Shaping Youth at Sundance: Film Finds +Parenting Perspectives

Feb. 21, 2014 For the first time ever, Sundance Film Institute added a Sundance Kids division, to introduce and inspire youth with indie films...alas, I couldn’t find anyone who knew about it.It's been a month since Sundance, and though I've asked around repeatedly, even fellow media/screenwriter pals like Dana Moe Halley, who is covering some of the films focusing on families … [Read more...]

Dot Complicated: Holiday Media Management

Nov. 19, 2013 Ditch the tantalizing Instagram food shots and showy status updates. Halt turkey tweeting. Spare the live streaming of the family fest. MAYbe use the Pinterest prep cheat sheets if you must, but “may I so boldly suggest that this Thanksgiving, we focus on one-on-one conversations, instead of broadcasting our lives to the masses,” says (wait for it) Randi … [Read more...]

Gifts of Time, Tech Training for Dad’s Day

June 13, 2013 Our family just wrapped up an impromptu multi-generational digital debriefing with all ages in town for teen graduation. “Wait, how’d you DO that?” became the common refrain of the day, with every generation sharing their easiest way to connect and preserve the milestone, which turned into an amusing show-n-tell. As each generation learned from one another … [Read more...]

Grad Night, School Policy and Mobile Media Management

June 6, 2013 “…Any personal items (including car keys, ids, cell phones) will be bagged and labeled with the student’s name. Digital cameras must NOT have transmission capability and will be left at coat check. Do NOT bring anything but the clothes on your back, your pockets should be empty. No water bottles, yearbooks, purses/ backpacks, money, iPods or iTouch, video recording … [Read more...]

Digital Detox, Blog Hiatus, and Fresh New Focus for 2013

Jan. 2013-Shaping Youth has taken a first ever, full month long blog hiatus until Feb. 1, 2013. You can follow our posts on Twitter in the interim while we unplug the blog to repower the system with fresh approaches to timely topics you care about concerning media and marketing's impact on kids. Media management and recapturing focus has been challenging for many of us in … [Read more...]