The F word: Does ‘Feminist’ Need Rebranding? Ask Teens

This week’s Salon broadsheet celebrates womens' history month with some media must-sees, including the 'f-word' video making the rounds that asks, “What do America Ferrera, Larry David, and Amy Brenneman have in common?” (btw, Salon's femme icon at left is holding a pen, not a cig) Produced by the Feminist Majority Foundation, the video debunks myths with … [Read more...]

Bimbo Bait: Is Silence or Outrage the Solution for Digital Drek?

Early April Fool's joke? Tasteless ploy of a 23-year old web guy for publicity and profit perhaps? Just when you thought media influence on body image had reached the tipping point of toxicity, our pals at Beauty and the Breast (and parents, Feministing, mashable,and industry colleagues at Edelman Digital) are reporting in disgust on this new web game, Miss Bimbo making the … [Read more...]

Shaping Youth Features “All Girls Week:” A Gender Discussion

As we wrap up Women’s History Month this March, Shaping Youth kicks off a full week of “all things girl, asking the $10,000 question, have we gone forwards or backwards in shaping youth the last two decades? We'll start with the 'whorses' of the new Strutz line of toys targeting femme/Freud in the 4-8 demographic, (eesh) and segue to Packaging Girlhood in its … [Read more...]

“Can I Sit With You?” The Stormy Social Seas of the Schoolyard

Is it a book? Is it a blog? A social media community? This poignant (book and blog) called, "Can I Sit With You?" The Stormy Social Seas of the Schoolyard, is an innovative example of using new media on a mission to further important work by taking a traditional linear book publishing format and turning it into an ongoing Web 2.0 ‘shared experience.’ The title … [Read more...]

New Teen Author Helps Peers Understand ADHD

Update 2/18: (Taking the holiday off, will post part two of the series tmrw!)--- Kids DO listen to kids. No secret there. We use this fact in our counter-marketing tactics at Shaping Youth all the time...But what happens when 18-year old Blake Taylor turns the spotlight on himself (see today's S.F. Chronicle article) to debunk myths, elevate the conversation, and turn … [Read more...]