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Table of contents

1. Introduction
2. Service Learning Reflection
3. Conclusion
4. Works Cited

Introduction

In this paper I evaluate the impact of poverty on children and families and the ways in which a community can help change these conditions of marginalization. As of 2014 there are 14.7 million poor children in the United States, which is “the second highest child poverty rate among 35 industrialized countries despite having the largest economy in the world” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2015). This means that there are 14.7 million children in the US who have increased risk of experiencing health problems, hunger and poor nutrition, developmental delays, psychological problems and educational underachievement (Rafferty & Shinn, 1991). The patterns of poverty are passed down through generations and will not be broken until they have the opportunity to be healthy, educated and skilled enough to participate in the decisions that affect their lives (Peirson, 2010). It is our job as a community to recognize this injustice and work in solidarity with these families in poverty to stop this cycle and help the children of our future succeed.

Children need structure, predictability and consistency in their lives yet moving between shelters and unpredictable living situations is not congruent with those needs (Kilmer, Cook, Crusto, Strater & Haber, 2012). Children and their families lack choice and opportunity to find appropriate shelter and resources mostly due to lack of affordable housing, racial disparities, the challenges of being a single parent and encountering trauma such as domestic violence (America’s Youngest Outcasts). When we treat these families at an individual level we are just scratching the surface of all these factors that lead to the vicious cycle of poverty. Expecting these families to deal with the challenges that come with poverty, while at the same time fighting the stigmas and barriers society holds up against them is extremely unjust. Society rarely considers the societal factors that affect the disadvantaged and view homelessness as the person’s fault and not as a difficult situation or a series of unfortunate circumstances (Deforge, Zehnder, Minick, & Carmon, 2001)

Nelson and Prilleltensky (2010) described the role of a community psychologist as to emphasize the importance of prevention and early intervention through promoting well being through community development, and social and political action. Community psychologists should be able to recognize these injustices and work in solidarity with disadvantaged people towards social change. In this paper I will examine some of the difficulties the children and women I worked with at St. Margaret’s shelter faced and how society should respond to their needs. Although I only worked at an individual level in helping the children in the shelter, I was able to build meaningful relationships and understand the importance of promoting action and change using transformative strategies.

Service Learning Reflection

St. Margaret’s is a transitional housing shelter that began offering emergency shelter to homeless women and children in 1992 (Catholic Charities, 2012). Women are offered shelter for up to two years, along with individualized case management, parenting assistance and life skill classes. St. Margaret’s vision statement is to “embody an environment where families have the physical, emotional and spiritual resources they need to create beneficial changes in their lives in order to find and maintain stable housing and lifestyles in the larger community” (Catholic Charities, 2012). These families come from diverse backgrounds, all living at or below 30% of the median family income (Catholic Charities, 2012). This shelter does a great job at making sure the families feel safe and apart of a strong and caring community.

At St. Margaret’s I was a volunteer for their Homework Club, where I helped students with their homework in a controlled and quiet environment twice a week. Being a mentor for these children felt great because I was able to relay the importance of getting a good education and doing well in school. Programs that offer structure, consistency, high expectations and opportunities for responsibility can have a critical influence on low-income children (Douglass, 1996). It was very important for these kids to have a reoccurring mentor supporting their academic success. Although my volunteer work was not considered transformative, I think it is important to look at the individual needs of each child and give him or her the appropriate resources and support. Some children at Homework Club needed a lot more reinforcement due to being easily distracted or unmotivated. If we figure out how to support students based on their unique and diverse needs we will be able to help them thrive in their later education and hopefully in the work force.

In addition to having shelter and food, St. Margaret’s provides the women and children a sense of community. They are all facing similar challenges and being able to relate and look after each other really builds a sense of community and safety. St. Margaret’s does a great job at focusing on a family-centered level. Their intervention focuses on decreasing their stress, giving them free resources, increasing their social, work and coping skills and help expand their knowledge of resources for social support. The workers and volunteers also do a great job by strengthening the caregiver-child dyad by giving parenting classes and support. This dyad “warrants clear attention because caregivers are a core proximal influence on children’s development and adaptation, and the caregiver child relationship is a key contextual factor that can have a significant impact on various life domains and factors affecting a child” (Kilmer et al., 2012). If a mother offers a warm and positive parenting towards her child she can help buffer the negative effects of poverty for the child. St. Margaret’s really helps the women transition into life outside the shelter by offering resume building, job skills and other life skills such as healthy cooking, however I think that having more programs directed towards the children would be very beneficial. Children who spend more than half of their childhood in poverty are much more likely to be poor as adults (Molnar et al., 1990). Therefore it is important to build their skills in hopes it will lower their chances of repeating the cycle of poverty. Tim Moore and colleagues (2011) studied children who grew up experiencing homelessness and asked what they want from the services they came in contact with. The key theme to emerge from this study was “the need for services to engage with children as individuals in their own right, and listen to and acknowledge their experiences” (Moore, McArthur & Noble-Carr, 2011). The children liked to focus on what their parents could do rather than what they couldn’t and wished services would do this too. Therefore services need to help implement a strengths approach and assume that these children and families, with opportunities, support and information can make decisions and plans that will ensure a bright future. Understanding and listening to the perspectives of children who live in shelters is an important aspect in providing them care.

St. Margaret’s is a great ameliorative program but it lacks transformative change because it only treats those already suffering rather than preventing people from becoming homeless. This shelter works at an individual level, giving each woman a case manager who works on her particular problems and goals. Many interventions like this focus on the children and caregivers alone, without addressing the relationships between families and their broader social contexts (Kilmer et al., 2012). Nelson and Prilleltensky (2010) emphasized the importance for community psychologists to work on prevention and early intervention rather than just focusing on individual problems. If they reached out to women who were suffering from risks of becoming homelessness by giving them resources and support they may be able to do more prevention. Another way to help would be to educate the rest of society about the injustices these disadvantaged children and families experience to help destroy negative stigmas that are attached to homelessness and help them focus on the strengths of people living in these adverse conditions. St. Margaret’s should try to go beyond skill building and temporary housing and aim at improving the social and economic conditions within our society if they want to make more of a transformative change.

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Conclusion

Many people who want to help these disadvantaged families try to change the families themselves rather than the situations of poverty. We need to look at the deep causes of what is causing these unjust social conditions to happen in the first place. We blame these families for making the wrong choices and decisions rather than at looking at their limited options for support and resources. Nelson and Prilleltensky (2010) stated that community psychologist have a goal of promoting competence and well being through community development and social and political action that involves partnership to work in solidarity with disadvantaged people towards social change. The McKinney-Vento Act of 1987 was the first and remains the only major federal legislative response to homelessness (Masten et al., 1997). We need to focus on policy level interventions that focus on our overall community deficits and on the prevention and early intervention rather than just treatment. After study community psychology and working with disadvantaged families I have realized the importance of working at a deep transformative level rather than scratching the surface and trying to teach families how to live with misfortunes.

Works Cited

1. America's Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness. (2014). National Center on Family Homelessness.
2. Children’s Defense Fund. (2015). Child poverty in the United States 2014: National and state fact sheets.
3. Deforge, B. R., Zehnder, S. M., Minick, P., & Carmon, M. (2001). Blaming the victim: Negative attitudes toward clients among homeless service providers. Journal of Social Service Research, 28(2), 33-52.
4. Douglass, A. (1996). All children can learn: The critical importance of investing in our nation’s youngest children. American Educator, 20(1), 8-13, 44-46.
5. Kilmer, R. P., Cook, J. R., Crusto, C., Strater, K. P., & Haber, M. G. (2012). Understanding the ecology and development of children and families experiencing homelessness: Implications for practice, supportive services, and policy. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 82(3), 389-401.
6. Nelson, G., & Prilleltensky, I. (2010). Community psychology: In pursuit of liberation and well-being (2nd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
7. Peirson, L. (2010). Child poverty and inequality: New perspectives. Journal of Children and Poverty, 16(2), 97-112.
8. Rafferty, Y., & Shinn, M. (1991). The impact of homelessness on children. American Psychologist, 46(11), 1170-1179.
9. St. Margaret’s Shelter. (2012). Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
10. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (2017). Child poverty in perspective: An overview of child well-being in rich countries. Innocenti Report Card 14.

The purpose of this literature review is to sufficiently position the study within the realm of existing publication as it relates specifically to the topic while also foreshadowing the determined research approach.

Implementation of the three major factors RERA, GST and Demonetization in the Indian Real Estate sector has created many short term problems and our economy is still getting accustomed to it. However, all these are certain to make the industry more transparent and boost investor confidence in India. However, tumultuous events over the past 14 months that saw the government aggressively push a culture of transparency through measures such as Demonetization, Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the Real Estate (Regulation and development) Act, 2017 (RERA) have irrevocably altered the course of the industry.

Vast unsold inventory levels that peaked in 2014 at 7.2 lakh units forced developers to curtail supplies in a bid to lighten this inventory load. This course of action has seen reasonable success even in the face of lackluster demand as unsold inventory levels have fallen 24% since H2 2015.

The real estate sector has been grappling with liquidity issues and piling debt. The total outstanding debt of listed real estate developers in India has risen from INR25,000 crore in FY07 to over INR83,000 crore in FY17

Clocking the largest percentage drop in supply volumes during this decade, 2017 has turned out to be an influential year for the Indian residential real estate market. The annual supply levels in the residential market are now just one fourth of those in 2015. While the shunted growth in residential supply has been getting progressively worse, that of demand has been relatively muted. Notably, Mumbai and Pune saw marginal growth in sales which can be attributed to the 5% and 7% drop YoY in prices for 2017 respectively.

Hit by demonetization, residential sales dipped by 41% from October to December 2017 across eight major cities as compared to the same period the previous year, while launches fell even sharper by 61% (Knight Frank, Dec 2017). While there is a significant shortage of housing in urban regions, it is estimated that the top-eight cities in India have approximately 6.5 lakh unsold units. At the current rate of absorption, it may take over five years to clear the housing stock in regions such as Delhi–NCR and Mumbai, which have the highest unsold inventory in the country.

The sales department is largely influenced by finance companies and the deal is achieved in a transparent way. That is why this has a limited impact on large cities, although some tier 2 and tier 3 cities do have a business tactic where cash transactions remain a factor in primary sales.

There will be minimal impact on the office leasing and sales, as the cash component does not play an important role in such transactions. The Indian office space market has been plagued by a huge lack of viable office space over the past four years while demand has stayed comparatively steady. This slide in office space development has been arrested in 2017 with supply growing by 7% in annual terms during H2 2017. However, overall transactions continue to substantially exceed supply and this has pulled down the vacancy levels to 11.6% from 13.5% a year ago.

When it comes to GST’s impact on the commercial office real estate market, with the prior service tax for commercial leases at 15% and current GST at 18%, there is a minimal impact in terms of increase in taxes.

Due to the unregulated nature of India’s real estate sector, fundamental problems associated with dispute resolution and delayed project deliveries had the balance in favor of supply-side stakeholders. Provisions such as mandatory disclosures by promoters were targeted to bring financial discipline, which will consequently spike investors’ interest. Earlier, due to the higher rates of statutory fees and taxes, including multiple taxes inflated the cost of construction, making affordable housing projects financially unviable for the private sector developers.

After the implementation of RERA, a developer now has to register their project, residential as well as commercial, with the Regulatory Authority before starting the marketing & sale process in these projects. In case a project is to be promoted in different phases, then each phase shall be considered as a standalone project, and the promoter shall obtain registration for each of these phases. According to RERA (2016), developers are now required to state the carpet area of the property in addition to information like layout, agreements, details of architects and contractors to buyers. Thus, it makes stating of super-built up area as size of the property, against the governmental norms and therefore, buyers can no longer be charged according to the super built up area. Therefore these changes will result in an increased carpet area price. Further, developers can start the selling process only after getting the approval which will lead to increased cost for developers. This will in turn create more consolidation in the real estate sector (FE Online, 2017).

RERA has boosted transparency, encouraged NBFCs and lenders to invest more due to the fact that a separate account needs to be created which will accommodate 70% of the total amount collected from the allotters which will be used for the cost incurred with respect to the project. An effective discount of 11–12% is to be expected in the form of freebies such as 24-month rent assurance, no floor rise charges, stamp duty waivers, and other preferential location charge, gifts in addition to the reduction in base prices.

RERA policy mainly protects the interest of property buyer. It is mandatory for developers to disclose the construction status on the Authority website on a quarterly basis which will enhance transparency regarding project completion status. Furthermore, the builders cannot change any aspect of the structure without prior approval from all the buyers. The developer mandatorily has to deposit 70% of the project funds in a separate account which will only be used for the respective project. One of the major reasons for project delays was diversion of funds to other projects which will be addressed effectively. Real Estate Appellate Tribunal (REAT) is set up for establishing an adjudicating mechanism for speedy dispute redressal and to hear appeals and orders from the Real estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). The buyer can file a complaint with the Authority which will be resolved within 120 days through this mechanism.

Research data shows (Economic Times) a sharp fall in home loan growth even though home loan interest rates have dipped yet buyer sentiments have not improved. Home loan growth in April-October fell 32.7% compared to previous year, this marks one of the biggest declines in the last five years, (source: Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, CMIE). In the same period in 2016, home loan growth was down 4.27%, while in 2015, it was up 26.89% (Business Today, 2017). Post RERA implementation, lending options from bankers/institutions, lenders have significantly improved and availing financial assistance is easier now. Measures such as the RERA have boosted sentiments of the home-buyer. It also had a positive impact on the buyer who will receive little incentive on purchase market, as the unaffordable high prices continue to weaken and fall.

Post GST, the tax payable by a residential buyer for purchasing a property is 12% whereas earlier the buyer had to pay 4.5% VAT and 1% Service Tax for the same. There has been some upwards pressure on prices after considering all the set-offs and tax credits.

Indian market deems real estate broking as one of the easiest businesses to do. No specific qualification, experience and code of practice are needed. The government agencies only prescribed guidelines without defining roles and responsibility. According to an research (KnightFrank), there are 5,00,000-9,00,000 agents in India which has unorganized and unregulated affairs. Only a few worked with professional companies while others treated brokerage as a side business. Brokerage business in general, is linked with lack of professionalism, accountability deficit, opacity in activities, and a lengthy, costly dispute resolution mechanism.

RERA (Regulation and Development Act, 2016) makes it mandatory for the brokers to register themselves to facilitate a transaction. Prior to any sale made by a broker it is mandatory for them to be registered with the authority. Brokers will be penalized under RERA in case of providing wrong information to the buyers regarding sale of properties. Due to rigid and rigorous changes made by the Government, consolidation is bound to happen and hundreds of part time brokers will leave the real estate sector.

Projects are now growing as there is no available capital from the informal sources giving more push to institutional capital. All the three reforms, have suddenly made the market more transparent and attractive. The cost of land is declining, as financial institutions can now start raising funds for land transactions.

Retailers have had little effect on their business due to reduced cash transactions. There is a possibility of a luxury segment taking a hit due to the increased historical increase of cash acceptance. However, credit / debit cards and e-wallet must be used in rescue. Overall, there is no threat to the full power and growth of the Indian retail industry.

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In the absence of such a trade ban certain medium and large-scale business remains unaffected but severely affects several small-sized business organizations activities. The country’s economy may be a recession in the next few months, but soon the Government’s influence is expected to return to your normal size. The long awaited drop in prices is a healthy step toward market recovery as this along with other measures such as reduction in unit sizes across cities will boost home-buyer affordability and eventually get buyers back to the market. The pace at which developers align themselves to the new regulatory norms and launch new products in the right ticket sizes that appeal to the homebuyer’s interests, will determine the trajectory of the market going forward.

Schemas are theory-driven: Because schemas are based on our prior expectations and social knowledge, they have been described as ‘theory-driven’ structures that provide organization to social experience. We use these background theories to make sense of new situations and encounters, which suggests that schematic processing is driven by background theories and assumptions rather than actual environmental data (Fiske & Taylor, 1991). Impact of schemas on memory: Human memory is largely reconstructive. We do not usually remember all the precise details of the events in a given situation. Instead, we typically remember some of what happened which is enough to identify the appropriate schema and then rely on that schema to fill in other details. Schemas organize information in memory and, therefore, affect what we remember and what we forget. When trying to recall something, we are more likely to remember those details that are consistent with our schemas than those that are inconsistent (Cohen, 1981).

Impact of schemas on inferences in social interactions: Schemas affect the inferences we make about persons and other social entities (Fiske & Taylor, 1991). They supply missing facts when gaps exist in our knowledge. If we know certain facts about a person but are ignorant about others, we fill in the gaps by inserting assumptions consistent with our schema for that person. For example, if you know your roommate who is a non-smoker, you can infer that he will not spend time with your new friend who smokes. However, at certain instances the use of schemas can lead to erroneous inferences. If the schema is incomplete or does not incorporate reality mistakes in our inferences are likely. Impact of schemas on social judgements: Schemas can influence our judgments or feelings about persons and other entities. For one thing, the schemas themselves may be organized in terms of evaluative dimensions; this is especially true of person schemas. Schemas serve to evaluate social stimuli as good or bad, normal or abnormal, positive or negative, and some contain a strong affective component; so that when they are activated the associated emotion is cued.

Schemas are integrated and stable in nature: Once developed and strengthened through use, schemas become integrated structures. Even when only one of its components is accessed in a given situation, strong associative links between the components activate the schema as a unitary whole (Fiske & Dyer, 1985). Well-developed schemas that are activated frequently resist change and persist, even in the face of disconfirming evidences.

Works Cited

1. Cohen, R. L. (1981). On the generality of some memory laws. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 22(4), 267-281.
2. Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (1991). Social cognition (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
3. Fiske, S. T., & Dyer, L. M. (1985). Structures of social life: The four elementary forms of human relations. The Free Press.
4. Hinkle, S. E., & Brown, C. M. (1990). Schema activation and information processing in social stereotype expression. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 16(1), 33-47.
5. Markus, H., & Zajonc, R. B. (1985). The cognitive perspective in social psychology. In G. Lindzey & E. Aronson (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (3rd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 137-230). Random House.
6. Neisser, U. (1976). Cognition and reality: Principles and implications of cognitive psychology. W. H. Freeman.
7. Srull, T. K., & Wyer, R. S. Jr. (1989). The role of category accessibility in the interpretation of information about persons: Some determinants and implications. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(5), 735-746.
8. Taylor, S. E., & Crocker, J. (1981). Schematic bases of social information processing. In E. T. Higgins, C. P. Herman, & M. P. Zanna (Eds.), Social cognition: The Ontario Symposium (Vol. 1, pp. 89-134). Erlbaum.
9. Wyer, R. S., & Carlston, D. E. (1986). Social cognition, inference, and attribution. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
10. Wyer, R. S., & Srull, T. K. (1989). Memory and cognition in its social context. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Table of contents

1. The Titanic: A Test of the Efficiency of U.S. Capital Markets
IMM and the TitanicThe Cost of the Sinking Titanic to IMM
2. Conclusion

The Titanic: A Test of the Efficiency of U.S. Capital Markets

The effectiveness of the stock markets involves the investigation of how much, how fast, and how accurately the available data is incorporated into security prices. Financial economists classify the efficiency of capital markets into different categories based on the meaning of available information on security prices. Empirical evidence from the study of the 1912 sinking Titanic ship and its effects to the International Mercantile Marine Company, its parent firm, is constructive in the perception of the efficiency of capital markets. The effectiveness of the U.S. stock markets is, therefore, analyzed through the study of the theories in the economics literature about the Titanic.

IMM and the Titanic

The sinking of the Titanic ship in 1912 had a great impact on the company that constructed the ship, a representation of the whole economy. The tumbling of the liner may be regarded as a crashing of the stock of the company and its recovery has not been less dramatic than that of the rest of the market. The formal efforts of the IMM Company after the sinking of the Titanic brings an idea of a strong capital market of the United States as a legitimately debatable issue. In many ways, the existing culture of the U.S. acts as if financial analysts proved the state of the market several decades ago. Sensibly, a gulf has developed between the current economics literature and the persistent conception regarding market efficiency in the legal culture (Khanna, 1998).

Many eminent theorists perceive pricing influences not to be associated with rational expectations about asset values. Alternative models developed by scholars suggest that prices make significant departures from the asset values, which can be related to the Titanic. The IMM, having been incorporated under the laws of New Jersey in 1893, had the prices of its asset highly volatile. The management of the publicly traded company was changed in 1902 by the certificate of amended incorporation; a sign of an efficient capital market. The highly volatile company invested in three huge ships because of the encouraging efficient capital markets. The Titanic vessel was among the three modern ships (Khanna, 1998).

The volatility of the IMM Company is indicated when the Titanic ship almost rammed the American Liner, New York, and when it finally strikes a gigantic iceberg that leads to the sinking. Despite the fact that the company that managed the Titanic changed its name from International Navigation Company to International Mercantile Marine, the company still perceived all the available information in precisely the same manner. The capital market is regarded efficient as indicated when the IMM Company was not able to determine the precise value of the vessel after the calamity. Financial analysts approximated the net worth of the tumbling ship as per the returns on the corporation and the preferred stock at the time the calamity occurred (Khanna, 1998).

The Cost of the Sinking Titanic to IMM

After the unfortunate incidence that made news headlines, information on the cost of the Titanic, insurance cost, and the net loss was readily available to assist in the market value calculations. For instance, the procedure used by a financial analyst in the estimation entirely relied on information from the U.S. market stock. The capital market of the U.S. was, consequently, correctly tested by the sinking of the Titanic Ship in 1912. The availability of information after the calamity clearly tested the U.S. capital markets as efficient. A test for market efficiency is also based on price changes close to an event. Apparently, the merger of two companies involves the release of public information to be used by lawyers and investors as illustrated.

Before the acquisition, stock prices goes up, indicating an act of dishonesty. The early move however, is an indication of strong market efficiency (Goetzmann, 2016).

An efficient capital market is tested when a research on the investment in a market is carried out, and the results reveal that no single investor attains greater profitability or loss than other investors with the same amount of invested funds. An efficient market hypothesis requires equality in the sharing of profits due to the aspect of equal sharing of information. The incidence of the sinking of the Titanic reveals the efficiency of the state of the capital markets in America. Information from a journal on the untold story of the Titanic illustrates that the loss in the stock value was steady with the average loss to the company in charge of the Titanic vessel, the parent company of the Titanic (Goetzmann, 2016).

As illustrated, market participants are obliged to equal possession of information; thus, they can only achieve identical returns. According to the journal, the procedure in the calculation of the impact of the Titanic sinking on the market value is a test that apparently qualifies to ascertain the competence of capital markets of the United States of America.

Conclusion

An efficient capital market is composed of investors who are of equal mutual relation. No investor is entitled to beat the market. An efficient capital market is also defined by the availability and accuracy of information about the securities and their prices. The calamity that hit the Titanic ship in 1912 was a chance to determine the efficiency of the Capital markets of America during the century. Information obtained from the study is significant enough to be used in the current investment community.

Table of contents

1. Introduction
2. Findings and suggestions
3. Conclusion
4. References

Introduction

We as a society have accepted social media as an integral part of our life, we need to understand its role and effects on our relationships and physical as well as mental health. Social networking activity is becoming more spearheading in society and yet little is known about how the social comparisons, involvement occurring in this process, affects perceptions, psychology of relationships and overall health of an individual. What’s interesting is social media is changing the foundation of the ways we relate.  This paper will examine how social media is changing our interpersonal psychology and what we can do about it. According to Maslow’s hierarchy theory man always like to build up relationships, develop social linkages, promote networking through interactions which improves his Self-esteem which is an important part of its personality , But in the quest of becoming more popular or having surge of followers we are indirectly getting addicted towards it and which is indirectly having a deep impact on our relationships and health with depression, anxiety, fear, loss of appetite etc. emerging as common health issues. As every coin has two sides, in similar way this addiction can also be consciously converted into a healthy way of managing social life e.g. by reducing the number of hours we spend on social media, scheduling our work and leisure and have a positive impact on our life. The above research paper is an attempt to understand the impact of social media on relationship and health, the findings of which can help us developing and designing techniques and corrective measures to find equilibrium between our social life and personal life.

Major research analysis was based on primary data which we collected through online questionnaire method where our sample size was 200 out of which we got 133 respondents. The sample audience were from different background viz-a-viz students, teachers, housewives, professionals, Doctors etc. In order to get a holistic view of things we did a lot of literature review and referred to various published articles and research papers for secondary data.

Introduction : Recent Study on social media shows the scary picture or the other side of immensely popular media amongst all. It says that social use has been linked to depression, especially in the teenage girls. The research involved interviews with almost 10000 children between the age group of 13 to 16. Researchers found that social media may harm girls mental health by increasing their exposure to bullying and reducing their sleep and physical exercise. Though the research result, look that simple but in reality they are quite complex. This was the trigger point for our research study on the effects of social media on relationship s and health.

Sociology is the study of society, patterns of social relationships, social interaction and culture of everyday life using the principles of psychology neuroscience and network science. The quest to understand society is urgent and important, for if we cannot understand the social world, we are more likely to be overwhelmed by it.  We also need to understand social processes if we want to influence them.  Sociology can help us to understand ourselves better, since it examines how the social world influences the way we think, feel, and act.  It can also help with decision-making, both our own and that of larger organizations.  Sociologists can gather systematic information from which to make a decision, provide insights into what is going on in a situation, and present alternatives.

As we say “Man is Social Animal”, the very basic existence of mankind lies in social interactions or symbiosis where there is mutual give and take of various things. Human being can never live in isolation, since time and again it is proved that different human colonies were the reason for the basic development in different areas of human life. With the invention of computers or extreme use of information technology is our everyday life has changed the whole way of communication as well as relationship building. The need of meeting a person in “reality” has been replaced by meeting him or her in “Virtual reality”. The human psychology plays a very crucial role here where human mind is deriving satisfaction from inhuman (IT) ways and means. The reasons or motivating factors behind people using social media will give the real picture of the alarming situation.

We all use social media nowadays. Well, maybe not everyone, but at least a huge amount of the population does. The question is no longer if we use it, but why. And this is exactly what Global Web Index looked into. So what is your main reason for being active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social network?

The Top 10 Reasons for Using Social Media are as follows:

1.  To stay in touch with what friends are doing (42%)
2. To stay up-to-date with news and current events (41%)
3. To fill up spare time (39%)
4. To find funny or entertaining content (37%)
5. General networking with other people (34%)
6. Because friends are already on them (33%)
7. To share photos or videos with others (32%)
8. To share my opinion (30%)
9. To research new products to buy (29%)
10. To meet new people (27%)

Findings and suggestions

“Our results suggest that social media itself doesn’t cause harm, but that frequent use of many disrupt activities that have a positive impact on mental health such as sleeping and exercising while increasing exposure of young people to harmful content, particularly the negative experience or cyber bullying”. This research paper is an attempt to understand how excessive use of social media is changing the lifestyle of human beings which is indirectly related to causes of various life threatening diseases and disorders. It has turned into a serious problem of addiction where the user though aware of the different side effects of using excessive social media is getting entangled in it like an irreversible route. This survey projects data of round about 133 respondents from various age groups and professions.

Though the Global web index shows apparently, most of the people use them to stay in touch with others, but also to stay updated on what is going on in the world around us. The primary study we conducted shows a little different picture and shows that in rural areas like us (palghar district) the main usage of social sites is for communication, Entertainment and to gain knowledge. Here while doing survey an interesting element was highlighted (fig.4) where we found out that many people were using social media not only for the above mentioned reasons but also to remove stress or loneliness from their lives. Few are using it for making new friends, acquaintances and to expand business.

Social media addiction is a real phenomenon. As more people carry around smartphones and other devices wherever they go, it becomes harder to escape the internet. And people increasingly spend their online time on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

One of the Research on Social media shows that it can contribute to the development of heart disease and diabetes. Technically the real problem is the amount of time you spend sitting at your computer, but given that social media is one of the most popular activities on the web, you’ve got good cause to be worried. Just two hours a day sitting in front of the computer increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 20%, and your risk of getting heart disease by 15%.

As we know that social media has become an evitable part of our life and will stay with us for years to come, we need to find a permanent solution in order to reduce the negative impact of social media on our relationships and health. As every coin has two sides the negative aspects are quite empowering the positive aspects of social media. We have heard lot in the recent months about the dark side of social media – excessive use to the point of addiction, lack of privacy and data capture without informed consent but in all of this melee, now is the time to remember that the way of use social media is up to us. In other words, it may be convinent to believe that social media applications are thrust upon us and we do not have much choice in the matter- but that is not entirely true. It is time we should remember why we use these application in the first place – to enrich our relationships and not to have them our lives in a dysfunctional way. Here are some of the suggestions, we will like to give:

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• Accepting the fact that we are using social media excessively without setting any usage limits to it, which in turn converts into social media addiction.
• Setting time limits
• Discipline yourself by taking enough breaks while surfing on various social networking sites, which will not induce health related issues like neck stiffness, eyesight problems etc.
• Remember reality that social media is fine for sharing picture and brief updates but when you want to share really important in your life with those you care about, there is hardly a substitute for real one-to-one conversation. Human empathy is very important aspect of social life but a lot is lost between you and your family or friends when social media is primary or only means of communications.
• Spending quality time with family and friends by going for a walk or a run, having a meal together, watching a movie, talking about your jobs and kids, seeking support in difficult life situations- all these things are what make your relationships warm, alive and real.
• Be selective about the post you respond to. If a friend is posting 100 times a day you don’t have to respond to all or any of them because anyone who is doing that amount of posting is not keeping tabs on who is responding any way.
• According to the various reports many persons has been killed and incidents of mob lynching spark by rumors spreaded through social media and networking sites. As a responsible citizen we should not forward messages or rumors which are sensitive and can create unstable environment in the society.
• Stop worrying about missing out. It’s a human nature to check frequently messages and posts by your friends and family in the fear of FOMO (fear of missing out) which is pointless. One should understand that there will always be things one will miss no matter how frequently he/she checks.

Conclusion

From the about research study we can conclude that social media has taken over our life like a storm creating a havoc in everybody life unless and until we acknowledge it. Too much usage of social media can lower down our self esteem and can induce depression which can negatively impact your life. Through research we have already proved that it is definitely affecting our relationships and health which should be major cause of concern in longer period of time. If one implements the above suggestions we have given as rescue measures one can definitely enjoy the positive side or the advantages of social networking sites.

References

1. Coyne, S. M., Rogers, A. A., Zurcher, J. D., Stockdale, L., & Booth, M. (2020). Does time spent using social media impact mental health?: An eight year longitudinal study. Computers in Human Behavior, 104, 106160. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563219303723)
2. Bardus, M., El Rassi, R., Chahrour, M., Akl, E. W., Raslan, A. S., Meho, L. I., & Akl, E. A. (2020). The use of social media to increase the impact of health research: systematic review. Journal of medical Internet research, 22(7), e15607. (https://www.jmir.org/2020/7/e15607/)
3. Chou, W. Y. S., Hunt, Y. M., Beckjord, E. B., Moser, R. P., & Hesse, B. W. (2009). Social media use in the United States: implications for health communication. Journal of medical Internet research, 11(4), e1249. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19945947/)
4. Braghieri, L., Levy, R. E., & Makarin, A. (2022). Social media and mental health. American Economic Review, 112(11), 3660-3693. (https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20211218)
5. Merolli, M., Gray, K., & Martin-Sanchez, F. (2013). Health outcomes and related effects of using social media in chronic disease management: a literature review and analysis of affordances. Journal of biomedical informatics, 46(6), 957-969. (https://europepmc.org/article/med/23702104)

Introduction: The impact of social media on society is the theme of this essay. To begin, social networking websites provide a platform where people can share their ideas and experiences. It provides an opportunity for the people around the world to connect and be part of an international community where everyone's voice can be heard. Thesis statement: While there seem to be positive benefits that come out of social media, those positives are the negatives that make social networking websites corrosive to the ‘real’ community. The idea of creating your own persona is what makes the online world different than the real world. You can choose to be different and this difference is what affects us as people and as a community. Just as how novelists write novels and create their fantasy world in books; social media allows people to create their own fantasy world where they find a sense of happiness and acceptance. It is human nature to feel better when they are praised or appreciated. This sooner or later becomes an addiction and people get falsely motivated to do things in seek of other people’s approval. Therefore, recently-developed social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. are corrosive to ‘real’ communities because they influence social/medical problems, the feeling of unfulfillment in life (productivity), and the lack of motivation to do work.

Topic sentence: Social networking websites can lead to social/medical problems for an individual which can be harmful to real communities. Cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature

Evidence & citing: A study shows that 20-40% of adolescents have reported being a victim of cyberbullying. A simple text message or comment can sometimes be interpreted in the wrong way. Due to the very nature of the online world, being anonymous encourages people to gain confidence to say whatever they want. Commentary: Comments are then met with a barrage of replies exposing one and other. This is all accessible to the public, making it easy to share and give invitation to others to join in on the argument. One of the pros of social networking websites was for people to connect, share thoughts and unite. Except now, we have people uniting in hatred, sharing and exposing each others weaknesses. Cyberbullying has an accelerated effect because unlike bullying, which typically is a situation between a small group of people, for it to take place online involves every person who has viewed it and this very idea makes it easier for the victim to experience depression, trauma, and in worse cases can also lead to suicide.

Topic sentence: Someone might find themselves spending excessive amounts of time on social networking websites since it offers an incredible neverending feed and easy communication that is accessible at anytime. When the use of social media interferes with school, work, family and social relationships, it becomes an internet addiction. Just like any other addictions, internet addiction is linked to depression, self-injurious behaviors, increased alcohol and tobacco use, and obesity

Evidence & citing: Spending excessive time on the internet can also cause sleep deprivation. The light emitted by electronic devices is said to disrupt circadian rhythms delaying the release of melatonin, resulting in sleep problems. While it is recommended for teenagers to get at least 9 hours of sleep daily, those who get fewer than 6 hours of sleep may be sleep deprived. Internet addiction and sleep deprivation is linked, although they may share the same symptoms, the effects are greater. Sleep deprived adolescents also perform poorly in school as they might not be able to work at full capacity. This also applies to adults and other situations. Productivity decreases and people are less motivated to do tasks as they may feel tired at all times.

Topic sentence: Recently-developed social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. are corrosive to ‘real’ communities because they influence social/medical problems, the feeling of unfulfillment in life (productivity), and the lack of motivation to do work. It is human nature for people to find a sense of dominance. In the online world, you don’t have to be physically dominant, this is a factor that motivates people to act out towards others. They gain confidence behind their electronic devices as there isn’t much fear of actual physical consequences. Internet addiction has the same pathology of other addiction causing health problems that can pose a threat to society. The most common problem associated with internet addiction is sleep deprivation which leads to more health problems and poor performance in school, work, etc. Social networking websites can be beneficial to society, however, the negatives outweigh the positives. Being anonymous or behind a screen is easier for people than to deal with situations in real life. Social networking websites make people more anxious, sleep deprived, depressed, increases the likelihood of self-injurious behaviors and is seen to increase alcohol and tobacco use, and cause obesity.

Conclusion paragraph: To conclude, social media has modified the manner in which human beings engage with one another completely. Now social media includes sharing stories, photos, and includes the usage of apps in addition to messaging to interact with others. This form of social media did not turn out to be popular till the year 2003 while Myspace and Friendster had been released. Shortly after Facebook was released however was not open to the general public till 2006, which has turn out to be the primary social networking site today. These networks have many tremendous effects which includes remaining in touch with friends, meeting new friends globally, offering academic benefits, in addition to the ease of mobile gaining access to it. Also there are a few bad outcomes which consist of identification theft, cyber bullying, reduced social interplay in actual life, and social isolation.

References

1. Amedie, J. (2015). The impact of social media on society. (https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/engl_176/2/)
2. Akram, W., & Kumar, R. (2017). A study on positive and negative effects of social media on society. International Journal of Computer Sciences and Engineering, 5(10), 351-354. (10.26438/ijcse/v5i10.351354)
3. Mehraj, H. K., Bhat, A. N., & Mehraj, H. R. (2014). Impacts of media on society: A sociological perspective. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 3(6), 56-64. (https://www.studocu.com/pt/document/universidade-de-coimbra/historia-dos-media/impacts-of-media-on-society-a-sociological-perspective/15762811)
4. O'Keeffe, G. S., Clarke-Pearson, K., & Council on Communications and Media. (2011). The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. Pediatrics, 127(4), 800-804. (https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-0054)
5. Pulido, C. M., Redondo-Sama, G., Sordé-Martí, T., & Flecha, R. (2018). Social impact in social media: A new method to evaluate the social impact of research. PloS one, 13(8), e0203117. (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.020311)

Introduction

Should follow an “upside down” triangle format, meaning, the writer should start off broad and introduce the text and author or topic being discussed, and then get more specific to the thesis statement.

Background

Provides a foundational overview, outlining the historical context and introducing keyinformation that will be further explored in the essay, setting the stage for the argument to follow.

Thesis statement

Cornerstone of the essay, presenting the central argument that will be elaborated upon and supported with evidence and analysis throughout the rest of the paper.

Topic sentence

The topic sentence serves as the main point or focus of a paragraph in an essay, summarizing the key idea that will be discussed in that paragraph.

Evidence & citing

The body of each paragraph builds an argument in support of the topic sentence, citing information from sources as evidence.

Commentary

After each piece of evidence is provided, the author should explain HOW and WHY the evidence supports the claim.

Conclusion paragraph

Should follow a right side up triangle format, meaning, specifics should be mentioned first such as restating the thesis, and then get more broad aboutthe topic at hand. Lastly, leave the reader with something to think about and ponder once they are done reading.

At the beginning of the 21st-century social networking sites were developed and spread all over the world. Since then, social media platforms have become an important part of the lives of young people in particular. Many teenagers use social media like Youtube, Instagram, and especially Facebook to build relationships, communicate with the world, share and acquire knowledge and information, build stronger personalities, and have better social lives (Boyd, 2007). Mitchell (2002) stated that young people use social networking sites to engage in romantic and casual online relationships. People's changing behavior has shown that social media has many negative impacts on people. Social media sites help people to make social comparisons that increase the psychological distress of individuals and, as a result, lower the overall level of self-esteem (Chen & Lee, 2013). Many observers and researchers believe that people have become victims of lower self-esteem and self-growth due to increased use of social networking sites.

Through social media platforms, people can share and exchange personal information with a broader community of people by posting photos, videos, and blogs (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). Social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are widely used by adolescents, young adults, and people over 30years old (Wilson, Gosling, & Graham, 2012). Considering all the social media platforms available online, Facebook seems to be the most utilized in the world, with over 1 billion visitors per month (Facebook Press Room, 2017), Including YouTube and Instagram as part of the most popular social media platforms (Kallas, 2019). Several Facebook research studies refer to positive impacts, such as user satisfaction with self-worth and self-integrity experiences (Toma and Hancock, 2013), an improvement in the quality of existing friend-ships (Valkenburg & Peter, 2009), and the perception of greater subjective well-being (Kim & Lee, 2011). However, other researchers have found the opposite results, providing evidence of negative consequences related to social media use specifically Facebook. For instance, excessive use of social media, sometimes recognized as Internet addiction, has been related to high levels of depressive symptoms (Marino, Hirst, Murray, Vieno, & Spada, 2017; Morrison &Gore, 2010). Moreover, some researchers found that the individual who used Facebook more frequently have reported that others are happier and live better than they do themselves (Chou & Edge, 2012). However, these negative psychological outcomes are mainly related to the way people use Facebook rather than to the social network itself. For most people, this social medium does not have positive or negative consequences, but for other individuals, Facebook use may be a maladaptive way of escaping from problems or relieving a dysphoric mood(Cash, Rae, Steel, & Winkler, 2012).

Social media is an aspect of everyday contemporary life and has become a staple in the lives of our young people, with 92% of adolescents aged 13-17 reporting online daily, 'including 24% who say they go online ' almost constantly '' (Lenhart, Madden, Smith, and Macgill, 2015, para. 2). The purpose of this study is to explore the positive and negative aspects of social media platforms; Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram as three of the most popular and frequently used social media platform (Kallas, 2019), and how they affect the self-concept of the LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and more) community living in Bacoor, Cavite. In addition, this study tends to bring awareness to the actions made by individuals on their computer screen or mobile phones that can result in a lower level of self-concept so that it can be prevented.

Rogers (1959) defined self-concept as an understanding of yourself that is based on your personal experiences, body image, thoughts, and how you tend to label yourself in different situations. Carl (1959) Believes that self-concept has three (3) different components; Self-image (The view you have of yourself), self-esteem or self-worth (How much value you place on yourself), and ideal-self (What you wish you were really like). This research investigates the impact of social media platforms (Facebook, Youtube, Instagram) whether it is positive or negative and how it affects the self-concept of the LGBTQIA+ community relating it to Carl Rogers's (1959) three components of self-concept.

References

1. Fox, J., & Ralston, R. (2016). Queer identity online: Informal learning and teaching experiences of LGBTQ individuals on social media. Computers in Human Behavior, 65, 635-642. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S074756321630437X)
2. Lucero, L. (2017). Safe spaces in online places: Social media and LGBTQ youth. Multicultural Education Review, 9(2), 117-128. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/2005615X.2017.1313482)
3. Cavalcante, A. (2020). Tumbling into queer utopias and vortexes: Experiences of LGBTQ social media users on Tumblr. In LGBTQ Culture (pp. 77-97). Routledge. (https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003119388-5/tumbling-queer-utopias-vortexes-experiences-lgbtq-social-media-users-tumblr-andre-cavalcante)
4. Jenzen, O., & Karl, I. (2014). Make, share, care: Social media and LGBTQ youth engagement. Ada: A journal of gender, new media, and technology, 5, 1-16. (https://adanewmedia.org/2014/07/issue5-jenzenkarl/)
5. Craig, S. L., Eaton, A. D., McInroy, L. B., Leung, V. W., & Krishnan, S. (2021). Can social media participation enhance LGBTQ+ youth well-being? Development of the social media benefits scale. Social Media+ Society, 7(1), 2056305121988931. (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305121988931)

Seeking for new strategies to control plant diseases and improve the yield led to discover different new ideas, including soil organic compounds amendmens such as biochar and compost. These compounds are well known with their suppressive effect against a wide range of soil borne pathogens (Coventry et. al., 2005 and Noble and Coventry, 2005).

Biochar is an organic product rich in carbon, it produced by a heating process known as pyrolysis (Sohi et. al., 2010; Elad et. al., 2011 and Sparks, 2011). The kind of organic compounds and the temperature used for its production determine its nutrient contents and physicochemical properties (Antal and Gronli, 2003 and Gaskin et. al., 2008). The addition of biochar to the soil improve its characterization resulting in beneficial effects on the plant quality and quantity (Glaser et. al., 2002; Steiner et. al., 2008 and Atkinson et. al., 2010). It is very stable in soil with a half-life up to thousands of years (Zimmerman, 2010). Recently, it has been reported that soil amended with biochar can influence the development of the plant diseases caused by foliar and soil borne pathogens (Graber et. al. 2014).

Another soil amendment with suppressive effects is compost. It inhibits a wide range of plant diseases caused by various soil-borne pathogens. This could be due to an enhanced competition and antagonism by the soil biota associated with increased microbial activity in soil (Pugliese et. al., 2011).

Vascular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi are one of the most important microorganisms. It makes symbiotic relationships with the plants and affect soil borne and foliar pathogens (Whipps, 2004 and Fritz et. al., 2006).

Cowpea (Vigna sinensis Endl.) is the most important vegetable crop. The cowpea seeds contain about 23% protein and 57% carbohydrate (Belane and Dakora, 2009). Cowpea plants are liable to attack by damping-off and root rot diseases caused by Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, Sclerotium rolfsii and Pythium sp. These diseases cause considerable losses to cowpea plants worldwide (Shihata and Gad El-Hak, 1989; Ushamalini et. al., 1993; Rauf, 2000; Satish et. al., 2000; El-Mohamedy et. al., 2006).

This study evaluate the effect of compost, biochar and mycorrhiza, either alone or in combinations, on control of cowpea damping-off disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani and on some plant growth parameters in the greenhouse and field conditions. Also, the study was expanded to evaluate the effect of these treatments on plant content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK).

1. Isolation of fungi associated with cowpea damping-off disease:

Diseased cowpea seedlings, showing the typical symptoms of damping-off disease were collected from the Experimental Farm of the Fac. Agric., Cairo Univ.

For isolation, infected roots were washed thoroughly with tap water and cut into small fragments (0.5- 1.0 cm), superficially sterilized with 1% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min., Then rinsed several times in sterilized water, blotted to dry between folds of sterilized filter papers. Small pieces were transferred onto PDA medium into Petri plates and incubated at 25±1°C for 7 days. Observations were daily recorded and emerged fungi were picked up and cultured on PDA medium slants and its frequencies were calculated. Fungal growth was microscopically examined and purified using the single spore and/or the hyphal tip techniques (Dhingra and Sinclair, 1985). The purified fungi were identified according to their morphological features, either to the generic or to the species level, according to Booth and Waterston (1964) and Barnett and Hunter (1972). The most frequent fungus was selected after confirming its pathogenic capability.

2. Source of tested biochar, compost and mycorrhiza:

Rice straw biochar and commercial compost were kindly obtained from Soil, Water and Environ. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt. The characteristics of compost and rice straw biochar are mentioned in Table (1). For mycorrhiza inoculation, Mycorrhizen was utilized as a commercially available inoculum. This mycorrhiza based product was purchased from Soil, Water and Environ. Res. Inst., Agric. Res.Center, Giza, Egypt.

3. Laboratory Test

3.1. Preparation of Compost Water Extract (CWE)

The CWE was prepared by vigorously shaking of mature compost, at the rate of 1 : 2 (w/v) of compost (500 g) to sterile water (1000 ml), for 20 min. To remove

Table 1. Selected characteristics of compost and rice straw biochar used in the present study

Tested compounds pH Total carbon (%) Total N (%) Total P (%) Total K (%)

Biochar 9.0 36.60 0.52 0.54 0.88

Compost 8.19 25.05 1.31 1.65 -

large particles from compost mixture, aliquot of 250 ml of the mixture were filtrated by passing through sterile 3 layers of cheese cloth and then the filtrate was centrifuged at 500 rpm for 10 min to obtain active supernatant as stock solution. Four different concentrations, i.e. 0, 5, 10 and 15%, were tested against the tested fungus.

3.1.1. Effect of biochar and compost on mycelium growth of R. solani:

The inhibitory effect of the tested compost as water extract (CWE) was examined in vitro against the tested pathogenic fungus using the wells-cut diffusion method according to El-Masry et. al. (2002). The CWE was filtered through 0.22 ?m sterilized Millipore membrane filter. Fifteen ml of sterile PDA medium were used for each plate, one bore was made on one side of the plate using a sterile 0.5 cm cork borer, and the bore bottom was sealed with two drops of sterile PDA medium. One ml of each CWE concentration were separately transferred to each well. The sterile water was used as control treatment. Five Petri dishes were used as replicates for each treatment as well as the control treatment. All plates were incubated at 25±1°C for 7 days and the reduction in mycelium growth was recorded.

The toxicity of the tested biochar was studied using an in vitro contact assay to evaluate the reduction in R. solani growth. PDA medium was amended with varying concentrations of biochar, i.e. 0, 0.5, 1 and 3%, w:v before autoclaving and then poured into Petri dishes (9-cm-diam.). Agar plugs (5-mm-diam.), covered with actively growing mycelium, were transferred into the center of Petri dishes amended with one of the four concentrations of biochar and then incubated at 25±1°C for 7 days, then the fungal growth was measured. The fungal growth inhibition (%) was calculated using the following formula: I = C-T/CX100

Where; I= Reduction (%) in fungal growth; C= Fungal growth in the control treatment and T= Fungal growth of treatment

3. Greenhouse experiments:

Effect of compost and biochar at different concentrations on cowpea dampping-off disease under greenhouse conditions:

In order to determine the most effective concentrations of the tested compost and biochar, cowpea seeds (cv. Tiba), obtained from Agric, Res. Center, Giza, Egypt, were surface disinfested in 1% sodium hypochlorite, rinsed in sterile distilled water and then 5 seeds were sown in each plastic pot (30 cm3.) filled with a sterilized mixture of sand and clay (2:1, v/v) containing compost at 0, 5, 10 and 15% w/w or biochar at 0, 0.5, 1 and 3%, w/w. One day later the treated soil was individually infested with the tested fungal inoculum at the rate of 3% w/w, previously grown on sand barley medium (1/1, w/w and 40% water) at 25±1ºC for two weeks. Five randomly replicated pots were used for each treatment.

4. Field experiments:

Effect of compost, biochar and mycorrhiza alone or in combinations on cowpea dampping-off disease under field condition during 2013 and 2014 growing seasons:

The most effective concentrations of the tested compost and biochar were selected to study their effect on the disease suppression when used alone or mixed with mycorrhiza. The following treatments were used in the experimental setup:

1. 1. Compost;
   2. Biochar ;
   3. Mycorrhizen;

• Compost + Mycorrhizen;
• Biochar + Mycorrhizen;
• Compost + Biochar + Mycorrhizen;
• Rhizolex-T;
• Control.

The sterilized cowpea seeds were coated with the mycorrhiza inoculum before sowing in the treatments including mycorrhiza. The experiment was carried out at the experimental unit of Plant Pathology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt during two successive seasons of 2013 and 2014. The land was divided into ridges (70 cm width). The seeds were sown at a distance of 15cm in one row on the ridge, one seed in each placement.

Seeds were sown on April 15th, 2013 and 2014 seasons. All agricultural practices were carried out according to the recommendation of Ministry of Agric., Egypt. The experimental treatments were arranged in complete randomized blocks design with three replicates. The plot area was 4 m2 (1 m length and 4 m width).

Percentages of pre- and post- emergence damping-off as well as healthy survived plants were carried out 15, 21 and 45 days after sowing, respectively, using the formula described by Mikhail et. al. (2005) and Abd El-Moneim, et. al. (2012) as follows:

Pre-emergence (%) = Number of non-germinated seeds / Total number of sown seeds × 100

Post-emergence (%) = Number of dead seedlings after emergence / Total number of sown seeds × 100

Survived plants (%) = No. of survived plants / Total No. of sown seeds × 100

Survival efficacy (%) = D1-D2 / D1 × 100

Wherease: D1 = Damping-off (%) in control treatment and D2 = Damping-off (%) in treatment

5. Effect of compost, biochar and mycorrhiza alone or in combinations on some parameters of cowpea plants under field conditions during 2013 and 2014 growing seasons:

The vegetative growth parameters of cowpea plants, i.e. plant height (cm), root length (cm), number of leaves, pods and nodules / plant, fresh weight of leaves and roots (g) and dry weight of leaves and roots (g), were determined 90 days after sowing. Five random samples of cowpea plants representing each treatment were removed carefully from the plots, and then washed under running tap water to remove adhering particles.

6. Effect of compost, biochar and mycorrhiza alone or in combinations on nitrogen, phosphore and potassium content of cowpea plants under field conditions during 2013 and 2014 growing seasons:

Nitrogen and phosphorus contents were assayed according to Jackson (1973), wherease, potassium content was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Barkin Elmer, 3300) according to (Chapman and Pratt, 1961), the results were calculated as g/100g dry weight.

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5. Statistical Analysis

Most of the data were statistically evaluated according to Snedecor and Cochran (1967). Averages were compared at 5% level of probability using the Least Significant Differences (L.S.D.) as mentioned by Fisher (1948). On the other hand, percentages data were transformed to arcsines and then subjected to statistical analysis to determine the least significant differences (L.S.D.) to compare variance between treatments (Gomez and Gomez, 1984).

Table of contents

1. Materials and Methods
1. Isolation of fungi associated with cowpea damping-off disease:2. Source of tested biochar, compost and mycorrhiza:3. Laboratory Test3.1. Preparation of Compost Water Extract (CWE)3.1.1. Effect of biochar and compost on mycelium growth of R. solani:4. Greenhouse experiments:5. Field experiments:6. Statistical Analysis
2. Discussion

Impact of Some Soil Amendments and Mycorrhiza On Cowpea Damping-Off Caused by Rhizoctonia solani.

Addition of biochar to soil improves soil fertility and plant growth, especially when combined with organic compounds such as compost. This study was carried out to examine the effect of soil amendments with biochar, compost and mycorrhiza as biofertilizer alone or in combinations on some cowpea plant growth parameters and on suppression of damping-off disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani in the greenhouse and field conditions. In vitro experiment showed that biochar has no direct effect on the tested fungus even at the highest tested concentrations. In the greenhouse, Copmost was more effective than biochar in reducing damping-off disease. In the field, mycorrhiza alone or combined with biochar or compost gave the lowest percentages of damping-off disease. Moreovere, they significantly improved the plant growth parameters (Plant height (cm), root length (cm), number of leaves, pods and nodules / plant, fresh weight of leaves and roots (g) and dry weight of leaves and roots (g)). Also, the tested treatments improved the ability of cowpea plants in uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from the soil. Mycorrhiza alone or combined with biochar or compost were the best effective treatments in this regard.

Keywords: Compost, cowpea, mycorrhiza, rice straw biochar and macronutrients.

Seeking for new strategies to control plant diseases and improve the yield led to discover different new ideas, including soil organic compounds amendmens such as biochar and compost. These compounds are well known with their suppressive effect against a wide range of soil borne pathogens (Coventry et. al., 2005 and Noble and Coventry, 2005).

Biochar is an organic product rich in carbon, it produced by a heating process known as pyrolysis (Sohi et. al., 2010; Elad et. al., 2011 and Sparks, 2011). The kind of organic compounds and the temperature used for its production determine its nutrient contents and physicochemical properties (Antal and Gronli, 2003 and Gaskin et. al., 2008). The addition of biochar to the soil improve its characterization resulting in beneficial effects on the plant quality and quantity (Glaser et. al., 2002; Steiner et. al., 2008 and Atkinson et. al., 2010). It is very stable in soil with a half-life ranging up to thousands of years (Zimmerman, 2010). Recently, it has been reported that soil amended with biochar can influence the development of the plant diseases caused by foliar and soil borne pathogens (Graber et. al. 2014).

Another soil amendment with suppressive effects is compost. It inhibits a wide range of plant diseases caused by various soil-borne pathogens. This could be due to an enhanced competition and antagonism by the soil biota associated with increased microbial activity in soil (Pugliese et. al., 2011).

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are one of the most important microorganisms. It makes symbiotic relationships with the plants and affect soil borne and foliar pathogens (Whipps, 2004 and Fritz et. al., 2006).

Cowpea (Vigna sinensis Endl.) is the most important vegetable crop. The cowpea seeds contain about 23% protein and 57% carbohydrate (Belane and Dakora, 2009). Cowpea plants are liable to attack by damping-off and root rot diseases caused by Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, Sclerotium rolfsii and Pythium sp. These diseases cause considerable losses to cowpea plants worldwide (Shihata and Gad El-Hak, 1989; Ushamalini et. al., 1993; Rauf, 2000; Satish et. al., 2000; El-Mohamedy et. al., 2006).

In the entire study, the effect of compost, biochar and mycorrhiza, either alone or in combinations, on control of cowpea damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani and on some plant growth parameters in the greenhouse and field conditions were concerned. Also, the study was expanded to evaluate the effect of these treatments on plant content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK).

Materials and Methods

1. Isolation of fungi associated with cowpea damping-off disease:

Diseased cowpea seedlings, showing the typical symptoms of damping-off disease were collected from the Experimental Farm of the Fac. Agric., Cairo Univ.

For isolation, infected roots were washed thoroughly with tap water and cut into small fragments (0.5- 1.0 cm), superficially sterilized with 1% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min., Then rinsed several times in sterilized water, blotted to dry between folds of sterilized filter papers. Small pieces were transferred onto PDA medium into Petri plates and incubated at 26±2°C for 7 days. Observations were daily recorded and emerged fungi were picked up and cultured on PDA medium slants and its frequencies were calculated. Fungal growth was microscopically examined and purified using the single spore and/or the hyphal tip techniques (Dhingra and Sinclair, 1985). The purified fungi were identified according to their morphological features, either to the generic or to the species level, according to Booth and Waterston (1964) and Barnett and Hunter (1972). The most frequent fungus was used in vitro and in vivo (pot experiments) after confirming its pathogenic capability.

2. Source of tested biochar, compost and mycorrhiza:

Rice straw biochar and commercial compost were kindly obtained from Soil, Water and Environ. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt. The characteristics of compost and rice straw biochar are mentioned in Table (1). For mycorrhiza inoculation, Mycorrhizen was utilized as a commercially available inoculum. This mycorrhiza based product was purchased from Soil, Water and Environ. Res. Inst., Agric. Res.Center, Giza, Egypt.

3. Laboratory Test

3.1. Preparation of Compost Water Extract (CWE)

The CWE was prepared by vigorously shaking of mature compost, at the rate of 1 : 2 (w/v) of compost (500 g) to sterile water (1000 ml), for 20 min. To remove

Table 1. Selected characteristics of compost and rice straw biochar used in the present study

Tested compound pH Total carbon (%) Total N (%) Total P (%) Total K (%)

Biochar 9.0 36.60 0.52 0.54 0.88

Compost 8.19 25.05 1.31 1.65 -

large particles from compost mixture, aliquot of 250 ml of the mixture were filtrated by passing through sterile 3 layers of cheese cloth and then the filtrate was centrifuged at 500 rpm for 10 min to obtain active supernatant as stock solution. Four different concentrations, i.e. 0, 5, 10 and 15%, were tested against the tested fungus.

3.1.1. Effect of biochar and compost on mycelium growth of R. solani:

The inhibitory effect of the tested compost as water extract (CWE) was examined in vitro against the tested pathogenic fungus using the wells-cut diffusion method according to El-Masry et. al. (2002). The CWE was filtered through 0.22 ?m sterilized Millipore membrane filter. Fifteen ml of sterile PDA medium were used for each plate, one well was then punched out on one side of the plate using a sterile 0.5 cm cork borer, and the well bottom was sealed with two drops of sterile PDA medium. Hundred ml of each CWE concentration were separately transferred to each well. The sterile water was used as check. Five Petri dishes were used as replicates for each treatment as well as the check. All plates were incubated at 25°C for 7 days and then the reduction in mycelium growth was recorded.

The direct toxicity of biochar was studied using an in vitro contact assay to evaluate the reduction in R. solani growth. PDA medium was amended with varying concentrations of biochar, i.e. 0, 5, 10 and 15 %, w:v before autoclaving and then dispensed into Petri dishes (9-cm- diam.). Agar plugs (5-mm-diam.), covered with actively growing mycelium, were transferred into the center of Petri dishes amended with one of the four concentrations of biochar and then incubated at 25°C for 7 days, then the fungal growth was calculated. The fungal growth inhibition was calculated using the following formula: I = C-T/CX100

Where; I= Reduction (%) in fungal growth; C= Fungal growth in the control treatment and T= Fungal growth of treatment

4. Greenhouse experiments:

Effect of compost and biochar at different concentrations on cowpea dampping-off disease under greenhouse conditions:

In order to determine the most effective concentrations of the tested compost and biochar, cowpea seeds (cv. Tiba), obtained from Agric, Res. Center, Giza, Egypt, were surface disinfested in 2% sodium hypochlorite, rinsed in sterile distilled water and then 5 seeds were sown in each plastic pot (40 cm3.) filled with a sterilized mixture of sand and clay (2:1, v/v) containing compost at 0, 5, 10 and 15% w/w or biochar at 0, 5, 10 and 15%, w/w. One day later the treated soil was individually infested with the tested fungal inoculum at the rate of 3% w/w, previously grown on sand barley medium (1/1, w/w and 40% water) at 25±1ºC for two weeks. Five randomly replicated pots were used for each treatment.

5. Field experiments:

Effect of compost, biochar and mycorrhiza alone or in combinations on dampping-off disease of cowpea plants under field condition during 2013 and 2014 growing seasons:

The most effective concentrations of the tested compost and biochar were selected to study their effect on the disease suppression when mixed together in the presence or absence of mycorrhiza. The sterilized cowpea seeds were coated with the mycorrhiza inoculum before sowing. The following treatments were used in the experimental setup:

1. Compost;
2. Biochar;
3. Mycorrhizen;
4. Compost + Biochar;
5. Compost + Mycorrhizen;
6. Biochar + Mycorrhizen;
7. Compost + Biochar + Mycorrhizen;
8. Rhizolex-T;
9. Control.

The experiment was carried out at the experimental unit of Plant Pathology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt during two successive seasons of 2013 and 2014. The land was divided into ridges (70 cm width). The seeds were sown at a distance of 15cm in one row on the ridge, two seeds in each placement.

Seeds were sown April 15th, 2013 and 2014 seasons. All agricultural practices were carried out according to the recommendation of Ministry of Agric., Egypt. The experimental treatments were arranged in complete randomized blocks design with three replicates. The plot area was 4.2 m2 (6 m length and 0.7 m width).

Percentages of pre- and post- emergence damping-off as well as healthy survived plants were carried out 15, 21 and 45 days after sowing, respectively, using the formula described by Mikhail et. al. (2005) and Abd El-Moneim, et. al. (2012) as follows:

Pre-emergence (%) = Number of non-germinated seeds / Total number of sown seeds × 100

Post-emergence (%) = Number of dead seedlings after emergence / Total number of sown seeds × 100

Survived plants (%) = No. of survived plants / Total No. of sown seeds × 100

Survival efficacy (%) = D1-D2 / D1 × 100

Wherease: D1 = Damping-off (%) in control treatment and D2 = Damping-off (%) in treatment

5. Effect of compost, biochar and mycorrhiza alone or in combinations on some parameters of cowpea plants under greenhouse conditions during 2013 and 2014 growing seasons:

The vegetative growth parameters of cowpea plants, i.e. plant height (cm), root length (cm), number of leaves, pods and nodules / plant, fresh weight of leaves and roots (g) and dry weight of leaves and roots (g), were determined 90 days after sowing. Five random samples of cowpea plants representing each treatment were removed carefully from the soil, and then washed under running tap water to remove adhering particles.

6. Effect of compost, biochar and mycorrhiza alone or in combinations on nitrogen, phosphore and potassium content of cowpea plants under field conditions during 2013 and 2014 growing seasons:

Nitrogen and phosphorus contents were assayed according to Jackson (1973), where potassium content was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Barkin Elmer, 3300) according to (Chapman and Pratt, 1961), the results were calculated as g/100g dry weight.

6. Statistical Analysis

Most of the data were statistically evaluated according to Snedecor and Cochran (1967). Averages were compared at 5% level of probability using the Least Significant Differences (L.S.D.) as mentioned by Fisher (1948). On the other hand, percentages data were transformed to arcsines and then subjected to statistical analysis to determine the least significant differences (L.S.D.) to compare variance between treatments (Gomez and Gomez, 1984).

Discussion

Biochar not only improve the yield of crops (Kloss et. al., 2014) but also has the ability to control the diseases caused by different pathogens (Matsubara et. al. 2002; Nerome et al. 2005; Elmer and Pignatello 201; Zwart and Kim 2012; Graber et al., 2014 Jaiswal et al. 2014) but there is no available information on the impact of biochar on the cowpea damping-off disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani. On the contrary, many authors reported a suppressive effect of organic amendments like compost against R. solani and other soil-borne pathogens (Borrero et. al., 2004; Bonanomi et. al., 2007).This study is the first report on the effects of compost and biochar alone or in combination with mycorrhiza on cowpea plant growth and on the incidence and development of damping-off caused by R. solani.

In the presented investigation, In vitro study, indicated that biochar has no direct effect on the tested fungus, whereas compost extract had a greater effect on the reduction of the fungus mycelium growth. These results are, to somewhat, in harmony with those reported by Bonanomi et al. (2007); Elmer and Pignatello (2011); Jaiswal et al. (2014). Different authors confirmed that biochar amendments have an indirect effect on the reproduction of the plant pathogens (Steinbeiss et. al. 2009; Atkinson et al. 2010; Elad et al. 2010). In this regard, differences in plant response to biochar and/or compost as soil amendments in the presence of mycorrhizal fungi were noticed. Amended soil with biochar in the presence of mycorrhiza improved the plant growth parameters as well as decreased the disease incidence. According to Warnock and his co-worker (2007), the mechanisms of biochar that influence the abundance and function of mycorrhizas included (a) modification the chemical characterization of soil; (b) indirect effect through effects on other soil microbes; (c) detoxification of allelochemicals on biochar; and (d) saving of haven from fungal grazers. On the other hand Ogawa (1994) suggested that the porous structure of charcoal may create a favourable conditions for symbiotic microorganisms.

The efficacy of mycorrhiza - biochar complex on the disease management was reduced when added to soil pre amended with compost.. This is may be due to a reduced of the nutrient vailability to the plants (Fitter, 1991; Johnson et al., 1997; Landis and Fraser, 2008).

In this study, an increase in the plant parameters as well as the macroelements, i. e. nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in mycorrhizal cowpea plants grown in soil amended with biochar were observed. This is may be due to modify of the soil pH due to the addition of biochar and its positive reflection on the nutrient availability to the plants. These results are not in agreement with those obtained by LeCroy et al. (2013) who reported that combined treatment of biochar and mycorrhizal fungi with additional nitrogen fertilizer decreased the biomass of the negative growth of sorghum plant. Moreover, they also noted a reduction in the biomass of the root as well. Meanwhile, Yamoto et al. (2006) reported an increase in the biomass of the plant root after the application of charcoal. These different results might be due to the differences in the experimental conditions.

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From the data of this study, it could be concluded that biochar alone has no suppression effect on cowpea damping-off diseases caused by R. solani, Meanwhile, it has a synergistic effect on mycorrhizal fungi and in turn in plant growth response and R. solani suppression. future research must be focused in this direction.

Table of contents

1. History
2. Virtual Platform
3. Mobile Technology
4. E-commerce
5. Social Media – Customer Benefits
6. Artificial Intelligence

The impact technology has had on traditional business can be determined by examining its usefulness, application and demand. The purpose of this paper is to explore the evolution of traditional business models to incorporate technological innovations as they are developed and to examine the benefits and disadvantages to consumers and businesses.

Over the last two decades we have witnessed a fundamental shift in the way traditional business is conducted. This shift is due an exponential evolution in technology. Research conducted by the University of Oxford depicted a timeline in which technology has taken to reach 50 million users as representation of the heights in which technology can reach. It stated that it taken 75 years for the Telephone, 38 years for Radio, 13 years for Television and only 4 years for the internet to reach 50 million users. With these statistics in mind it is not hard to see the importance of integrating technology into the traditional business model, if a business chooses is to remain stagnant in the process, this could prove catastrophic in their long-term future. This report will cover the incredible journey of the evolution of technology and how it has not only changed the characteristics of how consumers shop but also how it has impacted business’ as a result. It will look at the tangible and intangible benefits of the online platform and what amalgamating both traditional and digital business models can do for a company’s growth.

History

The use of technology has become common place in the business industry today although, this wasn’t always the case. Before the integration of technology, businesses had to conduct all their processes and operation using man power, they would source their stock by meeting with potential suppliers in person. This meant travelling hours and various meetings for updates along each stage of production, before the delivery off their stock, assuming the order was fulfilled on time. This method cost time, money and often mistrust on both the buyer and suppliers end. Office management was also a slow process that consisted of documenting all transactions and monitoring inventory, payrolls, employees and customer details using a paper filing system. Marketing methods would entail printed advertisements in the form of billboards and magazine covers which cost a lot of money for a short period of display. The use of direct mail to customers and distributing flyers and brochures locally.

When companies started to integrate computers into their offices in the late 19th century it made these processes a lot easier and brought about office automation. Computers and accompanying software were able to complete complex calculations making transactions faster, facilitating employees to easily manage inventory and receive updates when a product was running low on stock making their operations more efficient and less time consuming. The digitisation of a company’s employee and customer records saved physical space and ensured security of sensitive data.

Virtual Platform

Progression didn’t stop at back office processes. The development of the Internet in the late 1990s enabled Instant connectivity with the use of Email and instant messaging. Communication with employees, suppliers and customers became an easy process and allowed for a faster response time in emergencies and a more relaxed time frame for less urgent issues. Email marketing was incorporated and was used to send daily newsletters to customers on upcoming new arrivals and discounts on their existing stock.

The creation of the Internet took the world by storm and provided a new virtual platform to not only conduct business but to connect with people all around the world in real time. It meant that business was no longer localised or restricted to relying on customers travelling to their physical store. The ability to create a website and a virtual online shopping experience brought new meaning to the world of consumerism. Businesses were able to showcase their products and services on a virtual store that is omnipresent with the capabilities of global reach providing them with the means to distribute their business internationally. The introduction of new intermediaries such as PayPal provided a safe and secure method of paying for goods and services online for consumers.

Mobile Technology

Technological innovation continued to flourish and advancement in the tech industry brought another milestone in the form of Mobile Technology that completely revolutionised the way we interact with the world and conduct our everyday lives. In 2003 3G mobile Internet was adopted successfully worldwide, paving the entry of the smartphone in 2007.

Mobile technology has greatly impacted the consumer and the characteristics of their shopping habits. Many retailers realised the need to make their website mobile responsive, meaning their website can be viewed with ease on any device including smartphones. The convenience of being able to conduct research on the brands they like and to discover new offers for the same items while in the comfort of their home or while in another store has made consumers smarter shoppers. E – commerce platforms connecting manufactures directly to consumers illustrated disintermediation giving customers the advantage of transparent pricing. They receive bigger discounts on the same goods and the merchant can raise profits while keeping their prices low.

E-commerce

Established traditional businesses were able to utilise this technology and all it had to offer. Their years of building a reputation and customer database meant they could analyse the data they previously accumulated to further personalise their existing customers experience while targeting new customers by creating an online e-commerce store. By setting up an e- commerce store for a small monthly fee compared to that of a physical store meant that monetary resources could be used in the digital marketing of their products.

Collecting data by closely monitoring their customers use of their websites, tracking what products they view and which they buy or abandon in their shopping cart could be used to specifically target customers. The use of correct keywords within content on an online store could drive traffic from all over the world with the use of search engine optimisation a feature used on search engines such as Google. Banner advertisements can also be placed on other websites that have content relating to the same products. Digital advertising is a fraction of the cost of traditional print advertisements and can be changed at a moment’s notice without a large fee or time delay.

Social Media – Customer Benefits

Arguably one of greatest benefits to a business’ digital marketing strategy is social media such as Facebook and Twitter. As of 2018 Facebook has 2.34 billion monthly active users. Social media offers the most granular way for a business to segment the market by analysing profile data to know who they are advertising to and taking attributes that best match them to their products, whether it be male or female, demographical location or interests.

To see how consumers, interact with a brand is a unique advantage of social media. Although, this needs to be monitored from a business perspective. When a customer shops with a brand they have the option of leaving a review on their website or social media account since most e- commerce stores have a social media account attached via hyperlink. Good reviews can create viral buzz for a brand and its products which is essentially free advertising. Although, however a flip side to this, when a customer is unhappy with the experience or product received either due to delivery delays, damaged product or simply does not live up its expectations, there are ways of making this known. They take to social media and website communities for product reviews to announce their dissatisfaction in order to get a prompt response from the brand. This accelerates resolutions in the customers favour as a brand does not want the bad press and need to remain diligent in keeping their online reputation to a high standard.

Not all traditional retailers predicted the need for an online presence. As was the case for Blockbuster retail outlet CEO John Antioco. In 2000, Reed Hasting the founder of Netflix approached Antioco with an idea to become partners. Reed would create and run Blockbusters brand online and Blockbusters stores would promote Netflix. John Antioco refused the idea, for at the time Blockbuster was the leading Video outlet with over 9,000 stores and earning over $800 million a year on late fees alone, which accounted for around 16% of their revenue.

Reeds proposal entailed adopting their existing business model to accommodate customers and charging a subscription fee in exchange for keeping the DVDs for as long as they wanted if they were subscribed. This meant taking away late fees which Blockbuster wasn’t willing to lose the profits from that revenue. Soon thereafter John Antioco became realised that Netflix was a growing threat and tried to secure their future by proposing cancellation of the late fees that upset customers and investing in a digital platform for the company, but his idea was later rejected by the board.

This decision cost Blockbuster the ultimate price, their company’s survival. In 2010 Blockbuster went bankrupt and only 2 stores remain open as of 2019 while Netflix is worth an estimated 28 billion dollars [4]. While Blockbusters traditional business model had its merits, it was inevitably the inability to take risks and merge a new concept that proved detrimental to company’s success.

Artificial Intelligence

Computing systems are now being programmed to think and act as humans do, or as it is better known Artificial Intelligence (AI). Computing systems that can process data and information to imitate human processes such as learning, reasoning and self-correction. The first concept of AI was conceived in the 1950s by various teams of Scientists, Mathematicians and Computer scientists although, at that time computers had to undergo various fundamental changes before the concept could be put into practice.

Progress with AI is accelerating, and we are seeing different versions of AI being used in business’ every day, Telecommunications and speech recognition software such as Amazons Alexa to name a few. Amazon has created a business that uses AI and converges the latest technological inventions with e - commerce and traditional business models to give its customers convenience and ease of shopping in a shop and go store. They aptly named the new establishment Amazon Go.

Amazon Go combines technology such as Artificial intelligence, weight sensors, cameras and QR code Scanning software to provide a complete automated shopping experience that has no cash registers and no ques to purchased products, which was there main motivation behind the research and creation of such a store.

To shop at the retail store a customer must download their app, an application downloaded onto their mobile device. The app will generate a personalised QR code, to be scanned to enter the store. Hundreds of cameras are placed at every angle of the score to keep track of every customer. Sensor fusion software is then used to combine data from cameras and weight sensors on the shelves to monitor which items have been lifted for purchase and added to a virtual cart. If the item is placed back the customer will not be charged. When the customer is finished shopping, they leave, no checkout, no ques just an email with a receipt of each item purchased that is billed to their Amazon account, the receipt even tells the customer how long they spent in the store. The software also keeps track of inventory to reorder when needed. The store saves the data accumulated to offer promotions and make suggestions to customers before they shop.

Upon evaluation the self-service shop has its benefits it is not without its concerns. Consumers may be concerned for their privacy and may not be comfortable with a company obtaining and storing so much information on them although this seems to be the cost of convenience. The requirement to shop in the store is a recent generation iPhone or Android device to be able to gain entry with the QR Code. This may prove problematic as the older generation including the elderly have not converted to smartphone use as there is a lack of understanding for the technology. However, Amazon Go seems to be proving popular as there are plans in motion to expand.

The first Amazon Go store opened in January 2018 in Seattle, today there are now a total of 11 stores with 8 in Seattle and Chicago and 3 in San Francisco. There are plans in motion to open a store in late 2019 in London. The only employees that work in the store are chiefs in the kitchen preparing the readymade meals and employees to stock shelves and help customers when needed. The software is that sophisticated they won’t divulge any more details as most of it is proprietary, and still it opens new possibilities for the future of retailers.

Predictions for the future impact of technology on traditional business have been speculated by many with productions under way to create a more complex and intuitive version of Artificial Intelligence by a company named Zippin of Silicon Valley. Their objective is to provide customers with directions to any product within a store and even make suggestions on foods that may accompany the product you are searching for. Zippin have also developed and tested similar software to that of Amazon Go and although, unlike Amazon they plan to make it mainstream by selling to retailers. There have been suggestions that The AI software is currently being programmed to think smarter and to give customers recommendations by voice when they enter a store, for example if a customer has had a doctor’s appointment that revealed high cholesterol, when they shop in a store with the software the computer assistant could make suggestions for food to help reduce Cholesterol. One thing is for sure traditional business are in the process of evolving, mutating and adopting new and innovative technology to keep on top of current trends to not only satisfy customers but to remain competitive in today’s industry.

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We have seen technology how has evolved, adopted and mutated to enhance not only the business industry but also our daily lives. When used in conjunction with traditional business models, technological innovations can be powerful tools in the expansion and growth of a business to ensure its future in the industry. As we have uncovered in this report research and development continues to bring consumers easier, faster and more convenient ways to shop on the move and with as little human interaction as possible, as we are witnessing with Amazon Go. From the early days of office processes to elaborate self service stores it is exciting to think what the future holds for technology as it continues to become an integral part of our lives.