Back to School: Using Branding as a Media Literacy Lesson

August 20, 2015 Update: More Back to School branding boondoggles...Remember when the G-force Gatorade tribe was caught  red-handed with their marketing machinations of hawking sugar hydration to … [Read more...]

Back to School With A Healthy, Green Spin On The Freshman 15

Aug. 19, 2013 Turning negative media messages into positive, purposeful pursuits is what Shaping Youth is all about, so the newly launched "Freshman Green 15" project from Teens Turning Green.org fits … [Read more...]

Unplug: On Summer Hiatus For Digital Detox (Again)

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 … [Read more...]

Rachel Simmons Chats About Mythbusting “Mean Girl” Media

Aug. 31 2011 Transitioning back to school is tough, especially when media and marketing blitzes the ‘what could be’ fear dynamics of peer acceptance based on what you wear, how you look, and who you … [Read more...]

Toxic Teen Messaging In A K-Mart/Alloy Episodic: The First Day

September 1, 2010 It’s the first of September, as the first day of school angst bubbles up throughout the nation on either side of this ‘premiere’ week. (many have started school already, some are … [Read more...]

Raising Authentic Girls: Rachel Simmons’ “Be You! The Real Girl Tour”

August 31, 2010 “Be you!” Riiiiight. In a media environment that cynically exploits how to act, what to wear, why to buy and who to be, girls are repeatedly told to "be themselves." GirlsHealth … [Read more...]

Back to School: Are Teens REALLY Going Green?

August 20, 2009 Leave it to a teen to tap into the core eco-issue behind why there’s tons of talk about green teens but not enough ‘walking the walk’ toward sustainable lifestyle shifting ‘en … [Read more...]