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1. How did developments in technology spur the growth of the fast food industry? one quote
The technology enables the fast food industry to work fast and cheaply. The development in technology enables the fast food manufacturers to cut labor cost, improve efficiency enormously and achieve mass production. The fast food industry founders are always passionate about science and technology and how they can revolutionize the kitchen. The author believes that “and advanced computer software essentially ran the kitchen, assigning tasks to various workers from maximum efficiency, predicting future orders on the basis of ongoing customer flow.”(Schlosser, p.29) There are central software running the whole place, and state of art equipments like conveyer belt, robotic ovens with big steel hoods that make the kitchens become assembly lines, and packaged foods replaced the cooked foods. They are optimistic about there will be zero employee training in the future. Kitchen machine can do everything and eliminate the potential employee abuse of the food.
Besides, frozen food technology allows long time storage of the food. Biotechnology allows the fast food manufacturers to adopt multiple food synthesizing methods to create different flavor and texture of the food. The French fry making technology that involve a hose shooting potatoes into blades to produce perfected cut chips. And SureBeam irradiation technology solves the problem of foodborne pathogen to control the bacteria. Without those technologies, the mass production of manufactured foods wouldn’t be possible.
2. What are some of the methods by which fast food companies get kids interested in their products? Why do you think these methods are effective? One quote
The methods employed by the fast food companies to attract kids include targeting kids as young as possible, advertisement directing at kids with a specific goal, studying children’s fantasy, and working with media. These methods are very effective due to the painstaking research behind them. First of all, younger kids can easily build up long lasting brand loyalty. The author states that “market research has found that children often recognize a brand logo before they can recognize their own name.” (Schlosser, p.22) Moreover, giving the kids a specific goal is to give them a leverage to negotiate with their parents for them to purchase the food of brand for them. In addition, with the understanding of what children like, the fast food industry can cater to their preference and associate their food with the likable cartoon characters or a wonderland that kids enjoy. They keep up to date about what kids today care about, which is not usually what the parents do ironically. They children can feel the caring from the fast food place. Furthermore, the kids today spend a lot of time on TV and internet, the bombarding flow of information of the fast food industry can internalize the brands into the children’s minds very easily.
3. Schlosser describes the life of Elisa Zamot, a Colorado Springs teenager who works at a McDonald’s restaurant. Schlosser hints at a number of problems that result from allowing teenagers to work at fast food restaurants. Describe two of them.
First of all, allowing teenagers to work at fast food restaurant could undermine the teenager’s potential academic and financial success in the future. The research has shown that within an appropriate amount of time, the working experience could be very beneficial to the teenagers. They can help them to build up interpersonal relationship strategies and self esteem. However, beyond that limit of time, a lot of harm is done as well. Some teenagers experienced the downturn of their school performance and even some of them dropped out. The severe work pressure deprived the teenagers of their fun time that they deserve and they need. The students could be too tired to either play or study at the end of the day’s work.
In addition, the teenager injuries related to the fast food restaurant rates are high, due to they are more unlikely to be well trained. Teenagers are lack of work experience and are easier to be controlled by the corporation. They are also short term workers which the company would think it is high cost to train part time employees. They probably haven’t been offered sufficient amount of technical training or how to cope with emergencies. They got nasty slip and falls in the job, and robberies even murders happened to those students.
4. Should teenagers be forbidden from working in fast food restaurants? Why or why not? One to two quotes.
I think the teenagers shouldn’t be banned completely from working in the fast food restaurants. Instead, there should be a time limit for the working teenagers.
My own working experience at McDonald’s when I was a teenager has been relatively beneficial. It’s my first job, and I cannot forget the feeling of success and accomplishment when I get the first paycheck. My parents used to be very tolerating with my tardiness. But working in the restaurant, I learned to be punctual and also learned that there is always a consequence following an irresponsible action in real worlds. Surely there are many unpleasant incidents, but overall it was a positive experience. According to the author, “numerous studies have found that kids who work up to twenty hours a week during the school year generally benefit from the experience, gaining an increased sense of personal responsibility and self esteem”. (Schlosser, p.33) Therefore, the merits of teenagers working at fast food restaurants are very conspicuous.
Despite of those advantages, the teenagers working in the fast food restaurant shouldn’t be free of constraints. The work related injuries do happen too much than wanted. And there are students whose academic performances are compromised by working at the fast food restaurants. Without putting the school a priority, the benefits of working are canceled. And it would be harder for them to get out of the fast food industry in a long term, because they can hardly get many valuable work skills that will be required in other trades or professions.
The technology enables the fast food industry to work fast and cheaply. The development in technology enables the fast food manufacturers to cut labor cost, improve efficiency enormously and achieve mass production. The fast food industry founders are always passionate about science and technology and how they can revolutionize the kitchen. The author believes that “and advanced computer software essentially ran the kitchen, assigning tasks to various workers from maximum efficiency, predicting future orders on the basis of ongoing customer flow.”(Schlosser, p.29) There are central software running the whole place, and state of art equipments like conveyer belt, robotic ovens with big steel hoods that make the kitchens become assembly lines, and packaged foods replaced the cooked foods. They are optimistic about there will be zero employee training in the future. Kitchen machine can do everything and eliminate the potential employee abuse of the food.
Besides, frozen food technology allows long time storage of the food. Biotechnology allows the fast food manufacturers to adopt multiple food synthesizing methods to create different flavor and texture of the food. The French fry making technology that involve a hose shooting potatoes into blades to produce perfected cut chips. And SureBeam irradiation technology solves the problem of foodborne pathogen to control the bacteria. Without those technologies, the mass production of manufactured foods wouldn’t be possible.
2. What are some of the methods by which fast food companies get kids interested in their products? Why do you think these methods are effective? One quote
The methods employed by the fast food companies to attract kids include targeting kids as young as possible, advertisement directing at kids with a specific goal, studying children’s fantasy, and working with media. These methods are very effective due to the painstaking research behind them. First of all, younger kids can easily build up long lasting brand loyalty. The author states that “market research has found that children often recognize a brand logo before they can recognize their own name.” (Schlosser, p.22) Moreover, giving the kids a specific goal is to give them a leverage to negotiate with their parents for them to purchase the food of brand for them. In addition, with the understanding of what children like, the fast food industry can cater to their preference and associate their food with the likable cartoon characters or a wonderland that kids enjoy. They keep up to date about what kids today care about, which is not usually what the parents do ironically. They children can feel the caring from the fast food place. Furthermore, the kids today spend a lot of time on TV and internet, the bombarding flow of information of the fast food industry can internalize the brands into the children’s minds very easily.
3. Schlosser describes the life of Elisa Zamot, a Colorado Springs teenager who works at a McDonald’s restaurant. Schlosser hints at a number of problems that result from allowing teenagers to work at fast food restaurants. Describe two of them.
First of all, allowing teenagers to work at fast food restaurant could undermine the teenager’s potential academic and financial success in the future. The research has shown that within an appropriate amount of time, the working experience could be very beneficial to the teenagers. They can help them to build up interpersonal relationship strategies and self esteem. However, beyond that limit of time, a lot of harm is done as well. Some teenagers experienced the downturn of their school performance and even some of them dropped out. The severe work pressure deprived the teenagers of their fun time that they deserve and they need. The students could be too tired to either play or study at the end of the day’s work.
In addition, the teenager injuries related to the fast food restaurant rates are high, due to they are more unlikely to be well trained. Teenagers are lack of work experience and are easier to be controlled by the corporation. They are also short term workers which the company would think it is high cost to train part time employees. They probably haven’t been offered sufficient amount of technical training or how to cope with emergencies. They got nasty slip and falls in the job, and robberies even murders happened to those students.
4. Should teenagers be forbidden from working in fast food restaurants? Why or why not? One to two quotes.
I think the teenagers shouldn’t be banned completely from working in the fast food restaurants. Instead, there should be a time limit for the working teenagers.
My own working experience at McDonald’s when I was a teenager has been relatively beneficial. It’s my first job, and I cannot forget the feeling of success and accomplishment when I get the first paycheck. My parents used to be very tolerating with my tardiness. But working in the restaurant, I learned to be punctual and also learned that there is always a consequence following an irresponsible action in real worlds. Surely there are many unpleasant incidents, but overall it was a positive experience. According to the author, “numerous studies have found that kids who work up to twenty hours a week during the school year generally benefit from the experience, gaining an increased sense of personal responsibility and self esteem”. (Schlosser, p.33) Therefore, the merits of teenagers working at fast food restaurants are very conspicuous.
Despite of those advantages, the teenagers working in the fast food restaurant shouldn’t be free of constraints. The work related injuries do happen too much than wanted. And there are students whose academic performances are compromised by working at the fast food restaurants. Without putting the school a priority, the benefits of working are canceled. And it would be harder for them to get out of the fast food industry in a long term, because they can hardly get many valuable work skills that will be required in other trades or professions.
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