Fighting Fire with Fire: How Would YOU Counter-Market Vaping?

June 19, 2019 As an ad industry creative director I’ve spent years using applied science to flip messages in healthier directions by tapping into the same tactics that marketers use to hook their … [Read more...]

Wrapping Up the Gift of Time: Part Two Hunger Games

Update Dec. 21, 2014 Every year my teen prefers experiential "go-see-do" gifts to anything I can wrap up and put under the tree, (other than a GoPro which was a 'save up' winner for a milestone … [Read more...]

Her Next Chapter: Media Literacy Puts Mothers-Daughters On Same Page

April 17, 2015 Update In honor of National Library Week as I put the finishing touches on my presentation tomorrow about gender stereotypes and navigating unhealthy cues to kids, I'm sending a loud … [Read more...]

Fed Up With Food Marketing to Kids? Nosh On Food MythBusters Film

Sept. 21, 2013 Tired of the $2 billion/year endless barrage of hard sell food advertising hawking toxic crud to children to turn them into life long consumers? You’re about to get some ammo in the … [Read more...]

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...]

National Assoc for Media Literacy Education: Amy Jussel, Resource Roundup

July 8, 2013 Gearing up for speaking at my first ever National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) conference this coming weekend, I’m taming butterflies as I’m honored to be on a … [Read more...]

Dialing for Disorders: Let’s Move To Prevent Them By July 12!

June 29, 2010 As a kids' health advocate (inside and out) I’ve been covering the "HUGE" conversation pertaining to media’s responsibility and accountability in how the portrayal of being overweight in … [Read more...]

A Huge Conversation: Media Literacy Talking Points (Pt 2)

June 27, 2010 In Part Two of this HUGE conversation (premiering tomorrow on ABC Family, my Part One is here) we'll try to unpack some of the core questions that SHOULD be top of mind to embrace the … [Read more...]

Commodification of Kids: The Backlash Has Begun

April 16, 2010 About a year ago, TruthOut featured a poignant article called "Commodifying Kids, The Forgotten Crisis" by academic Henry A. Giroux, and though I read it with lots of head bobbing … [Read more...]

New Years Media Messages: Packaging Boyhood Meets The Hangover

Dec. 29, 2009 Last night I watched ‘The Hangover’ rated R, which I’d heard described by several YOUNG teens (meaning unable to buy a ticket unless sneaking in via diff. multiplex theater) as … [Read more...]

Doug Engelbart Supports Shaping Youth By Offering Digital History

Jan. 30, 2014 Thinking pensively about the late, great Doug Engelbart on this birthday today, as he would've been 89. Let's celebrate his spirit by raising the collective knowledge for … [Read more...]