Internationally recognized author & educator for professionals, parents, and kids
media messages
3 Ways to Help Your Daughter Understand & Withstand Media Influences
129013 years
Messages embedded in song lyrics, video imagery, and advertising influence the ways girls think about themselves and their relationships with others. You can help your daughters–and other young girls–become aware of media messages that violate values and degrade girls, using these engaging conversations and activities: (more…)
5 Ways to Talk with Your Daughter About Technology, from Rachel Simmons
48813 years
In her newly revised and updated book, Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, author Rachel Simmons suggests five conversation starters for parents to use to get their daughters to open up about social media use. “Opening lines” and areas ripe for discussion include:
1. What’s your favorite thing to do online or on your phone?
2. Would your friendships be better or worse without technology? Easier or harder? (more…)
Seeing Through “Perfect” Media Images
94313 years
Young girls see over 400 advertisements per day telling them how they should look. How can someone–especially a young person–not be effected by this? Here’s a great article that tells about a glimmer of hope & a small bit of progress.
What to Say to Enhance a Young Girl’s Self Image
102013 years
Check out this brilliant article by Lisa Bloom, author of ‘Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed Down World’
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/how-to-talk-to-little-gir_b_882510.html?ref=fb&src=sp
Rosalind Wiseman, The WWE & the NEA
27613 years
I just love a good debate…especially when I get to listen in on a conversation that is so well-stated by Rosalind Wiseman. Check out her most recent article, The Smackdown on Common Sense: How the Anti-Bullying Movement is Hurting Itself, a rebuttal of sorts and follow up to her article about the dubious partnership between the NEA, the Creative Coalition, and the WWE.
5 Practical Strategies for Encouraging Your Daughter to Enjoy Being a Kid–and Not Rush Growing Up
92013 years
Love this site. Adore this article. Great, practical strategies for parents grappling with the question of “what is age-appropriate for my daughter?”
http://www.daughters.com/article/?id=344&page=1
I especially love the idea of letting our daughters know that it’s okay to enjoy getting to be young–that growing up quickly doesn’t (more…)
The New Partnership Between the WWE and the NEA: I See How It’s Good for the Companies, but How Do the Kids Benefit?
94613 years
This is an interesting & compelling article by Rosalind Wiseman on the partnership between the WWE and the National Education Association. She talks about the irony of the anti-bullying message that the WWE purports to deliver and the political & business agenda that motivates their efforts to become more “family-friendly.”
It is clear how the WWE benefits from a partnership with the NEA. And I even “get” how the NEA thought this partnership might be a good idea. But I can’t for the life of me figure out how kids are supposed to benefit. Isn’t that the group that both say they are aiming to reach? Seems like a whole lot of exploitation to me…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rosalind-wiseman/devils-advocacy-the-nea-a_b_876366.html
The Healthy Media for Youth Act
100513 years
According to Change.org:
- More than half of girls (55 percent) admit they diet to lose weight
- 42 percent of girls know someone their age who forced themselves to throw up after eating
- 37 percent know someone who has been diagnosed with an eating disorder
- 31 percent admit to starving themselves or refusing to eat as a strategy to lose weight.
According to the Girls Inc, even young girls, 3rd through 5th grade, worry about their appearance (54 percent), and specifically their weight (37 percent).
The American Psychological Association’s Report on the Sexualization of Girls (2007) found that three of the most common (more…)
Seeing Isn’t Believing: Helping Young Girls De-Bunk Media Myths
94213 years
Check out this great video for sharing with daughters and talking about beauty pressures. As adults, we know that seeing isn’t necessarily believing, but it’s amazing (read: sad) how much kids buy in to what they see in the media.