Marketing, Media and Childhood
Investigations at the intersection of marketing, media and childhood
The big news this week: Disney makeover of the brave and tough Merida into sexy vamp provokes outrage, and Disney dials it back. She loses the archery gear, and now she's got a sparkly, off the shoulder dress, a curvier body, and perfect, sexy … [Read more...]
This concept of having tablet computers for every student in a grade or an entire school is one that I've been wondering about. And now that my own school is considering having iPads for every ninth grader, I've decided to look into it, and figure … [Read more...]
After Steubenville, there is a petition to ask the National Federation of High School Associations, which offers annual required trainings for coaches in order for them to remain accredited, to partner with nationally recognized activist … [Read more...]
PD, 14 years old, pulled a box of Rice Krispies off the shelf and put it into our shopping cart. I glimpsed the cartoon characters and was just thinking about objecting, when he said, “You would think these would have a lot of sugar” – because … [Read more...]
I spent last weekend at a conference full of energetic and committed people working to protect children from corporate marketing practices that harm children’s health and well-being for profit. It was the 8th international Consuming Kids Summit … [Read more...]
Did you see the Budweiser ad during the SuperBowl that featured a heartwarming story about a horse who remembered the many who helped to raise and train it? It was a touching story. See if you can recognize the persuasive technique, via the Media … [Read more...]
If Halo is rated M for mature game players only, then why the cross-promotion with Megabloks, intended for ages "8 and up"? Please watch this promotional video (or see screenshots below). Please note that the video includes the Xbox logo. How … [Read more...]
When the kids were younger and watched football and baseball on television, there was a time when they were watching a game and a promo for one of the networks’ other shows came on during the commercial break. My two little boys witnessed, during … [Read more...]
This is the second of a two-part series on smoking, media and youth. Part I here. So, the good news is, teen smoking is down. A government report in November 2012 found that cigarette smoking among teenagers had declined significantly between … [Read more...]
In case you are confused by comments in the media this week: There is in fact no doubt about whether media violence contributes to real life violence and aggression, such as that seen in Newtown a few days ago. The preponderance of evidence, and … [Read more...]
