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 sit with at lunch. (Target's music teacher ad/video sums in satire well, "if your kids want to sound cool, they need to look cool") Now toss in the social media promises and … [Read more...]
Rachel Simmons Chats About Mythbusting “Mean Girl” Media
Tips For Handling A Real Life “Sue Sylvester From Glee”
Update: April 2, 2013 Given Mike Rice's conduct berating players at practice captured on cam and sent all over the social media airwaves w/Rutgers news today, I have to reprise this post to remind that this DOES happen at the high school and club level on teams as well, as I can attest to firsthand. Despite life skills and tips from the Positive Coaching Alliance, I've … [Read more...]
Recap of White House Conf on Bullying Prevention, Pt.1
Mar. 17, 2011 Unplugging for a day is a respite, but being gone for a week amidst news of tsunami disasters and first ever media moments like the March 10 White House Conference on Bullying Prevention plunged me into perpetual ‘catch up’ mode…Toss in this week’s March 16 FTC Privacy Hearings on Do Not Track policies and datamining behavioral profiles (see key quotes from … [Read more...]
Depravity Gone Viral: A Thin Line For Humanity on Facebook
Sept 17, 2010 Deep breath. In. Out. Hold. Center. Ommmm… I’m trying REALLY hard to abstain from a kneejerk reaction to the ‘dare to share’ assault and twice-raped (by media) teen in Canada who had photos of her horrific ordeal plastered onto Facebook by morally bankrupt bystanders. You could say it was "Over the Line" as MTV's anti-bullying digital literacy youth site "A … [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 has a perky “Be healthy. Be happy. Be You. Be Beautiful” site. Girls Inc is “inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold.” Jess Weiner is "Creating A Nation of Confident … [Read more...]