ZOSIA BIELSKI(From Tuesday's Globe and Mail)
They troll gossip blogs, pore over Miley Cyrus videos and eyeball toy store shelves. They're not preteens, but a crew of early childhood educators on a mission: to show parents and teachers what their five- to 11-year-old charges are ingesting.
The educators from the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education are meeting with teachers across North America to drive home the message that consumerist culture is sexualizing girls, and early onset puberty is worsening the problem.
The educators want to deepen elementary school teachers' understanding of media. They will present their research, entitled the Pink Project, at a U.S. National Association for the Education of Young Children gathering in Charlotte, N.C., next week.
Read the full story here.
Great, thanks Nick - as if time wasn't going by fast enough! I guess awareness and engagement are important after all, huh?
ReplyDeleteGot a chuckle out of some of the comments at the end of that article though - especially from 'Humbert: As somewhat of an expert on this subject, just let me say that I blame the parents for this. And the media. And the schools. They're all to blame."
Its so good to have someone to blame for early onset puberty!
i loved this artical. over my dead body is my child going to be one of those girls. i totally question some of the outfits that the kids come to school in now. wake up parents!!! your in charge not your 5 year old, i'm sure she didn't go to the store by herself and buy those clothes.
ReplyDeletei find it quit disturbing that we allow clothing that is labelled as sexy be made in childrens sizes.i'm so scared to see how our next generation kids turn ut like
I must admit, I idolized similar "digital characters" when I was ten (Madonna, Cindy Lauper...) I also imitated these "media role models" by stuffing a bra, sneaking on dangly earings and makeup... As for "explicitly sexualized" toys, well my curvy Barbies had some pretty questionable outfits. In the end, I turned out all right. I think there is definately something more going on with girls these days.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the issue is that kids idolize or imitate - that's very natural and even generally encouraged. As parents we praise certain characteristics in others in hopes of our children imitating them. That's still happens today but the role models that parents are praising (by word or action) now are, by our standards, inappropriate idols for children. We need to be aware that our children, at a very young age, are watching us and looking for signs of appropriate behaviour. If we single our Brittany Spears as someone worthy of our attention, respect, and awe - then they will too, or someone they perceive as very like Ms. Spears.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm rambling but this is a very thoughtful subject and really hits at the heart of today's parenting techniques... or lack thereof.
oh Roxane, i really had to hold back not to comment on your omment(=
ReplyDeleteOkay Monika, maybe I didn't turn out totally "all right"....
ReplyDeleteyou are wonderful Roxane, i'm trying to give you a hard time
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