta is the most common illness in the modern period. Because of indulgence in incompatible food habits and activities, Amlapitta is the most common disorder in today's fast increasing culture. Materialistic lifestyles drive people to lead hectic, stressed lives with little regard for good eating habits. Hyperacidity is a condition that occurs when the stomach produces too much acid. The defining characteristics of Amlapitta are described in classical Ayurvedic books as Avipaka (indigestion), Urodaha (chest burning), Utklesha (nausea), Aruchi (anorexia), and Tikta-Amlodgara (sour and bitter belching). A 38-year-old male patient arrived at the outpatient department complaining of burning in his chest, sour eructation, anorexia, etc. Vitals are normal at the time of the examination. Based on this, the patient was treated with Kamadudha rasa, Avipattikar churana, Hingavashtak Choorna, and Sutshekar Rasa. It was advised to the patient to follow up every fifteen days. The patient was instructed to keep to dietary and lifestyle guidelines in addition to taking medication.

Nurturing Youth: Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Skincare Marketing.

In today's beauty-obsessed culture, children are increasingly targeted by skincare marketing, raising significant ethical concerns. The trend of children adopting skincare routines focused on anti-aging and skin lightening impacts their mental health and self-esteem, often imposing unattainable beauty standards. Marketing practices in the digital age frequently violate the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Framework for Responsible Marketing Communication. Disparities in skincare marketing particularly affect children in low- and middle-income countries. There is an urgent need for stringent regulations, enhanced media literacy education, and ethical marketing practices to safeguard young consumers and prioritize their well-being and dignity.

Immigrants and their children assimilate into US society and the US economy, both in the past and today.

We contribute to the public debate on immigration policy in the United States by providing a long-term, empirical perspective. We develop a novel method of linking individuals across historical Census waves to trace the lives of millions of immigrants in the past and compare their outcomes with immigrants today. We document that upward mobility is just as possible for immigrants today as it was in the early 20th century, and that children of immigrant parents catch up to and frequently exceed the economic outcomes of the children of US-born parents. By our measures, immigrants as a group are no more likely to be incarcerated than those born in the United States, and they assimilate into American culture today at rates comparable to historical standards. Attitudes toward immigrants today are more positive than a century ago, albeit more polarized by political party.

Navigating the green beauty boom: Unveiling the influence of social media on consumer behavior in the organic cosmetics industry

It has been evident in the recent years that the natural and organic segment particularly in the beauty industry is steadily growing with people’s awareness of the health effects of using natural products. Today, social networks are the main driving force affecting consumer attitude and their behavior concerning this sector. This paper will seek to evaluate the utility of social media and the purchase pattern in the organic cosmetics sector. The ‘literature review outlines several that have led to what is commonly referred to as the ‘green beauty boom’ The theoretical framework entails theories from the marketing channel that regards consumer behavior within the social media and eWOM contexts. The research designed consisted of a written self- administered survey and face- to face interviews with fifteen consumers of organic beauty products within the age range of 18-35 years whereby data was gathered and analyzed qualitatively by the use of thematic analysis. Stylized facts also establish how the content on social media platforms and reviews influence distinct stages in the consumer decision process of organic cosmetics. Of all the mentioned evaluative resources, those commonly used by consumers include resources accessed from social media sites. Moreover, as to the communities of people, who are interested in organic lifestyles or natural products influencing the degree of positive attitudes in the usage of natural ingredients and environmental sources. Consequently, the author discusses the subsequent marketing implications for the brands based on the paper and provides ideas for the subsequent brand development, the opportunities, and the possible ethical issues that should be considered by brands in the context of this area. From this study further research can be made to contribute to the mass pool of data that helps in understanding new media that constitutes consumer culture today.

Popular Culture in Social Media & Online Games: Between Morality, Fear, and Expectations from Families and Schools

Aim. This article aims to present the meanings given by families and schools in viewing popular culture in social media and online games, and the implications for children. Important questions in this study include the relevance of educational values, concerns, fears and hopes of families and schools in viewing popular culture today. Methods. Phenomenology to explore how families and schools interpret the presence of popular culture in children's lives. Results. Families and schools agree that compared to the positive benefits, popular culture has more negative effects on children. Concerns related to children's imitation nature, such as imitating various popular content on social media and online games and practising them in the real world. Families and schools fear of negative popular content will appear algorithmically and randomly on children's social media or online game homepages. All parties hope that the Indonesian government has the firmness to limit the intensity of use and the type of content consumed by children. Conclusion. Popular culture is inseparable from children's lives today, as social media and online games have become new spaces for them. Despite knowing this, families and schools still suffer from worry and fear of the negative effects of popular culture on children. The control exercised by families and schools still provides a gap for negative popular culture to enter when children operate social media and online games. Therefore, moral teachings are needed for families and schools to ask the government to be actively involved in limiting children's consumption of popular culture.

Editorial: Exploring the interdisciplinary intersection of communication and culture in today's mediated world

Editorial: Exploring the interdisciplinary intersection of communication and culture in today's mediated world

Media framing of far-right extremism and online radicalization in esport and gaming

Gaming adjacent platforms have created an expanding ecosystem of online gaming, esport, and social media actors sharing online space, content, communication tools, and users. Esport, in particular, has grown beyond all expectations and is now a global leader in sport fandom and spectatorship. At the same time, the online infiltration and influence of far-right extremism have resulted in increased challenges of online radicalization. Gaming and esport form a foundational part of youth digital culture today, and this has provided a fertile ground for far-right extremist groups to communicate and connect with users globally. This paper uses framing theory and qualitative document analysis to examine how media articles frame the relationship between far-right extremism and esport. The findings enhance our understanding of how narratives of far-right extremist influence in esport and gaming are framed in the media and how this coverage shapes contemporary societal discussion. This is important because as far-right extremism continues to be propagated and performed in esport and gaming spaces, how this is framed to public audiences can have a critical influence on esport and gamer identities, victimization or criminalization of online spaces, and future activities or approaches to counter radicalization within the online environment.

Looking back on the fragile extended self

Thompson’s article in Marketing Theory on Belk’s canonical Extended Self provides an analysis of the institutional legacy of key milestones in the development of cultural consumer research. This commentary critically reflects on the implication of Thompson’s arguments regarding ontological bridge building to consider some of the factors and choices that constrain intellectual trajectories in the field to ask what future directions and bridge building potentials exist for consumer researchers investigating consumer culture today.

The coherent emergentist concept of machines; or why the popular concept of artificial intelligence is a materialist anthropomorphism

The concept of artificial intelligence is very popular in both science and culture today. Similarly, the concept of emergence has become quite popular during the last decades in the sciences. For example, it is commonplace in the case of machines to speak of an overall blueprint and several different material components; thus, we can regard the blueprint as a kind of comprehensive emergent additive. However, is it true then that the machine, due to this plus component, is not material? Practically nobody wants to acknowledge that. Still, in practice, there are no machines without added blueprints. In my paper, based on Samuel Alexander’s original concept of emergence, I will investigate these problems and contradictions, which stem from the materialist interpretation of the concept, and I will present a coherent emergentist concept of machines, according to which machines are clearly a unique kind between simple material things and living beings.

In Search of Javanese Language and Culture in Today’s Youths (Indonesian Students’ Context)

In Search of Javanese Language and Culture in Today’s Youths (Indonesian Students’ Context)

How strenuous is esports? Perceived physical exertion and physical state during competitive video gaming.

Esports or competitive video gaming is a rapidly growing sector and an integral part of today's (youth) culture. Esports athletes are exposed to a variety of burdens, that can potentially impact an athlete's health and performance. Therefore, it is important that esports athletes are aware of (physical) burden and exertion associated with esports. For this purpose, a study was conducted to evaluate the influence of competitive video gaming on the perceived physical exertion and the perceived physical state (PEPS). Thirty-two healthy male esports athletes participated in two competitive video gaming sessions lasting 90-120 min, interrupted by a 10-minute passive sitting break. Repeated measures of perceived physical exertion (Borg Categorial Ratio-10 scale) and perceived physical state were recorded before, during, and after each video game session. Repeated measures ANOVA and Friedman's test were used for statistical analysis. The results showed a significant difference in all dimensions of the PEPS (p < 0.05) as well as in Borg scale (p < 0.001). Post-hoc tests revealed significant increases in Borg scale between baseline measurements (T0: 1.0 ± 1.0) and after the first competitive video gaming session (T1: 2.4 ± 1.3, p < 0.001), as well as after the second competitive video gaming session (T3: 3.0 ± 1.7, p < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significant reduction in perceived exertion between the measurement time after the first competitive video gaming session (T1) and the break (T2: 1.3 ± 1.2, p < 0.001). The PEPS dimensions activation, trained, and mobility showed similar significant changes in post-hoc analysis. The results indicate that the perceived physical burden significantly increases during esports participation. As the duration of competitive video gaming extends, the perceived physical state decreases and perceived physical exertion increases. A passive break between two video game sessions can at least partially restore physical exertion and physical state. However, this break neither returns the scores to their baseline levels nor prevents a further decline in scores during the second video game session. Over time and with a lack of observation, this could result in health and performance limitations.

POLIGAMI DI PERLIS: SATU TINJAUAN

Marriage with a number of spouses is called polygamy. The meaning of this phrase runs against to the idea of monogamous marriage. Because a polygamous application in Shariah courts is officially rejected, polygamous marriages that are forbidden by Sharia law may also spontaneously become polygamous without authorization. Polygamy has emerged as a contentious topic in today's culture that elicits strong feelings from people. Nevertheless, there have to be causes for polygamy to occur. This article seeks to shed light on the aspects of polygamy in this nation, particularly in the state of Perlis. Both content analysis and qualitative approaches are used to analyse this paper writing process. Since Perlis is a small state in comparison to other states, an increase in polygamy cases occasionally adds to a bad image regarding the state's society. Therefore, in order to better understand the community, it is important to identify what the factors contributing to the incidence of polygamy instances in this nation's society?

Analysis of Relationship between Religion and Vietnamese Culture Today and Prediction of Some Religious Security Trends in the Coming Time

Religion is a part of the spiritual life of society, a superstructure phenomenon moving and changing strongly at all times along with the socio-economic development of any country. In recent times, the religion in Vietnam has had a great influence on traditional customs and practices in both directions: positive and negative. On the one hand, it contributes to restoring many good traditional customs and practices of the nation, contributing to changing the lifestyle and behavior of a part of the people; On the other hand, the religion revives many outdated depraved customs and practices, deforming and fading some traditional customs and practices. These impacts have been posing many problems to be resolved for Vietnam in the process of building and developing the country in the new era. Vietnam has been being in the process of increasingly deepening international integration, which is expected to continue to cause many difficulties and obstacles for State management of religion, because religious activities are often associated with cultural activities. Cultural diversity leads to religious diversity.

Teachers’ Insight: Evaluating Academic Culture in Today’s Schools

Teachers’ Insight: Evaluating Academic Culture in Today’s Schools

From Tradition to Innovation Brand Communication: A Model of Success in Purposeful Branding-Heaven Gaia

This paper delves into the rise of purposeful branding in the context of China's evolving economy and global market demand for Chinese cultural elements in clothing design. Uses Heaven Gaia as a successful case study, highlighting its commitment to Chinese design and cultural heritage. The concept of brand purpose is explored, distinguishing it from marketing goals, and emphasizing its role in building brand awareness, storytelling, and long-term brand image. The paper discusses the importance of marketing strategies in creating short-term buzz and brand recognition, while brand purpose focuses on sustainable growth and consumer trust. Furthermore, also examines the challenges and opportunities for purposeful brands in today's culture, emphasizing the need for brands to adapt to changing market dynamics and consumer preferences. The collaboration between Heaven Gaia and Florasis is cited as an example of successful brand crossovers, showcasing the potential for innovative marketing approaches.

TRANSMEDIA STORYTELLING OF HINDI CINEMA: A CASE STUDY OF YASH RAJ FILMS

This study aims to explore the concept of transmedia storytelling in Hindi cinema, specifically in the film Ra.One (Anubhav Sinha) and the Dhoom series. Transmedia storytelling is the practice of telling a story across multiple media platforms, and it has become increasingly popular in today's culture due to technological advancement. These films were chosen for analysis because of their widespread popularity and extensive transmedia extensions, which make them prime examples of how Hindi cinema uses multi-platform storytelling. The research investigates how these films effectively employ transmedia techniques to tell stories suitable for multiple media channels. The study will employ textual and narrative analysis methodologies to delve into the transmedia elements employed in Ra.One and the Dhoom series. Additionally, the study will examine the economic logic of transmedia storytelling integrated into the studio business model of Hindi cinema, contributing to a deeper understanding of the relationship between media convergence, narrative techniques, and industry practices. This analysis aims to shed light on the strategic deployment of transmedia storytelling in Hindi cinema and its implications for audience engagement and industry dynamics.

ANALISIS PERSEPSI MASYARAKAT DUNIA TERHADAP VIRTUAL YOUTUBER YANG MENAWARKAN PENGALAMAN KEKASIH

This research investigates the global public's perception of the phenomenon of Virtual YouTubers (VTubers) who offer romantic experiences such as "boyfriend" or "girlfriend experience." Involving sentiment analysis, this study collected and classified 1623 comments from social media platforms using the Microsoft Azure algorithm. The analysis results indicate that the majority of the public holds a negative view of such relationships, depicting the complexity of social interactions in the digital world. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the impact of VTubers' phenomenon in the context of parasocial relationships. The research recommends increased discussions through other social platforms and the development of more advanced sentiment analysis models for a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. The research findings emphasize the relevance and complexity of VTubers' phenomenon in today's digital culture, highlighting the importance of developing social understanding of human interactions in a virtual context.

Budaya Thrifting dalam Membentuk Daya Konsumsi Remaja

Thrifting has become a popular culture in contemporary society because it contains branded goods that are the favorite of teenagers. Branded goods available in thrifting are offered at low prices, making many people target them. However, their interest in branded goods is not only to fulfill their body needs, but is more inclined to self-image in social life. With many people wanting to image themselves through branded goods, thrifting has become a popular culture today, especially among teenagers. Without realizing it, they are playing with the signs and symbols in the clothes, so that teenagers' consumption is shaped by the desire for sign value. The purpose of this research is to describe the symbol games that occur in thrifting culture and lead to their desire to get it, so that the original reality is replaced with a fake reality. This research uses a qualitative method, the approach used is phenomenology which is used to understand the symbol games in individuals involved in thrifting culture.

THE URGENCY OF IMPLEMENTING FAITH EDUCATION IN CHILDREN

The decline in religious activity among young people in many countries and the influence of secularization in today's culture highlight the urgency of faith education. Data shows a trend of declining religious involvement among younger generations, and in some communities, the challenges of maintaining faith in an increasingly secular culture are becoming more pronounced. Harvey Cox proposed the concept of secularization as liberation from the influence of religion and metaphysical thought, with an emphasis on the difference between secularization and secularism. This approach creates space for a deeper understanding of religious values and the application of these values in everyday life. Faith education is the key to overcoming this challenge. In the Islamic context, faith education helps bridge the gap between secularization and religious values, enabling young generations to understand and integrate their beliefs in the context of an increasingly secular world. This approach is not just about replacing religion but rather about developing freer thinking in living the world. Keywords: Islamic faith education, secularism, social problems

Superstitions of composure: the Ayn Rand cult and the pop-psychology of self-esteem.

Ayn Rand is known as an advocate of rugged individualism and unregulated capitalism, which has led to a scholarly focus on her influence on neoliberal and right-wing politics. This article focuses on the psychologically unrealistic conceptualisation of self-esteem in Rand's ethics, which arguably prevails in today's self-help culture. Rand endorsed Nathaniel Branden, her acolyte and lover, as official therapist for her circle. In this role, he promoted the positive effects of living according to Randian principles on mental health. Rand's so-called objectivism therefore provides not only a questionable philosophical framework for neoliberal politics but also, and perhaps predominantly for its followers, a set of guidelines for the project of self-optimisation. The fact that Rand's ideal of radical self-sufficiency is ultimately psychologically unliveable makes its use in applied psychotherapy ineffective and harmful. The article offers a cultural-historical case study about the ideological entanglements of philosophy and pop-psychological concepts and of clinical malpractice.