Boarding Schools for Girls

Spending too much time watching television, surfing the Internet, playing computer games, texting on cell phones, watching movies, and reading magazines is taking a toll on the health of American children and teenagers, according to a new study from the University of New Mexico.

Dr. Victor Strasburger and his colleagues went through studies on the effects of media consumption and found that too much exposure to media makes children more violent, more likely to engage in early sex, more likely to consume tobacco and alcohol, more likely to be obese, and more likely to have attention deficit disorder.

For example, the impact of media violence on real-life aggression is 0.31 times higher, a statistic compared to the impact of smoking and lung cancer, which is 0.39 higher.

Dr. Strasburger had three guidelines for parents:

• Limit media to less than one or two hours a day;
• Keep media devices out of young people's bedrooms;
• Watch media with your child and discuss the contents.

In the journal Pediatrics, Dr. Strasburger noted in his reported that today's children spend as much time with media as they do sleeping.

"Too little has been done by parents, health care practitioners, schools, the entertainment industry, or the government to protect children and adolescents from harmful media effects, and to maximize the powerfully prosocial aspects of modern media," according to the report. "More research is needed, but sufficient data exist to warrant both concerned and increased action."

Labels: media_influences, health

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Jourdan Dunn, a 19-year-old model who appears on the cover of Teen Vogue's November issue, is pregnant. She tells a bit of her story in the magazine. While some are concerned about the message the magazine is sending, others see it as an opportunity.

An Oct. 27 Associated Press article addressed the controversy:

"Teen pregnancy is a difficult, real-life issue that Teen Vogue readers (with an average age of 18) are mature enough to be exposed to," [Editor-in-Chief Amy] Astley said in a statement. "Teen Vogue felt it was important to support, not punish, Jourdan Dunn, who contributed to a beautiful photo shoot and who will surely have an ongoing and successful career in fashion." ...

"There's no message to send to them that that's not OK. Maybe if she's on the cover to tell them 'Be careful,' that's one thing," said Catherine Essig, a 19-year-old sophomore at Dallas' Southern Methodist University, who was concerned about 15- and 16-year-old readers.

Many advocates said parents should use the cover as a way to talk to their kids about sex and the importance of planning pregnancies for the right moment in their lives.

"Teen parenting isn't glamorous, even if you are a teen model," said Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association.

Labels: pregnancy, media_influences

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A former Saturday Night Live star is taking her talents to the Internet in an effort to help boost the self-image and self-esteem of girls and young women.

Amy Poehler, whose SNL experience included five years behind the "Weekend Update" anchor desk, has created - and plans to star in - a web series entitled "Smart Girls at the Party." According to a release by On Networks (the digital media company that will produce the show), "Smart Girls" will range "from the serious to the hilarious" in its efforts to promote the power of positivity:

Smart Girls celebrates young girls who are changing the world by being themselves. The show aims to help girls find confidence in their own aspirations and talents.

In each episode, Amy Poehler interviews a girl with a unique talent, community interest or point of view. The conversation ranges from the serious to the hilarious. Girls offer witty truths and show that you don't have to be famous to be interesting or to make a difference in the world.

In a "Smart Girls" preview clip, Poehler said that her goal is to highlight "extraordinary individuals who are changing the world by being themselves." The program's premiere episode is scheduled for Nov. 17.

Labels: media_influences, role_models, intelligence

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