September 1, 2010

A welcoming ‘first day?’ Hardly. This is classic online product placement meets mean girl drek in “First Day: The Series,” an abysmal branding collaboration between  K-Mart and Alloy Media. “A new series from the executive producers of Pretty Little Liars” made me wince,  knowing full well that Alloy isn’t exactly on my BFF list (per my piece about their Gossip Girl show) And that they’d be bringing their behavioral blights on the trashy media landscape to relentlessly push their vapid values via digital engagement to kids.

I suppose I should be relieved this horrid absurdity is limited to a ‘merchantainment’ digital ditty rather than a full blown TV series, but they’ve hit a new low by giving us a snapshot of “what’s wrong with our culture” in a handy compressed 8-series, 8+minutes each episodic, which enables them to skirt the FTC rules of product integration by taking it online to target kids with snark, sneers and oh, yes, LOTS of sales pitches. Careful retailing industry, branding backlash could cost you even more in this recession.

Lest you think I’m exaggerating the teencentric crud and cues, here’s a transcript of some of the opening dialog, as the bonafide mean girl upends her older sibling in her own “pathetic” home: “First day of school determines who you’re gonna be friends with, which determines if a guy is gonna like you which determines if you’ll ever be kissed, because after awhile you build it up and you get all nervous, until you’re 25 and totally unkissable…and…” Yadayada. Trust me it gets even worse.

The “series” follows a teenage girl who repeatedly relives her first day at a new school in Bill Murray/media mode reminiscent of Groundhog Day. It stars Tracey Fairaway from Make it or Break It, and Elizabeth McLaughlin from Ugly Betty and The Clique.

K-Mart’s involvement is a double-whammy of socioeconomic targeting of vulnerable populations coupled with behavioral audacity to cue kids to “what’s important” for their first day of school. (namely, the pursuit of the almighty hottie, bullying, boyfriends and fashionista fails; sigh. Charming.)

Whiny colloquialisms and eyerolling sarcasm abounds, as does blatant bullying, humiliation  and embarrassment—plenty of that.

Mean girl antics with exaggerated stereotyping and ‘trip over yourself looking at the cute guy’ cliches are there. (the faceplant in front of the whole school earns Cassie the nickname “Crashie”) For lunch? Rejection served with a dollop of blatant, FML level, off the chart snipery:

“Sorry, Crashie, these seats are saved for people we like.”

What else? Oh, yes…of course. Silly me.

There’s a quintessential “loser mom” who claims “you’re just like me” and proceeds to squirt mayonnaise on her daughter by accident, offering the solution, “just tell them it’s bird poop” —then reassures her with trite clichés like “Be yourself and it’ll all be fine”…(remember, cough, cough, “Be You!”)

Too cool for school? Let’s slam academics and have the teacher herself chide,

“Physics seems lame because it is. But if you’re gonna ace the test and get into the right schools, you’re gonna have to learn it.”

The teacher then degrades and berates the student, calling her out for daydreaming, “No matter how long you stare at Ryan’s back, you can’t learn physics by osmosis” etc.

Note to Alloy…playing into teen angst/frustrations and fears is no doubt research laden with ‘opportunities’…knocking kids down and grinding a stiletto into their backpack isn’t helping us shift the course of education, ya know? How about some uplifting instead of poisoning, please.

It doesn’t take much media and marketing analysis to see why my disdain for this interactive interplay is off the charts in its execution and messaging.

I get the whole ‘let’s try interactive TV’ brand play, as the right column screen (above) scrolls to show each items available to buy (bedroom linens, top, skirt, etc) but the banality and irresponsibly mean-spirited character development is so weak and predictable that the whole branded bit deploys as a spoof of itself. (comedy needs to be at least mildly amusing, this is so stereotyped it’s shamefully bad.)

Oh, one more thing to watch for on this ‘first day’ back into the September swing of things…

To further add to the ‘engagement’  piece of the pie (which we should throw at Alloy/K-Mart in carnival booth style)…

Kmart launches Stylesip a social hub for teen girls to “share their thoughts on trends, entertainment, music and gossip.”

Gee, don’t do us any favors, folks. Gossip, we’ve got. Though that IS a perfect segue to a guest post by Josh Golin about same, along with this ‘don’t miss’ piece posted on the product placement/targeting teens side of the digital equation with the episodic TV, via Center for Digital Democracy.

Stay tuned for more, I have a feeling this “back to school” media and marketing ramp up is gonna get ugly.

Unlike my colleagues at CCFC (below) I DO like some branding interplays… The branding alignment with Staples (backpacks for needy kids) and this Coalition for the Homeless type of kids helping kids campaign for Project Back to School (again, branding with Staples) seems at first sniff to be a win-win…Feature on that forthcoming, need to do due diligence on the goodwashing front…But K-Mart+AlloyTV=Bleh.

Guess from a retailer that marketed this and a media company marketing this, it’s to be expected. Still. Not the way I want to start out the school year. Now here’s Josh:

Today is the First Day of Kmart’s Marketing Assault on Children

by Josh Golin, CCFC

Alloy Media + Marketing have launched First Day, its latest web series for children and teens on the Internet channel AlloyTV. An Alloy press release suggests the show will have it all – if by all you mean the full gamut of troubling trends in youth marketing.

Because First Day will air on the web instead of a traditional television channel, the FCC’s rules that dictate strict separation of commercial content and programming matter do not apply. That means that, unlike children’s television shows, First Day can feature product placement. That’s where Kmart comes in.

Not only will the characters wear Kmart’s back-to-school fashions (Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez, Rebecca Bonbon and Bongo), but Kmart actually helped create the script for First Day, so expect the clothes to play a prominent role in the show’s narrative. And if you’re creating a Kmart infomercial, why stop there?

First Day will also feature a unique retail component in each episode. Kmart will “hotspot” its fashions throughout the series, enabling viewers to buy the inspired looks worn by the lead characters by means of a direct link to the products on the Kmart website.

When they click through to the Kmart website, what will they find?

Perhaps images like these that are being used to promote the same Bongo line in Seventeen magazine and Teen Vogue, two publications whose readers skew younger than their titles imply:

Or this ad that touts Bongo’s junior line for “back to school” at Kmart’s parent company, Sears:

It’s as if Kmart designed their back-to-school campaign using the exploitative marketers’ handbook. Use sex to sell tween girls on clothes.

Create “branded entertainment” so that children won’t realize they’re really watching ads. Use interactive technology so that kids can click right from the “program” they’re watching to the checkout line. Add a viral component so that children’s friendships are commercialized; Kmart is offering applications for kids to upload to their phones so they can tweet their purchases to their friends.

And of course, promote your brand in schools.

Kmart is also advertising its fall fashions on Alloy’s controversial in-school television network, Channel One.

For students in the 8,000 schools with Channel One, viewing Kmart’s ads will be a compulsory part of the school day. That’s right – Kmart will be using class time paid for by your tax dollars to promote its clothing to a captive audience of students.

Kmart clearly believes that its provocative marketing strategy will result in more sales, but I’m not so sure.

There are a growing number of parents who are saying, “if you want my business, treat me and my children with respect.” That’s a lesson that Kmart clearly hasn’t learned. Maybe we need to teach them that this fall.

Josh Golin is Associate Director of CCFC, Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. Their new blog posts are chock full of interesting tidbits that pertain to our work here, and thus will appear in reprint form from time to time when content is pertinent to a story. (printed with attribution and permission from its original source, of course!)

Thanks again, Josh. Great piece. Readers? Shall we show them this fall? You CAN make a difference with WHERE you shop to make media & marketing change. Oh, and if you’re wondering if it’s REALLY that bad? See for yourself, below: (update: oops, never mind, I tried to add it, but they made it ‘autostart’ so you have no choice to hush it, which doesn’t work for me. See what I mean? Insistent marketing.)

August 31, 2010

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 Women and Girls.” Courtney Macavinta’s holding RespectRx rallies. Rosalind Wiseman is “creating cultures of dignity,” pairing mother/daughters in a Dove Go Fresh sponsored “Girl World Tour” tackling girls’ relational aggression…

…AND in two weeks,  Curse of the Good Girl author Rachel Simmons is coming to the Bay Area with “Be You! The Real Girl Tour.” (here’s my prior interview with Rachel when Curse of the Good Girl launched. Sounds like a heckuvalotta girlpower eh?

It’s actually just a teeny weeny course correction in a rip-roaring, ever-changing sea, as these leaders help girls navigate away from pop culture icebergs running them aground in today’s media messaging and marketing environment. In fact, my first reaction to hearing the phrase “Be You” was “fergawdsakes they’re TRYING, but it’s easier said than done!”

“Be You” is a tall order in our amped up media culture of shoulds and coulds…

It’s VERY telling that these powerhouse colleagues and orgs I adore are all hellbent on ramping up girls’ sense of self to replace what media messaging has whittled away… Having witnessed the damage to girls’ socioemotional landscapes on an ongoing basis, I’m in the camp of “we can use all the help we can get.” Bring it.

With rampant sexualization and objectification of girls as commodity products along with appearance-based cues of never being “enough” it’s obvious to me how girls self-worth has slid sideways in a moshpit of media messages. So when I hear “Be You!” it tends to land on me as a cross between idealistic “rah-rah” feel-good rhetoric and a slapdash attempt to command compliance from teens swimming in a cesspool of peer pressured angst.

Truth is, without some evidentiary pragmatics to suggest concrete pathways for girls to deep dive into their own psyches and self-rescue from the quicksand of self-criticism and doubt, I’d probably toss off the “Be You!” tour as a ‘fluff-n-stuff’ fun fest…

BUT…this is Rachel Simmons, and I’ve attended her speaking engagements and am a huge fan of her work. I know she delivers the goods to help those of us who either have girls or ARE girls…so I’m there.

(She’s already sold out one of her events, and some are freebies, but the one I’m attending is Sept. 14 in Atherton as a fundraising benefit for Girls Leadership Institute Scholarship Fund.  Proceeds will provide scholarships for girls in need in the Bay Area to attend GLI workshops and camps.)

If anyone can uplift and breakthrough the lather/rinse/repeat drama cycles awash in households like mine, to add nuance, perspective, and SUGGESTIONS for how to dial down the confusion and bridge communication toward wellness and healthy worldviews for adolescent girls, Rachel can.

As founder of the Girls Leadership Institute, Rachel is well-versed in ‘what works and what doesn’t” in terms of teaching skills and putting them into practice. She’s able to give us the TOOLS we need in her hilariously whipsmart delivery depicting life in the teen trenches that EVERY age can relate to…So if you can see her work with the audience (ages 8 & up) ‘live’ it’s a hoot, as she has a freshness and casual, conversational style as I wrote in my last post about her appearance locally, “Rachel Simmons grabbed the girls’ attention from the get-go like a ‘BFF’ who’d ‘been there, done that’ so it gave us all an exhale that this was going to be a night of raw and real candor,  not a bunch of platitudes.”

She’s got lots of videos and talk show circuit clips on her site, but personally, it’s worth the “field research” for me to watch Rachel in person, in action, as she teases out truths akin to a Barbara Walters for the tween tribe…

The girls interact with “hands-on how tos” grounded in cognitive psychology while the Curse of the Good Girl book itself holds the print version of same with guiding exercises and  constructive grids to reframe dialog so that it’s more productive for all parties.

She’s also got a great section on her site called Girl Tips offering weekly, short, bite-sized advice…and a new video clips section to dial down the digital drama and friendship fiascos called BFF2.0.

She’s coming to my neck of the woods just in time, as I sometimes feel like I’m smack dab in the middle of some overblown reality show unable to comprehend the antics I see working with kids at various ages and stages, which also includes my role as both a mentor and a mom.

Much like my last post about wildly swinging pendulums of over-correction versus calm, measured reason I just don’t ‘get’ drama queen antics a lot of the time because “I don’t DO drama.” I don’t have much tolerance for it because my personality doesn’t ‘go there’ and I find it confusing and hard to relate to.

That said, as a ‘recovering Good Girl’ when I see anger from young girls directed willy-nilly  I TRY to view it as healthy expression…BUT when I hear shrieking theatrics and over-the-top door-slamming it seems more like media induced parroting of obnoxious behavioral toxicity.

Fine line. Much like the post I wrote about role modeling resiliency and kids’ coping skills (or lack thereof) it seems there’s a strong need to really TEACH how to handle confrontation and conflict without the drama-rama personalized angst painted on to the canvas.

In fact, I spent the entire morning rereading chapter 10 of Curse of the Good Girl, titled “Facing Criticism With Clear Heads,” to glean some pointers since it’s not in my lexicon or ability to relate when I hear girls berate themselves and self-label for seemingly minor infractions. (e.g. a missed sports team point=my team will never trust me again; a lower grade=I’m an idiot and will never get into college )

Rachel quotes psychologist Aaron Beck about these mental triggers, referred to as “automatic thoughts” that occur on a barely conscious level but which can” set off chain reactions of intense feelings, thoughts and actions.” I’ll say.

I have a whole report on that chapter alone which I’ll save for later…as I’d forgotten how spot on her insights are in capturing the ‘girl dynamic’ perceiving teachers and coaches as the equivalents of a ‘first boss,’ often ending up on the receiving end of emotional accusations, “S/he hates me,” using distorted thinking to take a valid criticism into a perceived attack, etc.

Rachel even mentions the use of digital media to dodge confrontation, which is something that our own SY advisor Dr. Robyn Silverman just blogged and experienced firsthand in, “Is Texting Getting In the Way of Responsibility and Conflict Resolution?”

For now, I’ll hush and post the “Be You! Real Girl Tour” dates coming up for the Bay Area with a double-thumbs up recommend and a “tweet me @ShapingYouth to say hello if you’re there.” And for those who haven’t read Curse of the Good Girl yet,  it’s out in paperback as of today.

About Rachel Simmons’ Be You! Real Girl Tour

Adults and girls (ages 8 & up) are invited to join bestselling author and Girls Leadership Institute co-founder Rachel Simmons for a fun, interactive back-to-school workshop on getting the most out of friendships and staying true to yourself.

With laughter and honesty, Rachel will teach girls powerful strategies to express themselves with authenticity and confidence, deal with friend drama effectively, and make healthy decisions in relationships. Adults will learn tools to support girls on the journey. Bring lots of questions and stay for the book signing!

Be You! The Real Girl Tour Details

Monday, September 13
DANVILLE, CA
Los Cerros Middle School
968 Blemer Road
Danville, CA
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Admission is free but participants must pre-register at www.curseofthegoodgirl.eventbrite.com
Sponsored by Los Cerros Middle School PTA and Girls Leadership Institute
Download the Danville flier here

Join Amy Jussel of Shaping Youth, & bring tweens/teens to say hello!

Tuesday, September 14
ATHERTON, CA
Menlo Atherton Performing Arts Center
555 Middlefield Road
Atherton, CA
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Admission is $18.00 /parent-daughter pair or $10.00 for a single ticket
Please note that this is a fundraiser for Girls Leadership Institute
Tickets available at www.rachelsimmonsmenlo.eventbrite.com
Download the Atherton Flier here

Wednesday, September 22
DALLAS, TX
The Lamplighter School
11611 Inwood Road
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Sponsored by Barnes & Noble – Preston & Park

Admission $15.00 per parent/daughter (excluding taxes)
Includes one copy of The Curse of the Good Girl
Tickets on sale in August from Barnes & Noble – Preston & Park, by phone (972) 612-4028, via e-mail here, or in store at 2201 Preston Road, Suite E, Plano Texas.
Download the Dallas flier here

Thursday, September 30
HOUSTON, TX
St. Agnes Academy
9000 Bellaire Boulevard
Time 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Sponsored by Blue Willow Bookshop

Admission fee $15.00 per parent/daughter
Includes one copy of The Curse of the Good Girl
Tickets on sale in August from Blue Willow Bookshop, by phone at (281) 497-8675 or for more information visit Blue Willow Bookshop.
Download the Houston flier here

Monday, October 4
ST. LOUIS, MO
Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School
101 North Warson Road
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Sponsored by Left Bank Books

Admission $20.00 per parent/daughter
Includes one copy of The Curse of the Good Girl
Tickets on sale in August from Left Bank Books, by phone at (314) 367-6731 or online at  Left Bank Books
Download the St. Louis flier here

Monday, October 11
DECATUR, GA
The Decatur High Performing Arts Center
310 North McDonough Street
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Sponsored by A Capella Books
Please note that this is a fundraiser for The Decatur Education Foundation

Admission fee $18.00 per parent/daughter
Includes one copy of The Curse of the Good Girl
Tickets on sale September 1 from A Capella Books, by phone at (404) 681-5128 or for more information visit A Capella Books
Download the Decatur flier here

Rachel Simmons/Today Show & Girls Leadership Institute 2010 clip

August 28, 2010

Nope, no sidejokes or ‘this is your brain on media’ digital detox or social media exodus warning, just a true story and a few thoughts on what happens when one ‘goes dark’ without trying…

I had some profound life lessons imparted to me this past week in my mandatory ‘AFK’ mode (away from keyboard) ‘going dark’ literally and figuratively, fighting a wicked migraine induced amidst wacky Bay area weather. (riding the fog rollercoaster from lap blanket chills to 98 degree S.F. heatwave)

Like most of my upendings, I try to find useful tidbits to learn from, and in this case, hand down the experience to my teen, in real life media management meets medical advocacy mode, applicable to personal health AND media moments (the loss of control/regain of stability, and the lather rinse repeat cycle). It got me thinking about the whole ‘unplug yourself’ media exodus that seems to be bubbling up from people’s overuse of media sans personal boundaries.

Sounds simplistically surreal, I’ll grant you, but it’s seemingly lost on a generation of MEDIA management anxiousness when many are power whining about the NEED to unplug but they either don’t do it, make a big deal about extrication, or find themselves floundering in a quagmire of pathologies (internet addictions, desperate need for life balance, online/offline extremes etc) when it could really boil down to common sense utterings of those few simple words, “This is not working for me.”

Many may recall I wrote a series about “internet addiction vs agency” (part one, two and three) reminding that however we choose to manage our media consumption, we ALL need to push that pause button to allow our OWN thoughts to dominate our worldview instead of media regurgitations that can envelop, persuade, and dominate our sense of agency.

The adherence to gut instinct and self-advocacy repeatedly reared up during my medical fiasco, making it the theme for the week as I kept wondering why more people don’t just use the honest refrain, “this is not working for me” to tackle their digital demons.

The New York Times blog recently had an “Unplugged Challenge” and an interactive quiz to see IF people could unplug; reporting back like lab rats back from a digital hiatus…

Nickelodeon’s Middle School Unplugged (full episode with Linda Ellerbee) holds up a reality camera lens to three tweens weaning away from wired addictions in a “tech intervention”…And this hilariously pithy post from TechCrunch captures the ‘we’ve got issues’ zeitgeist quite well, headlining, “Wow. If You Think Quitting Booze Freaks People Out, Wait ‘Til You Quit Twitter”

…Yet the whole time I’m reading stories on the dangers of digital detoxing with teens and how you can’t just ‘fall off the face of the earth’ —what would happen?’

I’m thinking, er…um…“I have, I can, I am, and now, so what?”

Sometimes it feels like our cultural compass is smashed and we’ve lost our way to truly listen and respond to our own interior landscape of minds, bodies, and gut instincts giving way to amped up high stakes media drama and either/or thinking.

This “all or nothing” polarity as people struggle for life balance and media management really circles back to that same very innate survival skill I experienced this week…

…Learning to TRUST your brain and body to KNOW when something’s not right. (e.g. food, fitness and relationship dependencies, wired ways/media overload, stress, family habits, take your pick…) Admittedly, I don’t submit easily to illness, controlling forces and ‘shoulds’ so yes, it was a huge deal for me when I opted out of hugging the porcelain bowl any longer to take a ride to the ER for fluids.

But I did. Why? Because my brain conveyed, “this is not working for you.”

Rather than ramp up the self-absorbed fretting, “I don’t have TIME to be sick,” there was a palpable exhale of mental submission and a sense of relief in my resignation. Sure we all make errors in judgment, but why wait until you’ve ‘hit the crisis wall’ to take action on a situation that’s preventable. (migraine OR media!)

My point is, polarity is no way to learn balance and restraint, as it spins us into ‘if/then’ segmented thinking that can create all kinds of causal links, domino effects.

Just like media plotlines are ‘over the top’ and quality scriptwriting needs to revisit the art of subtle nuance, we as media consumers need to revisit how to make small corrective shiftsrather than sweeping pendulum swings.

Have we really lost our ability for free-thinking logic and reason?

Are we giving up self-governance to assorted ‘experts’ (pundits, pros, coaches, guidance givers, digerati, insert your preferred bigwig authority figure) instead of hearing our own voices tell us when something doesn’t feel quite right?

Everyone in dire need of a vacation KNOWS that feeling of gnawing, edgy discomfort signaling a heightened state of anxiety like a rumbling volcano that’s gonna blow…Now we have to retrain ourselves to heed it. Whether it involves media consumption, medical wariness, or ANY situational judgment.

Using my medical mishap again, you might be amused to know that the same “this is not working” red flag that finally got my health stabilized on IVs with a fabulous nurse who understood how migraines and dehydration work, shifted to feeling like I was part of the ill-fated crew (at left) from this 70′s NASA Venturer comic…when I awoke from the first round of IVs.

In my bleary-eyed confusion, I could hear the equivalent of an officious, shrill Nurse Ratched staffer barking orders and flicking on the fluorescent overhead repeatedly (bad) to foist apple juice on me (wrong) and pull me off the gurney to walk around the ER (triple-urp inducing motion/faint-worthy) which quickly sounded my internal alarm to get the heck outta there pronto!

Amidst red strobes, flashing bells and whistle warning signs inside my brain that this new night shift in the ER was CLUELESS I literally proceeded to  ‘check myself out’ in Danger Will Robinson mode. (told you I was a lousy patient) I’d initially deluded myself into thinking “they’re medical people, they must know what they’re doing” until that repetitive voice kicked in again, “this is just NOT working for you!”

Point? The new team set me back significantly in the recovery progress, essentially reversing all the good that was done with the earlier shift…If I had NOT made my own choices and advocated for my own pathway outta there, I could still be spinning in setbacks of slow-mo toxicity.

My daughter helped me ‘make the break’ so she learned this week very fast how to:

1.)    Question authority (yah, even in uniform)
2.)    Trust your gut
3.)    Advocate for yourself
4.)    Never ignore your ‘something’s not right’ voice
5.)    Be aware if something’s not in your best interest
6.)    Give in when you must, but never give up
7.)    And…(ahem) on the media front…If you drop off the grid unannounced, it’s not gonna kill you, tank your friendships, or turn you invisible forevermore…

More on that tomorrow, since some kids have fears of ‘what will happen’ or ‘if they’ll miss something’ offline while others welcome the digital sanctuary of life unplugged…or don’t even log on to begin with.

I had some surprising reactions to ‘going dark’ myself which made this CNET article all the more compelling, “For Teens Today, Online Ties Are As Strong as Family”

True? False? In your world? Do tell…

Meanwhile, for all the notes received assuming I was a “Twitter Quitter” or had taken to Luddite status for an off the grid media respite permanently, nope, just a lousy headache.

Yep, I’m baaaaaaaaaaack, but I don’t have any qualms about unplugging planned or unplanned at any given time, to heed the digital deluge voice that reminds me to control my media consumption so the infovore vine doesn’t strangehold me.

How’s that workin’ for you? Keep asking yourself. In all aspects of your life. Daily.

Media Overload: Trend Tracking Behavioral Reverb

Too Much Tweeting From Twitter Friends? There’s An App For That (WaPo)

Media Loaded Brain BREAKS! Reality Check (ConnectSafely)

Media Management: Addiction vs. Agency Pt 1 (Shaping Youth)

Media Addiction vs. Agency: The Context of Control Pt2 (ShapingYouth)

Media, Medicos & Critical Thinking: Addiction Series Pt3 (ShapingYouth)

Virtual Farm Games Absorb Real Money, Real Lives (CNET)

How Important Is It to Unplug? (SpinSucks)

This is Your Brain on Farmville (Consumerist)

The Dangers of Digital Detoxing (The Daily Beast)

Being On Middle School Unplugged (Teencastic) Wade’s interview coming soon

For Teens Today,  Online Ties As Strong As Family (CNET)

Facebook To Reach Saturation Soon? (Social Media Today)

Your Brain On Computers–The Unplugged Challenge (NYTimes)

Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime (NYTimes)

Outdoors And Out of Reach: Studying the Brain (NYTimes)

More in the NYT Series/This is your Brain on Computers/Parenting etc

Are Digital Devices Making Us Less Creative? (SpinSucks)

Unplug Your Kids Blog (by “Mom Unplugged”)

A Few More Media Management Posts On Shaping Youth

Media Slave, Reshaping Habits For More Summer Fun

Amy Jussel On Kids Media Management & Childhood Matters Radio

Spring Break Sanctuary Away from Digital Dramas

Shaping Youth Through Nature, Media Unplugged

The Great Escape, Shaping Youth Unplugged (Again)

Media Savvy Kids and Nature Deficit Disorder

The Nature of Tweens: Wired Worlds & Outdoor Ed

Generation Digital MIT Review &  Six Degrees of Susan Linn

Nature Rocks! Reconnecting Families with Nature (& a boost from digital media!)

Geolocation: Facebook Places Is It Only ME? Disabling for Privacy

Video of Social Media Maven Gini Dietrich CEO-Founder of SpinSucks.com/Digital MarcomPR On:

How Important Is It to Unplug?

August 19, 2010

I don’t know why anyone would give a flying fig about my whereabouts, but I DO know I’ve had my own personal safety blogger moments and am frankly unwilling to be bait for someone’s pranks, so color me incredulous when Facebook once again set my default geolocation settings far beyond “Only Me.” Not quite a Beacon privacy breach, but still danged arrogant if you ask me. Yep, I started out my morning of media moments wanting to ‘chuck it all’ and “go off the grid” on a digital hiatus from humanity itself.

From this morning’s Twitter tabula rasa/wiped slate data access vanishing act in Casper the ghost style to fiddling with how to disable Facebook’s “Places” location feature on their newly premiered check-in vehicle, I definitely needed a dose of “grouch be gone”  lest I take this great NYTimes article literally and “go outdoors and out of reach” pronto!

Everyone already knows I’m a fan of pulling the plug and dialing down the drama intermittently to get mindshare back and to put peer reality shows on summer hiatus but escaping from digital humanity on Humanitarian Day? Well, kinda ironic…

Still, with marketers salivating over consumer location-based data (Places premiered yesterday) I find myself mumbling about the clueless arrogance of mega-media moguls.

Why, social media pros, I ask you (seriously!) would Facebook CHOOSE to make parenting more difficult for those of us who are TRYING to maintain a modicum of balance and enthusiasm with media literacy while staying up to date by the nanosecond of everchanging digerati whims? Why, oh, why, pray tell must we once AGAIN teach teens how to ‘opt out’ of sharing their location with friends and re-adjust their privacy settings so THEY control them?

Why do we need to ‘stay on top’ of media by being circumspect instead of collaborative?

I’m so tired of pundits portraying parents as ‘pearl clutching’ or ‘helicopter hysteria’ when we simply just want to control our own freakin’ data and ensure our kids are enlightened with insight and media literacy to control theirs…

Is that so much to ask?

In many cases, it’s the YOUTH teaching the PARENTS how to ‘turn off’ certain settings or older siblings protecting younger siblings with defaults that enable limited access.

If Facebook is going to play sharks and minnows by gobbling up any competition that stands in the way of an alternative OPEN source platform like Diaspora then the least they can do is show a wee bit of behemoth decorum and play nice in the digital sandbox instead of acting like arrogant twits to continually put teens in harm’s way.

What’s my rub with FB Places?

For starters, do you REALLY want a casual FB friend/frenemie posting your whereabouts unbeknownst to you?

What about pranksters that think it’s funny to ‘set you up’ by ‘checking you in’ where you are not? Or with someone else’s date?

Aww, geez, don’t EVEN get me started down the bullying and digital abuse path here…For a quick ‘at a glance’ summation of some issues,  see Business Insider’s roundup:

Implications of Facebook Places

PRIVACY WARNING: Facebook Places Lets Your Friends Broadcast Where You Are, Even If You’re Not There

Places is an Obvious Foursquare Ripoff & It’s Going To Be Huge

Get Ready For A Wave Of Annoying Facebook Places Check Ins

Gee, the new Frontline SMS BullyProof mobile app would need to add an entire new layer of anonymous reporting for location based mobile/social “uh-ohs” and MTV’s great peer to peer bullying prevention campaign, “A Thin Line“ would probably find that line crossed repeatedly in the teen sphere of virtual stage-‘where are you really’ geotagging and gamesmanship.

Wow, Facebook, did you learn ANYthing from Beacon? Recall “Your peepin’ is creepin’ me out” and the flood of stories from our  “dare to share” post?

You’d think they’d learn how to handle opt-IN rather than opt-OUT by now…

Mind you, it’s NOT a parental panic priority, as it’s easy to get the Facebook Places control back in your own hands (see tutorial below how to disable Facebook Places, thanks to LifeHacker)

But still…To me, as a parent, the testicular fortitude (aka sheer cajones) of such ‘in your face’ digital doings is really NOT necessary unless your aim is to prove ‘anything for a buck, Zuck’ is flying in the face of public opinion and figures it’ll go unnoticed.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight, as Bill Cosby used to say in his comedy routine talking to God. (or perhaps the FB CEO thinks he’s one and the same?)

In fairness, there’s nothing wrong with savvy users ‘checking in’ (per ArsTechnica —though of particular interest to teens/parents is the “People Here Now” tagging possibilities of others using the app, that part I’m definitely not wild about and call for a self-review of your family settings)

Operative word here should be ‘if you choose’ as in this NYT blog piece on How to Use FB Places well if you CHOOSE to, along with Business Insider’s piece on how to use FB Places and check-in apps easily (complete with a video primer)

Trust is a two-way street, and it’s not the ‘tech’ that’s issuing the privacy policy, it’s the people, so on this World Humanitarian Day, I’ll hush and ask the ‘media powers that be’ to consider being more humane and respectful in the name of the greater good (for humanity) Meanwhile, I’m taking what’s left of the day outside for some NON-digital doings and much needed perspective.

On an upbeat note: HURRAY for Humanitarian Day!!!

This upbeat, fun collaborative film produced by David Ohana  of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is media and crowdsourcing at its best. Shot in over 40 countries in under 9 weeks to showcase the enormous diversity of places, faces and endeavors of humanitarian aid workers in 2010, it’s a tribute to service learning and those who want to “DoSomething” throughout the globe!

It was filmed by humanitarian staff and freelance filmmakers from around the globe (over 50 contributors in total) with all time donated, made on a shoestring budget!

Credits:

Music by Krister Linder (www.kristerlinder.com)
2D animation by Anu Nagaraj at Massmarket (www.massmarket.tv)

World Humanitarian Day.info

LOVE IT! GREAT JOB AND HEARTWARMING MEDIA MOMENT. Encore! –Amy

August 12, 2010

I’d like to say they ‘had me at hello’ but frankly they did NOT.

I’m not an ABC Family ‘teen soap’ fan of the shallow sniper-fire of frenemies and sexcapade shenanigans of the usual tripe, and to complicate matters, I’m a wellness advocate for kids’ physical, emotional, and social health. (more on why that juxtaposition isn’t a disconnect in part two)

As the summer winds down, it’s interesting to see how I’ve warmed up and ‘attached’ to this show like beach sand clings to a sunscreened bod.

Hearty applause to Huge for looking at the shallow signals of using weight as social currency in our collective psyches. (Our own Shaping Youth adviser, Dr. Robyn Silverman has a book coming out in October along these lines called “Good Girls Don’t Get Fat: How Weight Obsession is Messing Up Our Girls and How We Can Help Them Thrive Despite It”)

The media maverick in me LOVES dialog snippets like this week’s pushback from lead character Will at the ‘weigh in’ scales, “I just don’t want to be infected by this crap!” (good luck with that in our media culture, baby) But as a writer, my HUGE hurray is for getting inside the skin of characters and creating a solid, relatable piece of work.

I’m thrilled to see Huge has taken the risky road of taking their TIME to develop characters that aren’t flat cardboard cutouts to be crammed into :42 timeslots with tidy resolutions and a cliffhanger seeded for the next week.

Quel surprise, they’re even 3D bodies too…

In one way refreshing given the popsicle stick painted ladies who weave in and out of teen soaps aplenty with ‘will s/he or won’t s/he’ (insert xyz solvable formulaic moral dilemma) leaving many teens wondering how these screen lives are so ‘hot’ and theirs are so ‘not’…

It’s a different vibe that for once favors substance OVER form, and fearlessly dips into the teen emotional tank to tap into self-doubts, life stories and situational baggage that each one of us carries through the world as HUGE parts of our personality, regardless of our appearance.

Reminds me of that old adage, “when you point a finger three are pointing back at you”… whether it’s about word choice, attitude, hurt feelings, friendship, rejection, romance, or appearance, it’s all jumbled into a poignant snapshot of the human condition universally.

Don’t get me wrong, it can be infuriating too. I have some ‘huge issues’ …

The advertising surrounding the show has improved steadily, but it tweaked me initially, as did the eyeroll when I thought it was going down the ‘who likes who’ hormonal path, and ‘mean/ popular girl’ dynamic which has since righted itself from superficial ‘hottie’ factor to dig deeper, thank gawd…Now:

It’s quirky and almost coy in leaving you dangling and on edge that ‘something’s up’ beneath the surface of core characters, especially leads like the camp enigma, “Dr. Rand” (at left) who projects hardshell calm on the outside and is a gooey self-questioning mess on the inside that I want to bark, “physician, heal thyself.”

The show’s pace is a refreshing shift from the ‘over the top’ antics and stereotyped personas…it’s more like a titillating page-turning novel that makes you jump ahead to the next chapter just when you promised the light was going out for the night.

They reveal just enough about a character to engage, but leave you guessing…Sometimes I want to reach through the screen and give ‘em a good shoulder shake ‘what’s is UP with you, hmn?!’

Likewise, characters that perpetually annoy me like the abrasive drill sergeant-like trainer, Shay make me realize archetype doesn’t match the show’s whip-smart ability to add depth and complexity to a character so I KNOW there’s ‘stuff’ bubbling beneath the surface.

Sure enough, just about when I’m ready to write off a character as a ‘loud-mouthed loser’ or spiteful meanie, there’s a softening of the edges and a window on their world wiped clean. I’ve learned to just ‘hold’ as we say in yoga, and ‘wait it out’ without fast-forwarding to judgment.

Now the question is, will the network do the same?

As this Open Letter to the network stated so well, these things take TIME to flourish and need nourished beyond a quick ‘slap it up there for the summer and see what sticks to say we tried it’ TV executive approach.

I’ve seen this happen all too often with shows that try to create something different…that try to challenge our heads and hearts with compassion, humor and tolerance of the human condition in raw and real ways.

The character development in Huge reminds me of shows like Once And Again (axed) or the new Parenthood (a hit ensemble cast so far) that portray families with internal landscapes where you cheer for their growth over time, see bits and pieces from your own reflection, and learn about life’s foibles, injustices and triumphs along the way…that’s what makes for solid, engaging entertainment.

But networks are notoriously impatient, particularly in recent years…breakthrough shows of yesteryear like Norman Lear’s All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, Sanford and Son, or sitcoms like Murphy Brown, The Golden Girls or the ‘Huge’ success of Roseanne depicting working class worlds took time to get their footing so they wouldn’t be perceived as ‘contributing’ to a problem, but instead using media as art to open dialogs that need to transpire. Still, I worry…

Anyone remember the Verb Yellowball campaign for kids launched by the CDC for a body positive approach to active play, seeding fun through fitness virally so kids wouldn’t know what hit ‘em? Well, hey, it WAS working just fine until they pulled the plug just as it was reaching critical mass to catch on. Hope there aren’t parallels here. Just sayin’…

I’ll save the rest for part two where I ‘interview myself’ on what works and what doesn’t for me in terms of the whole body image/nutrition/obesity equation…(btw, two of my favorite characters shown below, Becca & Will)

I realize it’s a Huge uphill battle this show faces,  as Time magazine pithily conveyed:

…“In truth the series can go only so far because a real sanctioning of teenage obesity would feel like a renewed condoning of the subprime mortgage market.”

That’s a myopic media view but an understandable statement. The over-arching ‘hurray’ here for me is that the show carefully draws you into an inner circle at Camp Victory where it’s like being a fly on the wall hearing about issues that you may or may not be able to relate to in your own personal challenges. (weight or otherwise)

Time magazine is correct though that it’s a misunderstood, multi-layered media conundrum with perceptions that runs deep. One of the most telling moments came for me when a friend said,

“You watch Huge? That’s not even your issue! How are YOU gonna write about that?”

I was kinda stunned. Not my issue?

That’s like saying I can’t understand racial discrimination because I’m white and blonde. (there’s an added trick answer to that; I was raised as a minority—Hawaii, Japan, D.C., go figure)

Huge is pushing the envelope to get traction en masse, but mainstream media is stuck in the mindset that it’s a “fat camp.” Really, people? That’s like saying the TV show MASH was about the military, or the film Cocoon was only for senior citizens.

Let’s be clear: The show is a universal snapshot that all ages and stages can relate to on some level at any given point in time.

It’s a vehicle for ‘issues’ to slowly eke out, and the camaraderie among the campers AND struggling staffers appears to be unified in an unflinching ‘us vs them’ representation of a world outside the camp in our larger culture that’s demanding, harsh, stressful and unyielding with expectations.

Who are those ‘thems?’ Well …they’re US.

Everyday people in society projecting the shoulds and coulds onto others, whether it’s via one to one glances or mass media blasts of appearance-based cues.

Are YOU contributing to the toxicity of that landscape?

Do you bodysnark or show disdain for ‘too’ _______ (thin/fat/tall/short/perky/quirky/freaky/geeky/dumb/smart) insert judgment du’ jour?

Think on it. Back atcha with Part Two.

Meanwhile here are some of the video clips and talking points to prompt you to give it a view and chance. You may be surprised how fast you see yourself in this pop cultural mirror.

Opening Up a Huge Conversation: via Huge Actionist (TM) Jess Weiner

See her site for the full list of questions for great talking points with kids about different aspects of the show that get them thinking critically about media messages embedded in the show and in our culture. Here are just a few of my favorites:

“…Ian expresses his fear of disappointing his parents because they seem to have high expectations for him to change his body.

Who puts the most pressure on you when it comes to your body image?

Is it  your family? Friends? Media? Whose voice do you listen to the most when it comes to your health? Why is weight such an emotional issue for teens?”

Another:  “When arguing about the merits of a weigh-in, Will makes a statement to Becca ‘There’s no pressure as long as you are trying to shrink to an acceptable size.’ What do you think she meant by that?”

“Chloe and Amber sign the Seventeen Body Peace Treaty” (Amy’s note: cough, cough, VERY strategic product placement)…

“Why do you think it’s important to declare peace around your body image? What could accepting your body and looks help you achieve more of in life? Will it make you happier? Will it help you feel more confident?”

“Ian decides NOT to find out how much weight he lost and tells Alistair he doesn’t “want to let a number decide who he feels about himself.” What do you think about that choice?”

“Becca is really happy with her weight loss progress. Is it OK to celebrate small changes in your health like when you are able to walk further or feel stronger? Could celebrating small moments help you feel more confident if you have a lot of weight to lose?”

Jess Weiner is an author, self-esteem expert and lives a HUGE life by helping girls around the world feel more confident.

(Amy’s note: She’s also an amazing role model who has prompted me to explore the “body positive” movement with a different lens, while keeping my healthy/mobility/balance reasoning intact working with kids on the nutrition and obesity intervention front…This is not a show about ‘fat is where it’s at’ nor is it a ‘thin is in’ aspirational message, it’s about diverse bodies, minds, and media. Brava and encore! Huge Actionist (R)

Here’s Jess Weiner’s interview with Nikki Blonsky (clearly her statement about getting invested in the characters rather than the weight focus holds true for me, mission accomplished) I’m not the only one pleased with the direction so far, here’s a roundup of reviews from mainstream media on MetaCritic.

Posts From the Actionist Network (R)

Am I Promoting Obesity? Are You? (Dr. Robyn Silverman 7-29-10)

A Body Positive Approach to Exercise (Julie Parker)

PigtailPals: Huge, Week 6 w/video of teen ‘girl gang’ (follow her ongoing covg)

PigtailPals: Huge Week 5, Week 4, etc.

The Illusionists

Jess Weiner

Claire Mysko: 5 Resolutions for Real Beauty

Julie Parker: Beautiful You

About Face.org

Huge May Look Extreme, But That Could Be A Good Thing (Jess Weiner)

There’s Something Huge Coming Our Way (Elin Waldal)

A Huge Step Forward or Back? ABC Family On Weight Loss Camp (Dr Robyn)

Huge: A New ABC Family Original Series/Action Alert (Chenese Lewis)

Huge is Coming (Andrea Owen/Life Coach)

Voice in Recovery/Huge on ABC Family (Kendra S/Eating Disorder Activist)

16 Y.o. Emily-Anne Rigal aka Schmiddlebopper Interviews Nikky Blonsky

HUGE List of Recent/Related Resources

Madame Noire: Raven Goodwin’s Huge Breakthrough (7-13-10)

Teenage Stars of Huge TV Series Aren’t Just Acting Overweight (Washington Post)

Nikky Blonsky: It Doesn’t Matter That I’m Plus-Size (CNN)

Nikky Blonsky Talks to TV Fanatic

A Close-Knit Team on a Plus-Size Show (NYT)

Mother/Daughter Team Create New TV Show (Women in Hollywood)

Huge Preview: ABC Family Summer Series (CinemaBlend)

Huge Difference/Drama At Fat Camp, It’s Real People Who Carry the Weight (Sign On SanDiego)

August 9, 2010

Far beyond the flames of dysfunctional relationships and abusively unhealthy dating drama depicted in the video, the notion of media literacy deconstructing this conversation is an important one to uncork with teens, albeit a tough and potentially traumatic one.

I’m out of my league here, as I feel like it’s all hairsplitting when it comes to violence and abuse in relationships. To me, so-called “common couple violence” is oxymoronic at best (what’s ‘common’ about wailing on each other?) so that’s part of the ‘social norming’ backdraft I’d like to PREVENT entering the lexicon (or heads!) of developing teens who may take a media cue that “rough stuff is passion play”…Turns my stomach, really.

So, I have a call in to Susan Risdon, press liason for the NDVH National Domestic Violence Hotline in Washington and the Love Is Respect National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline to try to untangle the verbiage and lexicon that’s stymied many a social media conversation about what does and doesn’t constitute “DV.” (dating violence? domestic violence? can they be used interchangeably?)

When BOTH parties are sparring with verbal/physical toxicity, does this merit a different category than when the power-base of terrorism whirls through like a tornado coming from only ONE-side of manipulation, control and intimidation? These are the kinds of semantics that I don’t remotely pretend to know, despite having just read the upcoming book Tornado Warning by Actionist(TM) Elin Waldal, her own poignant survivor’s memoir of teen dating violence and its impact on her worldview and her kids.

Elin’s just completed some intensive DV counselor and certification teen training, now on a well-earned vacation having just sent the book to press for fall release, so I’m not buggin’ her on this one. (yet)

For now I’m leaving the nuanced aspects to the pros adding my two cents only when I can shake loose from the analysis paralysis engulfing me from my very visceral reaction to the music’s storyline. (it’s a bit jarring that the ‘million voices campaign’ spreading the word for DV help has already reached 2 million calls to the hotline on the receiving end)

First (NSFW language warning) the Eminem/Rihanna video:

When songs and videos like this hit the airwaves (and top the charts) with muddy media messaging, it can fuel instead of dampen a fire with volatility potential for BackDraft akin to the 90s Ron Howard film.

There are lots of ‘raging fires’ among Facebook friends (I’ll sum some of my favorite comments on both sides later) but the “BackDraft” notion I’m specifically referring to in terms of damaging fallout with teens was summed nicely by a comment made on the PigtailPals FB page, by Jennie Dalcour, who wrote:

“Music videos are a major source of the sexualization of young girls. Mixing sex and violence together desensitizes young men to violence against women and further rape myth acceptance. Since the main characters end up kissing in the end, the take-home lesson to kids is that violent relationships are passionate and exciting. This is definitely not the lesson I want my children to learn”

It gets even more confusing when we factor in whether it’s ‘meant’ to be a conversation opener, since Megan Fox donated her proceeds to a battered shelter, and Eminem/Rihanna have their own intentions and motivations regarding their abuse/recovery/cathartic/mea culpas stemming from their sordid tales, so I’ll dodge the verbal sparring on that for now and instead focus on HOW media like this lands on kids.

What media literacy questions should we be asking to have youthful eyes and ears filter the messaging productively? Is there such a thing?

How can we best give kids the critical thinking skills to navigate our jumbled media/marketing world that blurs the lines between drama, passion, deceit and despair blasting 24/7 on multiple channels of media…

Why are so many media-depicted relationships amped with toxic relational aggression, obsession, or power-based plotlines (teen soaps, dramedies, even peer to peer escapades in ‘mean girl’ mode with secrets, lies, tricks, etc Is it really all about ratings=conflict/shock schlock vs complex character development?)

What shows or media examples can we point to with healthy relationships?

How can we use media to reveal the warning signs of less than ideal personality pairings?

How can we introduce interactive media to help teens sift through what’s drama and what’s danger? Sites like Love Is Respect or The Line Campaign to establish clear cut boundaries and get hands on help safely and fast?

Is it plausible to help discern and dial down coercive behavior from the onset using digital tools to reach kids like A Thin Line or BOM411 (Boss of Me) to prevent controlling patterns and help kids feel less isolated and lonely when  they’re conflicted about what constitutes abuse or annoyingly possessive behavior?

These are some of the questions I’d like to see in the media mix.

I’ve read tons this past weekend about the video controversy ranging from semantics, complicity and pouty-lipped wardrobe sexualization to awareness raising, ,profiteering and PSAs all with varying degrees of self-righteous indignation, including males being whomped on relentlessly by females and media’s coverage (or lack thereof) about same.

After awhile it all seems to be a fouled up blur, particularly having just come from the Global Leaders for Justice session, where much of this gender violence takes place with alarmingly surreal regularity on a disproportionately lopsided scale of violence against women (up to 6 out of every 10 women globally).

The chilling reality of the pop-up “escape” box to erase digital tracks and hacks (screenshot from NDVH above) bears witness to the seriousness of risk pointing to a ‘one way’ upperhand (vs duplicitous/dysfunctional cycle depicted in the video)

It’s the very first screen that you encounter, like a fire drill or a ‘test it’ safety hatch on both the NDVH and Teen Helplines and it made me realize that many will contextualize abusive relationships quite differently, as this commenter on the Jezebel blog,  SenioritaQuemada critiques it as damaging for defining domestic violence with inaccuracy, to add to many of the other concerns:

Caveat, I know nothing about her authority/background, but am including this as an example of  “DV standing for ‘differing views’ in this debate, she states:

“Domestic violence is about systematic, long-term control. It happens emotionally, psychologically, physically and economically. The overwhelming majority of batterers are men, and the overwhelming majority of its “victims” are women. Batterers isolate women from their friends and family, cut off all means of independence and control their every move.

“Many batterers are not physically abusive for some time because they are able to exert such strong control without resorting to violence. They use threats, intimidation, and often abuse others, such as pets and children. It is intentional and pre-meditated. In between bouts of abuse, batterers will use a “honeymoon period” to psychologically manipulate women into believing that the romance of their love overpowers the violence”

“Considering how women are socialized into the idealization of romantic love by every aspect of our society, it should come as no surprise that this tactic works. Battered women do often fight back and sometimes kill their batterers, but it is most often a result of having so few options for escape from this torture. Domestic violence is NOT about anger, tempers flaring, lack of self-control or mutual manipulation of any kind. Our society is so misguided in its view of domestic violence that the most convenient explanations often rely on these myths. Do “volatile, passionate,” tumultuous relationships like this exist? Probably. Is it domestic violence? No. Whatever you want to call it, the relationship portrayed in this music video is not about one human exerting long-term, systematic, intentional control over another, and therefore cannot be called domestic violence. (Amy’s note: What do we call it then?)

What’s more, the fact that Eminem, Rihanna and all others involved in the production process made this song and video, knowing full well that audiences would view it and think, “That’s what domestic violence is,” is irresponsible and reflective of our societal ignorance about this issue.  That’s why this song, and this video make me angry.”

—Seniorita Quemada commenting via Jezebel blog

Mind you, I have several reasons it makes me ‘angry’ (frustrated, really) not the least of which is the misguided potential for teens to see obesession/possession as normative, since that’s what’s portrayed SO often in media moments lately.

The media literacy side of me is still playing ‘spot the spin’ in terms of whether this video is being ‘seeded’ for controversy and celebrity sales versus issue-based awareness raising (after all, the DV offices sure haven’t been staffed to handle the media response to this kerfluffle, when it would’ve been a slamdunk opportunity to have ‘press kit in hand’ if there were DV coordination and altruism in play versus profiteering/personal gain) Sorry, ‘just sayin’…

I’ll close part one with a simple NDVH  “million voices” style of question…

What do teens/youth in your world think about this song?

Or are they even thinking about it at all?

p.s. Interns…this is your ‘FlipVid’ street moment to shine.  Erin, Taylor, Derek, Kayla…bring it!

Related Resources on Shaping Youth

Attention KMart Shoppers, Dating Violence on Aisle 3

Predatory Practices As Sport: (Fantasy Football Sexualization)

What Does A 13-year Old Boy Know About Dating Violence?

Turning Boys Into Monsters: A Foul Taste (Again)

Additional Resources From Safe Youth.org:

• Confronting Teens Involved in Dating Violence
• Dating Violence Surveillance Federal Data Sources
• Dating Violence Warning Signs
• How Health Care Practitioners Can Help Prevent Teen Dating Violence
• Prevalence and Nature of Youth Dating Violence Information Resources
• Responding to Students Involved in Dating Violence
• Screening Teens for Dating Violence
• Teen Dating Violence
• Treating Teen Dating Violence Victims

Fact Sheets

• Intimate Partner and Family Violence Fact Sheet

• Safe Dates
  This fact sheet describes Safe Dates, a primary and secondary dating abuse prevention program for adolescents, and its targets, content, and outcomes.
• Teen Dating Violence Facts
  This fact sheet provides statistics on teen dating violence, including prevalence and frequency, parental awareness, teen awareness, incident reporting, contributing factors, and patterns in relationship abuse.
• Teen Dating Violence Prevention Recommendations
  This fact sheet lists teen dating violence prevention strategies for victims, abusers, family members, friends, bystanders, and professionals that work with teens.

Excellent Resources & Aligned Convos For Solid Guidance/Prevention

The Safe Space

Break the Cycle

Love Is Respect

RespectRx

Bom411.com: Boss of Me

A Thin Line.org-MTV’s Over the Line (digital abuse/teen control)

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

See It and Stop It! Organization

Do Something Organization

LiveStrong: Teen Dating Violence

Love is Not Abuse.com (Liz Claiborne campaign)

APA: Teens/Love Doesn’t Have to Hurt (pdf)

HelpGuide.org: Cycle of abuse/DV; cause-effect

HSUS/Animal abuse & corollary w/domestic violence

Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness

Here Are Some Blogosphere Convos With Different Takes on The Vid

RevoltRealWomen

The Teen Doc

Women’s Media Center

Pigtail Pals

Smart Girls Know

Know of more? Please add ‘em; media literacy=deconstructing all points of view

Aug 5, 2010

Yep, this afternoon I’m bringing a few teens for a “reality show” not to be missed at the Global Leaders for Justice Innovation dialogues. (video of Sabore’s water access project after the jump)

Sounds heady, oui? I see it as an open, public opportunity to expose kids to what’s going on in the rest of the world without the media filter of American myopia or vapid celebrity gossip.

As I wrote yesterday, when 21 representatives from 13 different countries don their colorful native garb and speak their visions as change agents and cycle-breakers, the global interconnected influence has the capacity to give a much needed jolt and a bracer of exposure to the harsh realities taking place on the rest of the planet, with teens THEIR age.

When stories unfold from young girls staving off lion’s roars to reach water after grueling miles of dangerous terrain, teens sit up and listen. Fifteen year olds empowered to break free of the sex slave chains of human trafficking in India to survive and THRIVE anew? Jaw-dropping work akin to GEMS-Girls right here in the US…How can we best use media to make it matter?! 

Think about it…

Small broken bodies split apart at childbirth due to bone structures from vitamin deficiencies, lack of medical attention, and preventive care…

It’s not exactly the bed-hopping fallacies being exported by our pop culture abroad in shows like “Secret Life of the American Teen”…“Pretty Little Liars”…now, is it?! Yep, these leaders for justice bring a whole new meaning to a title like “Make it or Break It.”

Examples like this visual above from Uju Ofomata’s presentation that I attended at the SexTech Conference shows just how banal and small our media efforts have been when we can use the POWERful pull of entertainment, media devices and music to seed innovation, provide resources and help out hands-on!

Gotta (literally) ‘think out of the box’…(and with the news that Bill Gates will be keynoting the mHealth mobile summit this fall, you’ll no doubt see the ‘third screen’ takeover from ALL other ‘boxes’) Visual credit at left, Zunia.org knowledge exchange in Uganda

This afternoon I’m hoping for that flash of teen triumph when they ‘get it’ and brush aside the canned dramarama of sleaze, ‘mean girl’ antics, retouched bods,  media myths and appearance cues for an ‘aha moment’ about what life’s reality show REALLY is serving up throughout the globe.

What really matters? One’s internal landscape and external mindmapping of how interconnected we as human beings are.

Worldview, baby. The teens may have “one world” and “one love” stickers all over their bedroom doors, but they’re about to find out what this really MEANS.

This, is what I think I ‘bring to the program’ beyond being a Women Leaders for the World 2007 alum…The “lead from the mountaintop” to find new pathways approach to problem solving lands me squarely in the face of media.

This is MY contribution (calling?) with this crew…To stay focused on how these leaders can deploy MEDIA for positive change…

For medical outreach, mobile ‘how-tos’ or championing  change via the web to find the best partners, allies, orgs and research to connect the dots with funders, I’m convinced we can (and will) launch a wave of sea change even in the arid sub-Sahara desert!

Rather than mentor via email and send links individually, I’m going to post some of our convos from working together hoping ALL Global Leaders for Justice (in or out of GWLN and WLW) can use some of these links and alliances to jumpstart their startups and plethora of projects.

Pardon me while I give a lil’ shout out to the core crew I had the honor of working with Tuesday…I’m eager to meet the rest of you this afternoon!

p.s. One more link: Secretary of State Clinton’s video to young African Leaders Forum

Helpful Links for GWLN Delegates (and humanists one & all!)

Africa Rural Connect: (Project of Nat’l Peace Corps Assn) A vital hub getting traction, where I’ve mentioned GWLN work via Twitter already…Please sign up and enter your needs per their invite “Create a profile on the ARC website and offer your voice and your vision to bring about change for Africa’s economic and agricultural future.”

ARC’s specific response? “@ShapingYouth If you post your projects on Africa Rural Connect you’ll get feedback, comments, endorsments, and support! http://ow.ly/2l5tX”

They also are aligned with funding opportunities and vetting the ideas, so at every stage of your GWLN mountaintop, you can ‘test out’ and ‘crowdsource’ with feedback from others!

In addition to all of the resources you’re being given by GWLN, there are resources like Ushahidi style information collection, visualization, interactive mapping, CauseCast for visibility Kiva microfunding, etc.  here are some of the specific resources we chatted about one on one for YOUR projects:

Shout Out to Smarita Sengupta-India:

Empowering Victims of SexTrafficking/Slavery

Smarita! Your vital projects with The Destiny Foundation for economic independence, capacity building and ‘made by survivors’ handicrafts is well underway, so now partner w/some existing orgs using models of survivorship here, too…

Like: GEMS Girls (Girls Educational/Mentoring Svcs) doing great work with survivors in multiple capacities (here’s the music/CD offering and media interplay we discussed using film/documentaries like Very Young Girls and The Making of a Girl to impart the realities visually with media that already exists. Partner, partner, PARTNER!

Align with great NGO entities like TinyStars.org as well as corporate funders who could be allies already doing work in this arena (e.g. Body Shop’s petition here)

Sometimes the network is right under our own noses, like GWLN’s own Sarah Assad’s work with street kids in Pakistan (PAACHAN) Ruth DeGolia (Mercado Global) on the handicraft front…or local partner possibilities like CATW/Bombay.

Roundup sites like Human Trafficking.org and a fabulous alphabetic list of orgs via AmnestyUSA working to stop human rights/trafficking abuses will jumpstart your startup for best practices too…

And Twitter is as an easy resource to find support orgs and make initial connections with others that share your passion. (e.g. Here’s my post on “Women2Follow: Dedicated to Inspiring Girls” with some violence against women orgs peppered in, too)

Shout Out to Sabore Ole Oyie-Kenya:

Educating girls by liberation from hauling water

Sabore, You left many of us slack-jawed with your description of the dangers of collecting water from the river, and ‘wildlife conflicts’ (lions and elephants aren’t exactly in the American myopia mindset when it comes to obstacles faced!)

I think you REALLY could leverage the power of media with your eloquence, style, and colorful flair to snag the attention of Western leaders, particularly those youthful hands-on helpers who want to “DoSomething” in a big way.

Love your video presence and wise, calm ways, and shared your video with Africa Rural Connect already; CauseCast is a natural channel for funding/visibility since media laps up colorful stories, drama, and evocative, exotic locales. Might as well take advantage of it to use media’s pull and power to fast track your funding and alliances…Encore!

Readers, you agree? Check it:

Interview with Sabore Oyie GLJ 2010 from Linda Alepin on Vimeo.

Also, Sabore, here’s my post on Saved By The Well the DreamVillage social enterprise book series I mentioned (teaming with Play Pumps International) which helps express the ‘WHY’ of the need, to so many that don’t ‘get it.’ (I know you said the circular pumps break and have parts issues, but again, partnering with PPI for visibility and troubleshooting some best practices could be useful)

Since westerners often focus on how to turn the faucets OFF rather than turn water ON in the name of conservation and “water watching’ like this water idea on the “by kids for kids” ideas site, it makes me think there’s plenty of useful overlap for how we could educate across channels about water sources and ways to get from point a to point b (solar, wind, green tech, eco engineering, etc)

It could even be fertile “voluntourism” ground for AmeriCorps youth service learning or philanthropic fascination with hands-on builder, engineering students, etc. especially when they see poignant shots like this All Africa water focus on global needs!

I’d plan to get to the 2011 World Water Forum in Istanbul (we have strong GWLN ties/support there and it’s closer than the US!) Plus, media-awareness wise, ties with Water for Life (UN & MDG goals) and Water For People are a given, as well as global outreach in virtual social media spheres like  World Water Day or even Jane Goodall’s Project Blue which clearly has global potential with your wildlife tie in to current WWF allies…

On the education front, a natural ally would be “She’s The First” for AfricAid, which is all about empowering girls to be the first ones to complete school in their communities. And since you’re THE FIRST person in YOUR Masai village to finish high school and be selected Chieftain, all the more reason to align with their mission of bringing girls up from marginalized communities to impart the good and lift them out of poverty via education!

Here’s my post about the She’s The First Fundraiser (Girls Rock!) using MUSIC to empower…I could see a cool alliance here.

Shout Out to Blanche Angeline Pitt- Tanzania

African Medical & Research Foundation

Blanche, your energy, warmth and excitement about the profound possibilities of using mobile media to impart medical info via SMS to rural areas and eradicate childbirth death had me scrambling through my files the minute I got home, trying to find all the links and slideshares of resources for rural outreach, particularly with the complications of cultural taboos and debunking some entrenched body ownership mythologies…

Links I mentioned:

Recent MobileHealth conference at Stanford (see slideshares/case studies)

Vitamin Angels.org: distributing essential nutrients for healthy children, and also look at the innovation model of ColaLife and their ‘aidpod’ trying to strongarm the soda companies to open up their distribution channels to get key medicine/contraceptives etc. to VERY remote locales. (there’s a reason we can find a soda can in the middle of nowhere, but not a mosquito net or a vitamin, ya know?$$$$ )

Here’s the number one link I think could get you launched big time: FrontlineSMS and Frontline SMS Medic (text messages save lives!) And definitely note the case studies on how Ushahidi used software, e.g.

“Mobile is hardly “new” anymore, but we’re seeing increasing tools for peer-to-peer communications and decentralized development. Instead of SMS reporting for mHealth metrics or election observation (both amazingly powerful), we have Ushahidi and a team of volunteers from colleges and Haitian diaspora communities across the world saving lives in Haiti after the earthquake by synthesizing and translating reports from on the ground into actionable, trustable pieces of information.”

ISIS-Inc.org hosted the 2010 SexTech Conference which I wrote about here, with a gazillion links to reproductive/childbearing issues and many of the presentations are hotlinked for download here .

Uju Ofomata’s presentation with case studies in Nigeria, Kenya and India is particularly relevant in the “Around the World in 160 Characters” SMS mobile category…

Uju Ofomata of LearningaboutLiving.org, One World UK had fabulous examples of teen intervention at puberty using interactive education tools and simple SMS mobile phone resources for hot issues and alerts You can download the presentation

Also Kelly L’Engle, Heather Vahdat, Karah Fazekas Family Health International: download the presentation Mitali Thakor, Michelle Hindin Dept. Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Soccoro A. Gultiano Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos Relationships/Risk Among Young Adults: Tech Assists Anna Bergdall, CDC, Division of Reproductive Health download the presentation Allison Friedman, CDC, Division of STD Prevention and Control download the presentation

And  a link-laden recap on the public health/Sextech conference via my dear pal Andre Blackman of Pulse and Signal who could offer you great ideas on mHealth deployment and innovation himself! (we Skype a lot!)

Another useful model at work via Heal My People is IGWG (Interagency Gender Working Group) and here is a massively linked and very pragmatic approach on techno tools for outreach for HIV/Sexual health info via Deb Levine at ISIS writing for Blog.Aids.gov

Shout Out to Yolande Poirier-Silicon Valley: Oracle, Community Outreach

Yolande, I’m nearby right here on the peninsula, so we can do some of this over coffee, so I’ll be brief and just link dump a load on ya…

First, here’s the 2010 She’s Geeky Twitter list of the recent attendees of She’s Geeky.org, an “UnConference” I wrote about with developers galore eager to move forward the mission of STEM/fem/Women & Girls in Technology…

Related posts with tons of links to partner org potential right here in Silicon Valley attracting younger girls/teens etc. I’ve written about (including prior years of She’s Geeky) include:

Wise Women & Alice 3.0: Geek Chic For Girls (pt.1)

BrainCake: Teen Girls Talk Tech & Worldchanging (pt.2)

DigiGirlz: Teen Girls Build Community Online & Off (pt.3)

She’s Geeky 2009: Techno Leaders Converge

She’s Geeky 2007: Vlogging with Ryanne Hodson at She’s Geeky

Media Moms, Engineers, Purple Tornadoes At She’s Geeky

She’s Geeky and Proud of It  (My first Shaping Youth geekery)

Also, here’s the NetSquared/TechSoup link which would be a great partner crew for you to have Oracle sponsor a ‘GIT/WITDigital Diva’ style meetup to encourage the next generation of female engineer dynamos?

Partner possibilities for a TWEET UP and MEET UP and online/offline segues that Oracle could sponsor to encourage STEM/fem might be:

WISE Women & Girls (Women in Science/Engineering) Wise Women Campaign.org/U.K.–WISE Girls and Center for Women & Information Technology and GIT=Girls in Tech.net (Facebook group here) and EngineerGirl.org

Girls Are IT!

Girl Geeks.org

Inspirational Women from WISE

Nasa Quest: Women of NASA

Women in Engineering Org

And media like SmartGirlsAtTheParty (TV) to start girls off on the right track with positive media messaging! Here’s my post about Smart Girls At the Party last season (Amy Poehler et al) along with a round up of links featuring 2 weeks of “All Things Girl” coverage on Shaping Youth focusing on empowering girls rather than consuming them. (STEM,  style, self-awareness, spirit/soul, etc)

So, GWLN fans and people that want to encourage Girls and Women in Leadership…

THIS is how our network works…mentoring hands-on, early, and OFTEN to stay in touch ongoing and make a difference holding hands from afar. So rather than cringing with media guilt, thinking, “gawd, is THIS the best we can do, people? No wonder the world disdains our vapid values broadcast into cultural enclaves by satellite, ya know?”

I say…instead, let’s make media that matters and more literally, make media devices themselves matter.Not just for ‘do-gooder’ global realms of humanity but in for-profit network show creation for sheer entertainment embedding healthier cues…(fun media ideas that sell? Check out a few here)

Once again, GWLN has reinforced my vision of a world where we can and MUST use the power of media for positive change…whether it’s in the messaging, mobile outreach, or massive appeal to cross cultural partners.

Global Leaders for Justice? Ladies and gents? Let’s get started this party started this afternoon. My dear teens? You have NO idea what you’re about to experience.

August 4, 2010

“Yah, we did, how was your Global Leaders for Justice thingie? What’d you DO all day, mom?”

“Um…well…let’s see…I got to work with Sabore Ole Oyie, a Masai Chief trying to build a local well so girls wouldn’t walk all day for water vying for turf with wildlife that could gobble them up en route…(GWLN video of Sabore and his Olsonyo-Rasha Water Project here partnering with BluePlanetNetwork) I met Smarita Sengupta a young woman empowering teens in Calcutta to escape the sex trafficking slave trade…”

“I got jazzed about using cell phones for health with Blanche Angeline Pitt from Tanzania who wants to deliver medical info to midwives in rural villages to prevent childbirth deaths and debunk taboos…And I made a local friend with Yolande Poirier, an Oracle pro who’s big on raising women’s visibility in tech, STEM, and media imprints.”

“Did you get to see GWLN alum? Anyone I know from ‘07?” (Yours truly, Amy Jussel, was honored to be a USA delegate for Women Leaders for the World, and my teen grew close to several of the attendees) “Well…no one YOU knew was there this time, but you CAN meet some of the 2010 leaders if you wanna come with me Thursday to the Global Innovation Dialogues when they all state their visions for change…“Cool. So there are GUYS in the program this year too?”

“Well, no, GLJ is different than WLW but it’s all GWLN.org —the event is free, open to the public (Aug 5) if you wanna bring a friend or two, but I CANNOT have you squirming or edgy or rushing me before I’m ready to go, you got it?” (rolls eyes/stomps off with a hrumpf) “Gawd mom…I’m 15, not 5, REALLY.”

It’s been awhile since I first took the GWLN training  (flashback: grueling, intense, overwhelming, mind-altering and VERY exhausting but cool, and yes, I DO realize I haven’t changed my bio photo since then, cough!) so I’m eager to trade experiences with other delegates, since GWLN itself has come a long way.

Linda Alepin, founder of GWLN, has posted a video channel on Vimeo, and aligned with a powerhouse network of leaders eager to serve one another, whether it’s updating the GWLN Twitter feed regularly, opening up a new Facebook group for dialogue, or championing change with new divisions abroad, like the GWLN alliances in Turkey…

I get a ‘boost’ of inspiration every time I renew my commitment to this organization and have the honor to show up at one of their alumni events to lend a hand…

You can, too: The Global Innovation Dialogue this Thursday (Aug. 5, 2010) will give you a snapshot into the projects of these amazing leaders with 21 participants from 13 countries, improving thousands of lives…

I’m eager to meet more than just the one-on-one handful of leaders yesterday that I had the opportunity to ‘lead from the mountaintop’ finding multiple pathways to make their visions come alive.

Media is a major conduit in the conversation, not just for research and resources, but for awareness, e-commerce, and even as a delivery/distribution platform.

In the case of Blanche’s need for an Ushahidi crowdsourcing success using m-Health in Tanzania to deliver services, I can envision a Frontline SMS Medic approach to serving remote locales…maybe even teaming with older recycled Hope Phones and using best practices from other mHealth projects that have succeeded in rural villages hither and yon.

So needless to say, the last thing I want is a pack o’ teens tuggin’ on me to go out for dinner or ice cream or scurry me out when I wanna hear tales from these emerging global visionaries of a new style of leader!

As  GWLN founder Linda Alepin expressed about leadership styles,

“It’s become painfully obvious that the world’s most persistent problems cannot be overcome with traditional models of leadership…Our network’s mission is to leverage the talents of women leaders and ignite a new future for humanity. Our goal is to create 500 women leaders by 2013 through GWLN.”

She’s well on her way to that figure.

I can only imagine how carefully the addition of male participants for GLJ were screened to protect the vibrant force field of energy she’s created since the very first graduating class of leaders in 2005…As this San Jose Business Journal article conveys about Linda Alepin’s vision:

GWLN would be “an international group of women leaders, bound together by the Internet, changing the world”

She’s right; it’s a very different dynamic at GWLN…

Much like the She’s Geeky UNconference awhile back, there’s a certain exhale of being in a powerful group where concepts are expressed with safety and ease (no chance the power will be used against you, no cloak-n-dagger intellectual property hijacks, nondisclosure escapades, etc).

Ideas are voiced with strength and conviction and critiqued with productive how-tos (rather than ‘shot down’ by naysayers) …

It all leads to a refined, accelerated process for ANY leadership entity to emulate and share with their own teams. Rather than duplicate, we collaborate…

Rather than compete we align…And much like the ‘guild effect’ which we’ve seen resonate in kids’ social networking communities, our GWLN leadership style takes on a similar tenor and trust ‘self-policing’ our own actions and antics to ensure ALL sounding boards are a safe haven for unguarded ideas. I’m THRILLED that ‘the girl effect’ is starting to take hold among MALE go-getters who want to uplift, inspire, co-create, and move forward faster with participatory learning to achieve MDG and humanitarian goals for social justice in fresh new ways.

It’s not just lip-service when we see how this leadership style impacts communities and imparts knowledge, information sharing and resources.

To get a sense of what GWLN is all about, here are a couple of fresh new videos hot out of the hopper to give you a sense of what the organization is all about.

Anyone in the Bay Area has the added opportunity to meet the board, local alumni, supporters and funders along with the 2010 Global Leaders for Justice themselves if you pre-reg pronto for Thurs., Aug. 5! Questions to: GLJevents@gmail.com

Intro – Aug 2010 from Linda Alepin on Vimeo.

Catherine – Aug 2010 from Linda Alepin on Vimeo.

Part Two with specific examples of teamwork/breakthrough thinking and the use of media and partnership for powerful change to help youth and humanity throughout the world is in the next post, which I WAS going to email in ‘mentor’ mode, but have decided some of these links could be valuable for ALL global leaders working toward justice, so will share and hope you’ll add to them, since that’s what this network is all about!

—-BREAKING/NEW UPDATE!—-If anyone would like to join in a micro-scale version of the valuable GWLN training to eliminate scarcity thinking and connect with our amazing network of global leaders to fast track your projects…

One of the head honchos on the board of GWLN, Barbara Fittipaldi, (President, CEO of Center for New Futures) has agreed to host a 2-day, intensive workshop August 9 & 10, 2010 ($400)

“Authentic & Breakthrough Leadership”

At:  Global Fund for Women

8:30-5:30  Mon/Tues (9-5 core session)

Barbara is ‘team lead’ with a coalition of six Bay Area national and International nonprofit representatives packing “ten times the work into 2-days of breakthroughs” for your organization.

Corporate coffers, NGOs, nonprofits and larger orgs should readily be able to afford this, so come one, come all…

They’d like to have headcount pronto, since it’s coming up so fast…BUT they’ll also be creating a ‘waiting list’ for repeat workshops if notice is too short here. (sorry folks, I just found out yesterday at GWLN session!)

As Barbara Fittipaldi expressed:

“We do this two-day course at Google (originally named Innovative Leadership, until the head of Google University asked to rename it Accomplishing Your Dreams) and it has become one of their most popular programs.  It’s great fun too!”

Location of 2-day training:

Main Office
Global Fund for Women
222 Sutter Street, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94108, USA
Phone 415.248.4800

8:30 AM to 5:30 PM with lunch on your own (yes you can bring your own lunch)

And a subtle reminder of why GWLN.org matters to so many seeking sustainable change…

My Shaping Youth post on The Girl Effect: A WorldChanging Media Message

Aug 2, 2010

Keeping with the global theme, I was alerted to change agent Dylan Mahalingam’s 15th birthday today…I KNEW I had to give a huge shout out to the universe to pay heed to this extraordinary New Hampshire native, CEO of Lil’ MDG’s and TEDxTeen.

Dylan, your voice has dropped an octave or two and you no longer look like the doe-eyed nine year old founder of ‘Lil’ MDGs energizing humanity to meet the Millenium Development Goals of 2015 for proof positive that Kids Are Heroes…

As a handsome young gent of 15, he’s already accomplished more in the name of justice, diversity, human rights, gender equality, championing access to education and medical care ad a role model for the ‘very best in youth’ and it  makes my heart sing to know that he’s just gettin’ this party started. Yep, Dylan, you represent a generation of ‘Lil’ MDGs eager to rock the planet to uplift rather than tear down, and use media messaging in the ultimate positive way.

In the TEDxTeen video (below) Dylan talks about training his new chocolate lab pup, Nestle and how he’s uncomfortable with the use of names like ‘master and servant’ in establishing the ‘lead dog in the pack,’ and how we instead need to leverage the notion of mutual service, respect, and amplification of energy to reach a common goal (just as parents serve children and vice versa)

He packs a ton of metaphors like this into his Ripple Effect chat implying that international development and youth empowerment as a whole is all about finding a common center, leveraging our diversity and using the position of service to outreach towards peace and sustainable goals…Mind you…every time I listen to inspiring minds like these, I start thinking:

“Why doesn’t media do ‘reality’ shows or scripted ensemble casts that highlight cool kids like this?”

Really!

It would make a heckuva sitcom plopping a team of do-gooders in high stakes scenarios…

Or revolving a cast of characters set in a base camp, or Outward Bound theme or a forest ranger setting or a peace corps tribe, or any other service learning capacity (think Mash meets MTV Think?)

In essence, why not embed philanthropy & outreach into a storyline that’s cool?

Sure beats all the stale bed-hopping/prego dustups, ‘gossip girls’ or ‘pretty little liars’ style vixens plagued by deception, mistrust and vapid valued melodrama as predictable as sundown.

Why CAN’T media applaud, unite, connect, and do some fun ‘transmedia’ storytelling with  teens accomplishing phenomenally powerful, fun, joyful scenarios in a variety of arenas?

Or what about kids doing videos and live on cam change agents in their own communities. Or abroad? Or ‘user generated’ style? Or spin-off scripts to create fresh teen hits instead of the same plodding drek?

Sheesh, it’s tailor made for drama, adventure, comedy, the works, with plot points aplenty:

Think about it…Making new friends each week, passionate pursuits, ‘aha’ moments of experiential triumph and defeat, noble change-making mixed with quirky, random mishaps, fascinating characters out in the field, even romance…

Think of the ratings! Think of the buy-in!

Media that matters, that you’d WANT your kids to watch? Heh.

Okay, well, anyway, that’s MY birthday wish for Dylan Mahalingam…

…Mass media exposure to make his Lil’ MDG goals come to full fruition, backed by other amazing talented teens just like him…

…Whether it’s the new Teens in Tech crew or Teens Turning Green or YouthNoise or any number of stellar youth organizations well-suited to amplify and align with…

Dylan, as you light your candles today in real life and continue to set the world on fire being the star of YOUR own show, I can only say ‘bravo, encore’ and can’t wait to see what’s next as you head toward your ‘sweet 16.’ Happy Birthday dear one, on behalf of all of us who believe in your vision and have every confidence youth are ready to rock this ol’ blue marble in a positive direction. Namaste!

Happy Birthday, Dylan! Aug. 2, 2010

Related Resources

Lil’ MDGs.org

Lil’ MDGs (Causes on Facebook)

Lil’ MDGs Facebook Page (“Like” it, for Dylan’s bday, ‘k?)

The Eight Goals, from Lil’ MDG’s site: an initiative of Jayme’s Fund for Social Justice

In 2000 at the United Nations Millennium Summit, 189 Heads of State and governments agreed to work with each other to make this world a better world for all by 2015.

Did you know that over a billion people in the world live on less than $1 a day? Can you imagine surviving with less than $1 a day? If you think about it, you would realize how difficult it is to survive with very little money. That is why these important people pledged to make life better for all, especially for the poorest of poor people who are struggling to live with barely any money.

1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
2. Achieve Universal Primary Education
3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
4. Reduce Child Mortality
5. Improve Maternal Health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Other Diseases
7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability
8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development

More Links to Dylan’s Work

Everyday Young Heroes: Dylan Mahalingam

Kids Are Heroes Profile: (Gabe’s site has FABULOUS youth heroes, one & all!)

Upcoming Event Oct 16, 2010 When Dylan is Awarded “Very Best Youth 2009″

Edutopia: Profile Student Work Dylan Mahalingam, Lil’ MDGs

Dylan When He Was 12/Video, Child-Founded Charity Lil’ MDGs

July 27, 2010

Frankly, it never occurred to me that I needed to ‘inform’ people that I was trying to eke out some ‘white space’ and life balance in the name of healthy media consumption, because it seemed like an obvious extension of our Shaping Youth nonprofit philosophy: “Don’t let media define you.”

True, there’s plenty of exciting media action that will impact youth, educators and ALL consumers of media, from mixes, music, mashups and mobile with the new Fair Use and DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) rulings.

Today’s  online privacy hearings in D.C. with Q&A of industry media pros from Facebook, Google, Apple and all the media giants are watchworthy for anyone and everyone. (especially those of us with high school teens quoting 1984 and freshly minted mind games after seeing Christopher Nolan’s Inception last week planting the seed for me pondering where privacy starts and stops in the ol’ noggin!)

Truth be told, if I kept on top of every single way that media and marketing is impacting kids 24/7, my office white board would like a subway map and my to-do list would be circular ‘To infinity and beyond!’

As a primarily self-funded nonprofit I guess I’m guilty of lobbing a monetary mentality into the mix…That being:

“Sheesh, no one’s paying me to do this, so if I want to Captain the waterski boat for the teen tribe instead of crusading at the keyboard, I’m entitled to reduce the chances of ‘founder flameout’ by deploying first strike summer self care.”

Am I right? It’s not like I’m one of those book touring blog experts and social media speaker bigwigs sticking to a slated schedule, editorial calendar,  and posting frequency.

When digital duties take precedence over real life commitments many of us get that edgy feeling that it’s time to step back, re-prioritize and receive a bracer or two to make sure our strategic goals match our tactics when it comes to mission, methods and messaging.

For me, in the summer time, it’s even rather predictable. Long time readers might remember our ‘Summer of Link Love’ last season? (“friends don’t let friends waste good content”) …

I’ve actually received comments in both directions, paraphrasing:

‘It’s okay, take the time…Your posts are so long and link laden it takes me a week just to get through them!’

Then I get notes like, ‘You’re posting a lot in “short form” (aka tweets and microblogging) I hope you’re not going to abandon “long form” blogging like so many others have.”

Not a chance. Besides, I’m a strong believer in ‘depth as well as breadth’ so posts will no doubt shift across platforms ‘in addition to’ not ‘in place of’…

So stay tuned, scan the daily Shaping Youth short form stream for top of mind ‘tweets’ in the interim ’til we get back to ‘regularly scheduled programming.’

Upcoming? Cool interviews ‘in the queue’ with media startups like AmebaTV, MappyFriends (mobile app coming soon!) and Janet Lansbury on modeling/child star status, media, and now motherhood…An update analysis of the summer hit Huge and previews of what’s new for fall (pbskids The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That and whether the new platform for Social TV will take hold…

Meanwhile, I’m revving up the skiboat for a teen tribe of fab femme wakeboarders; some seasoned, some starters. GLTR girls one and all!

Happy Summer! Hope you can get outside and enjoy!

Related posts on Shaping Youth about play:

Spring Break Sanctuary Away from Digital Dramas

If Kids Could Be Dolphins: The Power of Creative Play

Generation Digital MIT Review &  Six Degrees of Susan Linn

Nature Rocks! Reconnecting Families with Nature (& a boost from digital media!)

The Value of Unstructured Play

The Case for Make-Believe Part One

Defending Pretending: The Need for Prominent Play: Part 2

Seeding Green With Richard Louv

Shaping Youth Through Nature, Media Unplugged

Media Savvy Kids and Nature Deficit Disorder

The Nature of Tweens: Wired Worlds & Outdoor Ed

Can Somethin’ Be Done About All This Consumption?

p.s. Seems I’m CLEARLY not the only one taking assessment of healthy life balances as of late, as noted edublogger Vicki Davis of “Coolcat Teacher” aptly describes in this post Healthy Habits to Grow Your Online Presence and Keep Balance Your Life.

She starts out by saying “It’s like I’m living someone else’s life” and dives head first into a pool of introspection and self-analysis pondering her role in her own digital deluge as a Type A style ‘infovore’ (which I cop to as well.)

It’s not only a worthy read, it’s a pragmatic pointer piece with a dozen dos  for maintaining a digital presence without losing yourself in the process.

She also shares some classic ‘musts’ like checking the ego at the door, knowing the world won’t end without your wit and wisdom and kicking your own keister off the keyboard and into the universe.

Naturally, I’m up for breaking the shackles and freeing the spirit, in summer and beyond.

Carpe diem digital pals!

Reposting this cool NCLI video to think about before the school year, LOVE it.)

Visual Credits: Sunshine critter:The Pattern Box