Graduation, Prom, Pressure, Stress? Keeping Up With The Joneses

June 1, 2012 Personally, I don’t think 8th grade and ‘cocktail dress’ should be uttered in the same sentence, but alas, there are entire websites ratcheting up the ‘kids getting older younger’ (KGOY) … [Read more...]

Girls Are Not Candies. Tweens Are Not Teens. Thongs Are Not Undies.

May 4, 2010 A few years back I commented on the post Confessions of a Lingerie Lover by Fae Goodman on Alternet and copped to being “one and the same.” Fae uncorked a doozy of a conversation that … [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...]

Spring Break Sanctuary: Away From Digital Dramas, Peer Reality Shows

Mar. 25, 2016 Just back from a 'spring break' social media hiatus reprising our unplugged trip to Catalina Island, albeit only day tripping vs a leisurely week away, as we tried to 'recreate' and … [Read more...]

Addiction Series Part 3: Media, Medicos, & Critical Thinking

Jan. 15, 2009 Thought I’d wrap up Part Three in this series on digital addiction vs. agency (part one and part two here) with some humorous insights from the medical community that poke fun at some … [Read more...]

Teen Book Publishers Premiere Louder Than Words TV

August 10, 2009 It doesn’t get more real than this. Louder Than Words teen series developer Deborah Reber hosts a live chat online all this week with the fresh voices and real issues of the teen … [Read more...]

Graduation: From What To What? Media Moments Of Expectation

June 10, 2009 Yesterday my daughter ‘graduated’ from eighth grade, and I found myself marveling at the whole commencement falderal as being a bit surreal... It was lovely, in a 'life event' kind of … [Read more...]

Interview with Amy Jussel on The Girl Revolution

June 3, 2009 While I was at the Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup, the last two days,  this "Interview with Shaping Youth Director" (aka yours truly) posted on The Girl Revolution. Here's  (Part One) and … [Read more...]

What’s With 8th Grade Proms & Glamorama Tween Diva-ization?

April 3, 2009 “Myths & Realities of Eighth Grade Graduation/Dance: Students may wear something nicer than normal school clothes. However, we strongly discourage formal dresses and … [Read more...]

Shaping Youth Co-Sponsors “Consuming Kids” Movie Premiere!

April 2, 2009 Academic rockstars are descending upon U.C. Berkeley April 24th, as CCFC leaders speak in person on the commercialization of childhood and the impact on our culture!Shaping Youth is … [Read more...]

Teens in Tech Conference: Startups, Students & Hotshots

Feb. 4, 2009 Sick of Sunday's Superbowl banter and hackneyed sports phrases yet? One more quick one: 16-year old Daniel Brusilovsky didn’t fumble at the Teens in Tech Conference the day prior. Almost … [Read more...]

What Sells: Infants As Fashion Statements and Joke Props?

Nope, not a Halloween costume...Just "Heelarious" consumption for the Carrie Bradshaw wannabes. Gosh, THIS is what merits a booking on The Today Show? Twice? (video of other 'outrageous offerings' … [Read more...]