Emerging trends & STEM

Unplug: On Summer Hiatus For Digital Detox (Again)

August 17, 2012 by Amy Jussel Leave a Comment

August 17, 2012 Long time readers know I'm a huge fan of 'digital detox' to give writing a break, focus fully on family at the end of summer, and regroup for the back to school scene... I've written about the daunting demands of an 'always on' culture and the need for a screen free exodus multiple times in posts like "Media Unplugged: Clamping the IV Digital Drip"... And … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Emerging trends & STEM, Growing up too soon, Marketing Shaping Youth, Media Literacy, Mobile Media, Apps & Gaming, Shaping Youth Tagged With: addiction vs agency, Back to school, Common Sense Media, critical thinking, Digital Detox, Digital Literacy, Digital Vertigo, information overload, internet addiction, kids and media, Media management, media-literacy, National Day of Unplugging, sanctuary, Screen free, screen time, Sherry Turkle, spring break sanctuary, unplug and reboot, unplug to reconnect, Unplug Your Kids, unplugged

Dark Knight Rises: Resources to Reassure Kids

July 20, 2012 by Amy Jussel 10 Comments

July 20, 2012 “Some Joker has to ruin it all,” a young ticket holder shaking his head fumed as news of the Batman movie premiere tragedy shot through every media channel from mobile to mainstream. The macabre pun was suitable, intentional or not. From CNN videos and sound reels to a CBS special airing in less than 24 hours we're reminded that media is ambient in surround … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Emerging trends & STEM, Growing up too soon, Marketing Shaping Youth, Media Literacy, Mobile Media, Apps & Gaming, Shaping Youth, Viral & Buzz Media Tagged With: American Red Cross, Aurora, Batman, Batman massacre, children media violence, Children Now, childrens fears, Colorado, Dark Knight Rises, Dark Knight tragedy, Dark-Knight, domestic terrorism, Facing Fear, Fear-Mongering, guns, help kids cope, Kids and headline news, kids mental health, mass shootings, media coping tips, media-literacy, neuroscience, nimh, PTSD, real life horror film, school shootings, Talking tips, Talking to Kids About Headline News, talking to kids about shooting, terrorism, Tough topics kids, youth violence, Youth-Media

Bratzillaz, Novi Stars, Monster High: Same Sexualized SnoreFest

July 12, 2012 by Amy Jussel

Update April 7, 2015 Toy Joy! New offerings upending the toy industry to send healthier cues to kids: Lottie Dolls, GoGoSportsGirls, and now this new Kickstarter, Ember World adventure dolls, highlighted in this post. July 12, 2012 It's ironic that with over 900 cable networks choice is sorely lacking, as copycat formulaic media producers churn out new Reality TV genres … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Advertising, Branding & Consumerism, Consumerism, Damaging Drek, Emerging trends & STEM, Growing up too soon, Marketing Shaping Youth, Media Literacy, Misogyny & Racism, Sexualization & Body Image, Shaping Youth, Stereotypes & Diversity, Vapid Values Tagged With: APA report early sexualization, Barbie, Be Bratz, big 6 media companies, Brattitude, Bratz, Bratzillaz, canted poses, Celebrity worship, coarse culture, cult of celebrity, Dr Jennifer Shewmaker, Etsy, girls self esteem, girls sports, girls-self-worth, Go Go Sports Girls, harm of early sexualization, illusion of choice, indie toys, Jodi Norgaard, lack of toy choice, Lego Friends, Little Bits, maker faire, Mattel, Mattel Monster High, MGA, MGA Entertainment, MGAE, Monster High, Monster High sexualization, Novi Stars, PigTail Pals, Pop-Culture, preteen-health, Reality TV, roominate, ScrapKins, sexist toys, sexualized dolls, Super Tool Lula, top 10 toy manufacturers, vamp tramp toys, who controls the media

Julia Bluhm’s Plea To Curb PhotoShop Sparks Change at Seventeen Mag

July 8, 2012 by Amy Jussel 5 Comments

July 8, 2012 No secret the 'world according to teen magazines' is abysmal for girls, and we've seen mega-stats, studies and fact sheets about the impact on tweens and teens, (KFF pdf here) but as the adage goes... "People don't change when they see the light; they change when they feel the heat." We can thank 14-year old Julia Bluhm for sparking that bonfire. In the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Advertising, Branding & Consumerism, Consumerism, Counter-marketing, Emerging trends & STEM, Growing up too soon, Marketing Shaping Youth, Media Literacy, Nutrition & Wellness, Positive Picks, Pro-Social & Positive Picks, Sexualization & Body Image, Shaping Youth, Stereotypes & Diversity Tagged With: adolescent body image, Ann Shoket, beauty myth, body ideals, Body Peace Treaty, Change.org, do no harm, Early-Sexualization, girls self esteem, girls-self-worth, Julia Bluhm, Keep It Real, media impact on girls, Media-Kids, media-literacy, mental health, Miss Representation, National Eating Disorder Awareness, NEDA, Photoshop models, photoshopping body image, preteen-health, preteen-self-esteem, Seventeen Magazine, socioemotional health, SPARK, spark change, Take Back Beauty, teen depression, teen magazines, Teen Vogue petition, teens-media, thinspiration, visual literacy

Trekaroo iPhone App: Kid-Friendly Travel Spots On The Fly

June 29, 2012 by Amy Jussel 3 Comments

June 29, 2012 Anyone with small children knows parents need to pack a lot of patience for pit-stops and play time when it comes to logistics of summer travel, but now “there’s an app for that” to make it a snap. Trekaroo, the travel review site written by families themselves has just launched their free iPhone app that taps into kid-friendly spots along most any vacation … [Read more...]