Shaping Youth

We interrupt this series on product placement and new FCC media rules to add a very pertinent voice into the mix, digital dynamo Brian Reich, co-author with Dan Solomon of Media Rules!

Brian Reich understands new media’s opportunity to do positive, GOOD things beyond just ‘sell stuff’ so before I dive further into my Part 3 stance on the need for disclosure and transparency, I thought it would be wise to hear from this noble gent, who also happens to be a young parent, net neutrality advocate, and social change agent in the ‘how to make a real difference’ realm.

Full disclosure will reveal that Brian is also one of my fellow probono co-authors at The Age of Conversation ‘08, to benefit Variety, The Children’s Charity, and formerly the New Media Director at Cone cause-branding, known for its insightful innovation in corporate social responsibility.

Brian Reich parlayed his mastery of emerging technology to be a Principal at the wicked-smart online firm EchoDitto. This dynamic digital agency is all about empowering communities into multi-person conversations rather than one-way marketing projects that tend toward wham-bamm grab-n-go wallet pilfering. They elevate dialogue into a give and take respectful presence rather than a pushy proposition…

I was fortunate to meet Brian’s cohort, EchoDitto partner Nicco Mele (who was deemed ‘one of America’s best and brightest’ by Esquire magazine and wow do I agree!) when Brian invited me as a guest panelist to Cone’s American Heart Association strategy session on how to engage youth in the cause.

Nicco led the guest panel and blew me away with his rapid-fire command of new media’s potential to do good things, so as sad as I was when I heard Brian left Cone, a big grin came over my face when I heard he’d landed at Nicco’s EchoDitto environs! (their clients include orgs like Ashoka: Innovators For The Public, Seventh Generation, U.N. World Food Programme, World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, Rock The Vote, Independent World Television, Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund) Ironically, even though I’m quite familiar with his work, I still haven’t met Brian face to face, as his wife was in the final days of expecting, so the papa-to-be couldn’t make it to his own conference…but his knowledge of new media’s roles and rules far supersedes my own…

So as we discuss FCC new media conversations and the need for transparency, disclosure, and non-invasive authenticity that doesn’t disrupt the entertainment value itself, I think it’s important to hear from him.

The powerful potential of using new media with accountability and responsibility is vital, whether you’re a nonprofit, a for-profit, or an NPTech guru/Twitter fundraising fiend like Beth Kanter, for that matter. The rules are jelly, the frontier vast, with ubiquitous spam, pop-ups, and product placements capable of annoying or enjoying…You can transform, inspire, offend, or mea culpa in a keystroke, coming under fire faster than you can sneeze.

It’s vital to see ALL sides of an issue in order to fully understand the nuances before you can even develop the ‘rules’ much less the deployment and governance of same.

How does the media message impact public health? Children? Developing nations? Food chains? Agriculture? The environment and economy?

What are the new media implications with mobile technology? Gaming? Virtual worlds? Social change agents and advocacy? Commercialism and consumption? Is there a way to create a media version of the Hippocratic oath to do no harm?

What will the public tolerate or embrace, with new media empowerment? Seems like much has to do with nuanced, respectful, unobstructed candor, relationship building and trust…It doesn’t take place overnight in a money-grab for insta-cred. After all, I’ve been seeding Shaping Youth’s content for well over a year now, to hear from all elements in our consortium…youth, parents, private and public interests, institutions, industry colleagues, you name it.

It’s important to listen to needs before you can begin to address them. Sure, I was offered ‘ad rev’ from the get go, and instead chose to let this tiny org grow holistically to see what would bloom out of like-minded entities…I may be a bit on the impoverished side, but I have no regrets for taking my time in pre-launch to explore best practices and experiment with what could sustainably ’stick.’

So what ARE the media rules? How can we play fairly and create good ones?

How can we harness the power and potential of youth and digital technology for positive change where it’s a ‘win-win’ for all?

Let’s face it, despite media’s potential role in the greater good of public health for the planet and humankind, regulatory mandates are usually introduced due to breach of trust and no-holds-barred greed that rears its ugly head in a failure to self-rein…Sure ‘we can solve it’…but:

Whether it’s EPA eco-standards, or the need for investigating energy drinks, functional and dietary supplements by the FDA, or the FCC investigation of product placement proliferation in every synapse vying for media mindshare, at the very core there’s usually been a violation of trust and power.

How can we use media rather than having media use us? Let’s ask Brian Reich, co-author of Media Rules!

Shaping Youth: How do you see ‘Virtual Events’ like EarthHour.org or Virtual Walk For Water impacting youth participation in a cause?

Do they ‘work’ beyond point & click enrollment to sustain interest in a cause? Or is it more awareness and short bursts of activation or buzz-building?

Brian Reich: I think we still have a long way to go before organizations figure out how to convert the interest demonstrated for virtual events into real, meaningful, measurable action to address a social issue.

Right now, they seem comfortable measuring their success by the size of their email list or the amount of money they raise. Those are good metrics, but they don’t correlate directly to a major shift in the way we operate our lives.

To accomplish that, we are really talking about changing people’s behaviors (i.e. consuming less energy in every aspect of our lives, not just turning out the lights for one hour) and that takes time. We are moving in the right direction as a society, and learning what works and doesn’t work, and that’s what is important right now.

That is particularly true with young people, where the competition for their time and attention is so great that getting a major commitment of time from them can be a real challenge (ok, that might be true for everyone, not just young people).

If you can get a young person to sign up, get more information, play a game, or whatever – that’s IS an accomplishment. But having them show up every Saturday morning for two hours to help clean up a blighted neighborhood, or following through on their commitment to consume less energy (when their parents are still buying gas guzzling vehicles) is a whole different thing.

There have been some limited successes, but for the most part, we see lots of excitement and buzz, but very little actual change. We’ll get there!

Shaping Youth: How do you think we can best leverage mobile and youth technology for social change, enrolling youth in the user-generated content process like Jon did with Step it Up 2007 for climate change?

Brian Reich: The more relevant and timely information you can create and distribute, or the more compelling events you can organize and involve people in, the greater likelihood you will have of success when it comes to communications and organizing.

Mobile/youth technology is perhaps the most powerful toolset we now have to capture and promote good information and/or to involve more people in events and experiences.

Think about it: if everybody carried a tiny video camera around, then we would have an even greater ability to raise awareness about important happenings – as they happen – instead of waiting for the media to frame it.

With everyone, of all ages really, carrying cell phones, we should be looking for more ways to drive action via cell phone – so we don’t have to wait for someone to back to their computer and log on to make a difference. A single image, a quick Twitter post, anything can have a dramatic impact on how we understand the world and interact with each other. We should use technology to put ourselves, our communities, and our society in a position to understand and act more – and I think mobile/youth technology certainly does that.

Shaping Youth: What are your top three case studies of using the power of media for positive change?

Brian Reich: I always look to the “serious games.” (Amy’s note: this is a ‘category’ of games that educate via digital learning, much like Ayiti, the Cost of Life, or Playnormous, or HopeLab’s games which we’ve written about here before)

The people who are introduced these games come away with a deeper understanding of the complex issues behind them, not just an entertaining experience or a feel-good click through…That is so powerful…games like MTVu’s Darfur is Dying which can reasonably be credited with raising awareness of the genocide in Darfur and driving greater U.S. interest and intervention or ReMission which gives kids battling cancer a way to understand and ‘fight’ their disease.

Shaping Youth: Do you feel our use of the term ‘counter-marketing’ is negative or needs repositioned to align with your Media Rules?

Brian Reich: I think we need to re-align the concept of marketing as a whole. Marketing is focused on managing one yo-yo campaign after another…make a big splash, then go dark, make a big splash, then go dark and so on.

As technology’s role in our lives continues to expand, we are seeing a shift in how society operates – how we get and share information, what drives our decision-making, and of course how we interact with organizations and each other.

We want to have a relationship with an organization, trust the information that we are given (and the people who give it to us), feel confident that the products we buy or causes we involve ourselves in are worth our limited time and resources. Marketing undermines that, because it is all about a single transaction with little recognition of the value of an ongoing relationship.

Changing marketing means shifting to focus more on conversation, building trusted relationships, being accessible in the ways and at the times your audience expects, guiding and supporting them in their decisions, their usage of products, whatever. I firmly believe that if you operate in that way – if you deliver good information, create compelling experiences, or offer and support high quality stuff (the basic premise of my book, Media Rules!) then everything else will fall into place. But, if you focus on a single sale, a little campaign, whatever, you will fall short.

So, we shouldn’t limit ourselves to a conversation about marketing or counter-marketing – we should be elevating the whole standard of communications to a point that organizations (companies, nonprofits, educators, entertainers, everyone) understand that we are all connected and do better in terms of recognizing what their audience wants delivering against those expectations. (Amy’s note: pdf/sample chapter, “Be Fresh” from Media Rules!

Shaping Youth: Shifting from Cone to EchoDitto, what new challenges/opportunities are you seeing in the youth advocacy sphere in terms of emerging media and technology?

Brian Reich: Harnessed correctly, the internet can enliven debate and inspire ordinary Americans to reengage in their communities. The internet empowers people to get educated and get engaged, not just online but offline as well.

This is particularly true around advocacy and youth advocacy (because of the high level of adoption among young people when it comes to technology and because of their interest in contributing to the operation of our society) – probably now more than any generation at their age ever!

The basic premise is that the internet will further decentralize information and only organizations that embrace this will thrive. Organizations have to fundamentally shift the way they operate, the way they communicate, and how they engage their audience. They have to give up control and welcome, no embrace, the role that their audience can play in extending the reach and impact of their work.

The challenge? For nearly every organization this means a wholly different way of existing. Until an organization has seen this new order perform in their specific area of interest, in a context that they understand, they aren’t willing to make the leap…

If you wait until the change has been proven and demonstrated, however, it will have long ago passed you by…

Shaping Youth: Thanks, Brian looking forward to more conversations…(On Media Rules! as well as media rules)…It’s shaping up to be an evolutionary, revolutionary time.

Visual credits: EcoSherpa recycle logo, istockphoto,

Cruise news, trip tips, kids’ brand loyalty pitches at cheerleading camps, sports and spa getaways…

Who’s sponsoring your ‘fun?’ Are you aware?

Cruise lines are wisely using their own social networking connection as a conduit for repeat business and new referrals, so passengers can share their own experiences with others…Meanwhile, Carnival Cruise line just partnered with web-based Scrapblog so vacationers can create personalized, one-of-a-kind multimedia memories of their “Fun Ship” vacation…

Both of these sound like something I would’ve pitched (if it existed) back in the ’80s when I began as a cruise line specialist, because they’re customer-focused enhancements.

Rewinding history a bit, I started writing for start-up American Hawaii Cruises as Advertising Promotion manager in a door-knocking “I have something you need” guts-ball move that only a collegiate ingénue would readily attempt. Being from Hawaii, (fun Hawaiian phrase site, Keola!) I figured they’d need a ‘kamaaina keiki’ to write with authority about local island nooks and crannies since they were a bunch of mainland PacRim ‘suits.’ Sure enough, I launched my ad portion of my career decades ago writing shore excursion copy, Berlitz travel guides, LeisureGuide editorials and coming up with cool names for the ship’s common areas. (Lahaina Landing and Tradewinds Terrace revealed my love of alliteration early on)

Travel’s always been in my blood so the thought of ‘cross-promotions’ writing for travel channels like Sunset Films/Readers Digest never felt like ‘product integration’ as much as it did a ‘value-added’ alliance that was a win-win to me…So let’s take this notion of branded travel experiences and apply it to vacations for a moment…

If cruisers can easily customize their own Scrapblog with audio, video, digital pictures, the works, via template that’s exclusively destination-driven per the Carnival cruise blog, isn’t that brand-embedded entertainment much like the FCC product placement controversy where we’re part of the consortium advocating for disclosure? No.

It’s not quite the same as product placement. And here’s why…

American Idol is product placement incarnate: 4151 product placements in the first 38 episodes this year; 14 minutes per show on average, and yes, plenty of KIDS viewing all that ambient advertising that seeps into the psyche like an ephemeral backdrop. Coke couches, receiving rooms, props and perks so prevalent that “Coke red” itself is a cognitive color cue. Likewise, AT&T Wireless is the exclusive ‘voting’ vehicle for all those Idol fans to give their thumbs up or down, worth a verbal Idol mention by the host every time a contestant finishes their schtick…Clearly, the line between paid content integration and programming has blurred.

So how does this differ from ‘regular’ advertising? Product placement is the physical appearance of an item, whereas product integration is the embedding of a commercial entity into the very plot of the show. In the case of American Idol, and reality shows in general, it gets even more fuzzy since plot is a subjective semantics game.

How do co-op partnerships or branded alliances differ from undisclosed revenue generating streams or subtle product placement often off the radar?

The FCC is looking into this right this minute, (22pp. pdf file here, released just yesterday)…

Here’s a simple primer from “How Stuff Works” explaining the cognitive difference between product placement and product partnerships to help make sense of all the issues being reviewed.

I’m not against marketing by any means, I mean, c’mon, look at my background, but I do feel it’s impacting the medium with insidious prevalence and the boundaries have been erased to a damaging level, usurping quality and ethics in the process.

To me, upfront partnerships can support and align with each other to create a consumer benefit and valued marketing premise that’s fully disclosed and transparent. Examples?

The JetBlue and Bliss Spa promo of in-flight amenities to soothe weary travelers was a welcome pairing on my last red-eye flight ironically coming from the CCFC conference on commercial-invasiveness. I appreciated it, actually. A new sunscreen lip-balm handed out at a seaside snack shack is a useful freebie that prevents rather than causes harm…Again, I’d say that’s a ‘transparent’ ploy that’s a win-win.

And yes, imho, the Carnival/Scrapblog enhances the cruiser’s experience…It’s a ‘value-add’ as we’d say in the industry.

Carnival has templates themed for their most popular destinations: the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, Alaska and Europe, enabling easy creation of keepsakes in a snap with share and compare web deliverability…Consider THIS copy could be ‘product placement’ IF Shaping Youth were sponsored by Carnival or Scrapblog. But it’s not! See the difference?

An unbiased source including content by choice is one thing, a paid ’sock-puppet’ is a shill, which I believe merits FULL disclosure, blogs included! (We have NO sponsors, btw, as we’re self-funded, but if and when we ever DO, even a hospital or foundation, be assured I’ll let you know!)

Now, here’s where those crystalline blue waters get murky with overt vs. covert branding…

If you choose to embrace a brand that’s inherently selling by its very existence, you KNOW what you’re in for…They’re ALL branded entities, overt in their goal to either move product, or instill a quality message, and often it’s both.

Hershey’s Chocolate Factory Tours, a Disney cruise, LegoLand, or even teachers camps sponsored by Steve Spangler Science seminars to inspire fun learning in classrooms…they offer fabulous FREE experiments that can be duplicated in classrooms and if you’re a lazy consumer like me, it’s even more convenient to order the kits with everything and scale to size.

So is that covert or overt branding? Or just plain ‘corporate image’ branding?

I’d say it’s like Apple camp…it positions the brand as a reliable, quality entity which you usually want ‘more’ of. And rightfully so, it’s a great company.

Product demos and experiments build skill sets and comfort levels, so you’re bound to use them or integrate them in your daily life in some way…even if they don’t even say a word about their products, if it’s branded well it usually seeds the desire and trust as a corporate entity.

A successfully branded camp, tour, or theme park experience often leads to ‘feel good’ moments, and in commercial entities like DISNEY, where the rides exit smack dab into the retail store, they’re leveraging those emotions for purchase to ’snag a few gifts to take home’ on the spot.

Let me be clear: I have NO gripe with camps and offerings that disclose who they are or what they sponsor…

For example, I serve on the Camp Galileo Advisory Board, which has a branded partnership with the de Young Museum, the Tech Museum of Innovation, and Klutz . When people send their kids there, they are AWARE that the sessions will no doubt incorporate themes that may overlap, and in fact are sent home every week with a full ‘what we did this week’ review of their learning fun.

Just like Steve Spangler Science, this is an opportunity to teach and tie-in with reputable, fun experiences, and it is NOT remotely a ‘commercial.’

They are up front about some of the supplies used, and even the free experiment ideas the kids take home are detailed each week in terms of replication or what they specifically learned each day in camp—full transparency.

But what about subtle sponsorships that are NOT as overt and upfront with their brand or their disclosures…ones that leak into your vacation plans and may ‘cost you’ once you’ve returned home?

For example, few parents would blink in coming across the creative Crayola Art Camp or the Sesame Street Character Breakfast, or even the Xbox 360 Game Garage at the Beaches resorts…

…EXCEPT, perhaps, for parents like me, trying to limit screen time w/kids that may have had zero exposure to Xbox up until kiddie camp on vacation!

If it’s promoted in advance (brochures, ads, like Beaches does) then it’s the consumer’s choice as to whether they want to deal with the nag factor of being at a resort where kids opt-out or opt-in.

However, if it’s implied, (e.g. they say they have ‘children’s programs and kids camps’ to keep junior occupied and then spring the content on you once you’re there) I’d say that’s foul play…

Point? Even if the brand is upfront about product pairings, it needs to be on YOUR exposure radar, whether you’re an adult or a child. If you get blind-sided, it can get ugly fast…

Example? This NYTimes article about kids being exposed to Halo3 at Sunday school where it was introduced as a ‘lesson’…Reaction ran from ‘cool’ to ‘panic attack’ and to me, it smacked of blatant youth recruitment by the church, with uncanny incentive-driven marketing savvy. (even many youth pastors concurred)

So how do we teach kids how to be brand savvy and aware when there’s a vested interest in terms of gleaning eyeballs, mindshare or good will?

I’d like to think embedding media literacy early on pays off, teaching children in ‘game form’ how advertisers embed brands.

Digital Ads.org is a great site for starters…Have children ‘spot the spin.’ In commercials, note the difference between sneaky product ‘placement’ and branded product partnerships…

And on vacation?

Build childrens’ media literacy via scavenger hunt games for branded resort logos from sand-ashtray imprints to toiletries…Or captive audience tray-table ads and screenings taking place while you’re seat-belt bound.

It’s not all FAA in-flight info, that’s for sure.

From logos on the bottom of the pool to unusual promos in the sand of pristine beaches, like this restaurant in Mumbai, India, noted on Customers Rock which used sea shells to lure diners in a literal ’shell game’ of interactivity, it’s obvious advertisers are eager to get your eyeballs, even if it means chancing some disgust.

This one ran the gamut of reactions from eco-litter of unspoiled surroundings to ‘cool ways to keep kids engaged,’ needless to say, I fall in the pristine nature camp of ‘leave me alone, stop grabbing my wallet’ territory, though the marketer in me was bemused…

Media literacy is one of the few weapons in the cache to put the filter between kids’ ears…Maybe I’m an ad snob, but somehow SeaWorld sponsored by Anheuser-Busch (complete with beer garden) feels like a disconnect to me, whether they’re mining parents’ loyalties, or seeding brand loyalty for future kegger kiddies.

It feels invasive. Manipulative. And just plain wrong to have Anheuser-Busch sponsoring water parks and Sesame Place fergoshsakes…

In fact, when I took my tween pair, the younger god-daughter voiced her view it was ‘to keep the parents happy’ whereas my own teen said, “they’re going after ME”…Hmn. That’s my girl…Mind you, that may not be an issue for long, if Warren Buffett and the newsbreaking hostile takeover bid by the Belgium beverage magnate succeeds.

Some of my most jarring ‘huh?’ moments have surfaced on vacation, or dealing with ‘kids camps’ seeing McDonalds and Coke teaming for free “sports camps,” Pepsi’s ‘sensible’ deal with the YMCA, or Coke’s free (C5YF) philanthropic feel good camp for at risk kids.

Again, it’s all nuanced, and every age and stage needs to weigh their value judgments and discriminating filters as to what passes the sniff test for the greater good in their own world.

Six Flags theme parks’ recent partnership with Kraft will no doubt bring the processed Lunchables and 100 cal pouch packs into the beg-fest of the school year; (note the oh, so diverse visual at left) but frankly, theme parks are commercial havens for junk food as it is, so at least Kraft has been trying to reformulate ingredients to clean up their act a tad.

Nike Sports Camps in themselves are a ‘commercial’ for their brand…And yes, when they partnered with Power Bar, it’s less offensive than say SnickersCharged or Buzz Bites… with caffeine and sugar amping up kids like this ’stimulus plan for candy’ article in the WSJ implies…But much like partnering with sports drinks, the Nike name seeds and sanctions a credibility message embracing a ‘need’ for supplemental ‘energy food and drinks’ and that in itself is disconcerting.

It requires a discerning eye and fuels unnecessary product use, along with less than safe messaging to kids on the ‘energy’ front, since many of the other products in that dietary category aren’t remotely meant for children.

Seeing free Red Bull given out via Mini-Cooper to ten year olds on bikes really ticked me off…especially with tween buzz and teen implications…Whereas Huggies handing out free Lil’ Swimmers via mama blog giveaways or even poolside samples really doesn’t faze me. (eco-issues aside)

In sum, a peek into partnership practices for ANY summer fun should reveal who’s who on the playing field and ‘flag’ you to the vested interests at hand…See if they pass the sniff test on your own ‘family values.’

When you’re on vacation, think about the ‘feel good’ moments and the brands being associated with them.

Above all, when ad creep, ambient advertising, and product placement seamlessly enters the children’s sphere like a Trojan Horse, without a brash, arm-flailing show of attention…It’s all the more worthy of watching.

It’s subtle and nuanced exposure with a sophistication that’s pervasive, and infiltration that glides into kids’ emotional touchpoints and triggers…

Next up? Shaping Youth’s stance (and my own personal views) as a writer/producer on the FCC product integration rulings…My fellow child advocacy consortium members may or may not agree with the Writer’s Guild of America point of view, but frankly, as a writer myself, I’m VERY reticent to advocate a ‘real time’ snipe/disclosure per this Hollywood Reporter piece as it’s cluttered and distracting taking the viewer out of the storyline completely.

More on my writer’s take on the FCC notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) and notice of inquiry (NOI) —including industry’s response and thoughts on key questions that need asking…

As always, there are many views worthy of considering but if we all use common sense we should be able to reach parity; I’m just thrilled the FCC is listening. Can you hear me now?

Stay tuned for Part 3…mobile, digital, and embedded branding in games.

Related Articles

Arstechnica: Reform groups want FCC to take on product placement epidemic

Timeline of events regarding the FCC and integrated marketing issues

Letter from 23-member child advocacy coalition (including Shaping Youth) to the FCC

CCFC coalition response to FCC procedure on product integration

Writers Guild urges FCC to disclose product integration

iTVX: Product placement news and measurement

Visual Credits: Scrapblog newsletter, Customers Rock site, Six Flags site, Steve Spangler Science Seminars

Oh, how I wish I were 12 again…Apple Camp Workshop is a three-hour FREE hands-on media camp for kids 8-12, in slick ‘seed the brand’ style (as if Apple needs more youth cult encouragement). It’s available throughout ALL Apple stores…Tweens can sign up for two Camp Workshops at one time to learn: iPhoto in the Photo Workshop, iMovie in the Movie Workshop, GarageBand in the Music Workshop, and iWork in the Presentation Workshop…

Tomorrow we’ll look at various ‘branded camps’ (sorry, not free ones) to raise the media literacy level taking note of covert/ambient advertising as well as overt/product partner deals…Meanwhile, Apple, I wanna go!

In another fab find on a more regional scale, grammy-nominated jazz artists are sharing their talents as role models to kids hosting the annual FREE Kids’ Jazz Camp held the week of July 7 in the Lake Tahoe area of Truckee, Ca. (where I am right now!)

No catch, natch! This 4-hour FREE camp runs 5-days straight as part of the “Jazz Artists in Residency” program with recognized greats coming from all over the country to teach kids jazz and funk firsthand. Ages 10 through high school can register on a first come first served basis at Moody’s Bistro to riff with the legends firsthand. Sweet!

Just imagine…Kids that play drums, bass, guitar, piano, or horns have a rare opportunity to hangout with these music mentors for LIVE inspiration, rather than screen-driven, media-laden TV/music videos and clips off of YouTube. Sounds like a ‘band camp’ memory to rival Camp Rock and Girls Rock to boot! One more regional free media find: classic filmhouse movies in a kids camp summerfest in Austin ranging from 50s to sci-fi!

Know of more free kids camps? Send ‘em our way…We’ll play hide and seek to spot the spin and vote on the ‘fair or foul’ marketing fit for branded distribution channels, with tips on teaching kids media literacy along the way. Stay tuned for Part 2!

Teen pals a little testier than usual? Ever heard of ‘roid rage?’

Awhile back I wrote about body image issues offering “equal opportunity toxicity” as young boys have increased body dysmorphia, emulating buffed boy, ripped six-pack icons of video games and ‘hunks’ modeled and merchandised ad nauseum.

Not getting alarmist, as we’re still in single digit growth percentages, but it’s worth the focus on BOYS who have been gaining on girls in eating disorders and tanked self-esteem as media and marketing serve up a quest for the almighty ‘hotness’ and adolescents end up with The Adonis Complex reverb.

This Sunday on our own Shaping Youth Advisory Board member Rona Renner’s radio show, you can hear the doctors tackle “adolescent body image” (podcasts archived too) as Rona and her guests help teens develop a healthier image of themselves beyond the media machine.

Gee, let’s start with Lightyear XSTREAM Energy. (and no, not the Buzz Lightyear kind) This energy drink contains Yohimbe, claiming to be an aphrodisiac and “natural sexual enhancer used for impotent males.” Or perhaps this new summer ’08 flavor of citrus “Crunk” which you may recall originated in ’04 with rapper/producer Lil John and the late Sidney Frank, of Jagermeister and Grey Goose libation fame.

Now, um, tell me, doctors…”Do you hear what I hear? Do you see what I see?”

The media/marketing blitz selling kids ways to last longer, get stronger, “be hot with a shot” is complicit in the escalation of body image problems wreaking havoc on this appearance-obsessed generation of kids.

Girls may receive more press about disordered eating and such, but ‘Bigorexia’ (photo credit at left from Ditch Diets Live Light by blogger Cari Corbet-Owen) is on the rise. (See Cari’s primer called ‘Who Gets the Adonis Complex?” for a helpful snapshot of milestones in media moments for male context)

These media corollaries are backed up by researchers like Alison Field, Harvard Medical School professor of pediatrics and lead researcher on the GUTS study who was recently doing grand rounds a few weeks ago at UCSF.

GUTS stands for “Growing Up Today” and I wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall at medical rounds as her adolescent research work is renowned. In fact, her study is one of the only large-scale “prospective analyses on the development of weight concerns and unhealthy weight control behaviors in males.”

Shaping Youth is one of the few nonprofits focusing on how these body image ideals are landing on boys as well as girls, so Alison Field’s research has always been of interest to me for our own filmwork, “Body Blitz: Media, Shaping Youth.”

A synopsis of her outcomes with males?

“Although fewer males than females are preoccupied with a desire to be thinner, a non-trivial number of males are preoccupied with a desire to have more or better defined muscles. The latter concern is rarely assessed in studies that include males.”

And it’s more common than once thought, with a direct correlation of risk factors between boys unhealthy means used to gain weight, (e.g. steroids) and girls unhealthy means lose weight, (e.g. bulimia, diet pills, etc.) tied to “wanting to look like same-sex figures in the media.”

Ahem. Causal link, anyone? When I have 5th graders in our counter-marketing sessions worried about dieting and muscle mass, (boys AND girls) I’d say Houston, we have a problem.

How would Shaping Youth “counter-market” the buffed boy/steroid bit? (and intake of supplements of all kinds promising the lean, mean teen machine?)

Point to articles like this from Parenting Teens.com for starters:

“Teens abusing steroids may suffer reduced sperm count, shrinking testicles, impotence and difficulty urinating. All of this intimately associated with the equipment most men value very highly.

Teens on steroids also risk losing their hair and inappropriate breast development. One has to wonder how many takers there would be for steroids if these side effects were listed alongside the much-vaunted ‘desirable’ effects. This is why education on the (in excess of 70) side effects of steroids is almost a sure way to deal with steroid abuse among teens. The fact is these young people are simply unaware of this.

Imagine a pack of steroids bearing this equation: “Enormous increases in brute strength” soon followed by the shrinking of testicles, impotence, lowered sperm count and hair loss. With the writing on the wall few teens can dispute the ill effects of steroid abuse. It is still true that the underlying problem of low self esteem and poor body image must be addressed. Rest assured that if it is allowed to lie there unattended it will not go away. Instead it will find another destructive outlet.”

I’d ABSOLUTELY use that as counter-marketing fodder. You betcha…

Then I’d get more doctors to back up the data with their own anecdotal knowledge and case studies on teens wanting to bulk up and the reverb therein.

Alison Field? Shaping Youth Body Image Expert Dr. Robyn?

What do you have to say on this?

I’ll pose these questions now for the two doctors on Rona’s show this Sunday… Or maybe I’ll call in.

(YOU certainly can too: 1-877-372-KIDS)

UCSF’s Dr. Joan Valente, (Asst. Prof w/joint appointment in the dept. of Pediatrics/Psychiatry) and Dr. Seth Ammerman, medical director of the Mobile Adolescent Health Services “Teen Van” join Rona Renner for Childhood Matters. (98.1 KISS-FM, 9-10am PST June 29)

The doctors will be talking about media and peer pressure to be thin or look sexy, as well as some of the ‘acting out’ that transpires with body insecurities in the form of cutting, eating disorders, depression or anxiety. Hey, maybe Dr. Robyn would call-in to Rona’s radio show and write us a guest editorial recap? Hmn…

I’ve written a considerable amount on girls’ body image but I’m always quick to add, “What about the boys?” with an ongoing plea to amp up our youth advisory team with male perspectives on Packaging Boyhood. Also, I wanted to add that Shawn Hubler’s article in the L.A. Times about the pornification of pop culture and blasé teen reaction is a fascinating must-read.

I’d love to see the doctors address THAT in the body image radio show as it pertains to youth culture, too…

Next year, Shaping Youth advisory board gurus Dr. Sharon Lamb & Dr. Lyn Mikel Brown’s new book on Packaging Boyhood will be coming out and should also be profoundly enlightening…I’ll be sure to ping them to find out more on THEIR research-to-date soon…Meanwhile, kids, parents, teachers:

Give us YOUR take on Growing Up Today…Or call in your teen body image questions to Rona’s radio show at 1-877-372-KIDS this Sunday!

Related Resources/Body Image/Boys

NIDA for Teens (Fact Sheets)

Adolescents Bulk Up Their Bodies, USA Today

The X/Y Factor by Rachel Abramowitz, L.A.Times

Tween Boys/Putting on the Spritz by Lori Aratani, L.A. Times

Shaping Youth Packaging Boyhood: Corporate Pirates Raid Boys’ Souls

Bigorexia & Muscle Building: Ditch Diets & Live Light.com

The Adonis Complex: How to Identify, Treat, & Prevent Body Obession in Men & Boys (book)

I’m, Like, SO Fat!: Helping Your Teen Make Healthy Choices About Eating & Exercise (book)

Looking Good: Male Body Image in North America (book)

About-Face: Body Image Books/Tips on Body Acceptance

NIDA: Anabolic Steroid Use in Teens, 2005

Kids Health: Steroids/Human Growth Hormone

Steroid Use by Teens Soaring (CBS News, 2003)

Packaging Boyhood.com (upcoming book/survey here!)

Here’s Shaping Youth’s Body Image Expert Dr. Robyn on athletic performance and warning signs written for parents of teens…

Are your children taking steroids…or Viagra?

Body Image and Athletic Performance

by Shaping Youth Correspondent Dr. Robyn Silverman

Steroid Use in Preteens and Teens

Perhaps you’ve noticed a few of them walking in the halls of your children’s schools. Or perhaps you’ve noticed something strange among your own teens. Are their chiseled bodies really of this world? With their six pack abs, bulging biceps and firm quads, these teens make others wonder if they’re really working hard enough at the gym.

But they have a secret that they’re hiding from their parents. Steroids.

Given that many of our sports heroes, including baseball players, track stars , and cyclists, have been accused of (or have admitted to) using steroids to bulk up, slim down, and get that godly look and strength, is it really surprising that teens are interested in doing the same things? Our heroes help us all to see what’s possible and the tools they use to seize the day. It’s only natural for kids to have a desire to follow in their footsteps.

In addition, the cultural pressures to be “the best” can drive teens towards steroid use. How can they get better? Bigger? Faster? Steroids can look like an easy answer.

What are steroids?

Steroids are very helpful in curing a lot of conditions. Anabolic steroids, in particular, help build muscle and bone mass. That’s where the danger starts.

• Over 5% of boys and around 2.7% of girls in high school admit to taking some form of steroids without a prescription, according to the CDC in 2007.
• Long term effects of unprescribed intake of anabolic steroids include urinary problems, abrupt and extreme mood swings, trembling, damage to the heart and blood vessels due to blood pressure and even death.
• In men, steroids can cause symptoms such as breast development, testicular shrinkage and erectile dysfunction. Women taking steroids can experience facial hair growth, clitoris enlargement, menstrual cycle changes and even the development of many masculine characteristics. Most of these symptoms are due to hormonal imbalances caused by the steroid intake.

Some of the danger signs:

• Mood swings (can be very extreme
• Urinary problems
• Severe acne
• Abrupt increase in muscle mass
• Yellowish skin
• Needle marks in muscle groups
• Syringes in child’s belongings
• Sudden deepening of voice (females)
• Facial hair growth (females)

There are 10 major classes of anabolic steroids . Each class is dependent upon the route of administration and the type of carrier solvent used to introduce the steroid into the body.

The ten classes are:
1. Oral
2. Injectable oil-based
3. Injectable water-based
4. Patch or gel
5. Aerosol, propellant based preparation
6. Sublingual
7. Homemade transdermal preparation
8. Androgen-estrogen combination
9. Counterfeit anabolic steroid
10 Over the counter (OTC)

Girls

Girls have recently been known to use steroids as a way to get an edge on the playing field, slim down and tone up. Some girls, as young as 9 years old, have found that steroids can help them to look more like the Hollywood stars and models they admire.

“There’s been a substantial increase for girls during the 1990s, and it’s at an all-time high right now,” said Charles Yesalis, professor of health and human development at Pennsylvania State University.

• Overall, up to about 5 percent of high school girls and 7 percent of middle-school girls admit trying anabolic steroids at least once, with use of rising steadily since 1991, various government and university studies have shown.
• “With young women, you see them using it more as a weight control and body fat reduction” method, said Jeff Hoerger, Rutgers University, New Jersey counseling program.
• These girls are more likely to have eating disorders and use other risky methods to get thin.

Boys

As the men on Gladiators, Wrestlemania, and Ultimate Fighter get bigger, boys may also have a desire to bulk up. But you might be surprised to know that it’s not only about getting stronger. It’s also about body image—and looking more attractive—even in elementary and middle school!

Boys as young as 10, and high school students who do not play team sports, are also bulking up with steroids because they want to look good.

Some high schools are working to combat steroid use by banning the substance and offering a consequence: If a student is caught using performance-enhancing drugs, they can be banned from competing for a whole year. The problem is, no drug testing is required. Parents still need to keep their eyes open.

How should parents address the issue?

Direct Approach: Especially if the person you suspect is your son/daughter, this can be the most effective approach. You can always take the time to just sit down and talk about steroids. Many teens either simply don’t know about the real risks of steroids or are uncertain about their effects. Talk about all the general risks and the long term effects and how it simply isn’t worth it. Let them know that ultimately, they’ll just end up jeopardizing their own goals and maybe their entire lives.

If your child is thinking about taking steroids, your heart-to-heart talk could bring up facts and illuminate issues that s/he didn’t know about before.

Use the Media: When steroid use is brought up in the media, don’t stay silent! Let your children and teens know how you feel about steroid use, what it means for the sport, the athletes, personal health and the integrity of the sport. When children and teens are clear about how you feel about steroids and other illegal substances, they’re more likely to refrain from using.

Child Monitoring

• Look for any obvious weight gains in your children, particularly, gains in muscle mass over a short period of time.

• Is there any sign of depression? Hormonal imbalance can cause mood swings and erratic behavior.

• Is there any apparent hair loss with your child? Premature balding and breast development in boys and facial hair development in females are possible side effects of steroid use.

Intervention: Let the experts work

If you’re sure that the problem exists, let your children know that you only want what’s best for them– and then, introduce an expert. Trained doctors are the best people to address the problem.

Steroids Hotline: 1-800-STEROIDS

This hotline provides information on drugs, how to know if someone you know is using steroids and where to get help.

Anything else but steroids?

In addition, believe it or not, Viagra is now becoming another drug used by athletes. It’s being used to help with athletic performance, increase blood flow, and increase the effectiveness of other drugs. Watch your medicine cabinets.

Dr. Robyn Silverman (full bio here) is an ongoing Shaping Youth contributor and leading Child and Adolescent Development Specialist with a focus on character education and body/self esteem development during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.

Media’s power has an odd way of sneaking up on you at unexpected moments…Remember this one I wrote about preteen body/beauty influence?

Well, this weekend, she eagerly tapped into wikipedia and YouTube to get the scoop on how to dye the ends of her long blonde hair with Kool-Aid unsweetened bright red cherry mix in an attempt to ‘look like a rocker,’ using her own sitting money to walk to the nearest um, Target.

Evidently, this is a ‘middle school thang’ along with a media-mode portrayal of artsy self-expression, as various friends have either had it ‘professionally done’ ($50? I think not!) or given it a go themselves.

All the ‘how-to’ step by steps are a quick click away, from forums like yahoo answers to countless search engines, which amps up the viral ‘word of mouth’ at rapidfire speed. A few quick clicks and they’ve ‘got it’ fast, so I guess I should be grateful she isn’t sourcing the H-bomb. (This brings up the whole ‘instant access to everything’ issue that I’ll save for another story about necessary safety filters between kids’ ears)

Mind you, I’ve ‘seen it all’ in my capacity here at Shaping Youth, so it’s going to take a lot more than a cherry red streak of identity-testing to get my incredulous-meter on the Richter. We’ve always set ‘house rules’…and here, it’s fairly simple…

Permanent body alteration is ‘off the table’ until adulthood.

That goes for acrylic nails, real tattoos, body piercings, chemical hair dyes and bleaches, anything with a lasting effect or medical reverb…She can howl with ‘But it’s MY body!’ pushback, but it’s still not gonna fly.

Even pierced ears need to be negotiated prior w/responsibility for hygiene earned and proven over time. (btw, don’t get your diapers in a bundle, the baby at left is PhotoShop wizardry from istockphoto file by stijn peeters/hades-1)

Temporary alterations like pluckings, shavings, waxings, henna tattoos, or glittery Winnie the Pooh and butterflies in preschool for that matter all came with a large dose of ‘why’ factor on the media literacy/body image and peer pressure front for self-awareness from the get go.

Underage kids want a ‘real tattoo?’ How about the same temp one worn for a year in the exact same place to see if they tire of it, along with the pragmatics of finding ways to cover it up for prom gowns, fancy socials, or any other “gee-it’s-not-so-cute-when-it-doesn’t-match-the-boardshorts” moments?

My daughter already joined her sleepover gal pal in getting grounded for giving a dark-haired Greek 12-year old who pleaded to have her ‘unibrow’ plucked a ‘midnight makeover,’ much to my chagrin.

I had lots of ‘splaining’ to do as the beloved Ricky Ricardo would say to Lucy, when the child was returned the next day. (they did a beautiful job actually, but it wasn’t their ‘place’ to follow through on the girl’s plea; that’s a body image conversation for her own family, ya know?)

Anyway, back to the Kool-Aid…Seems the first try washed right out in the lagoon, and she was bummed. The second time, she sourced the Wiki-How and took the step by steps complete with conditioner and heat set of the blow dryer. Her motivation? To ‘freak out’ her godbrother, Miles, when she arrived at sailing camp today.

Chalk that one up to ‘The Attention Factor,’ Alice.

I’m not quite sure what to make of all that, but it appears to be very important to her right this minute, and really doesn’t seem like a huge priority to fuss over when I come to find out it rinses out over time and doesn’t damage the shaft…We’ll see if it gleans the ‘reaction’ she’s going for, whatever that may be.

Meanwhile, yours truly made the mistake of picking up my (black, but unbeknownst to me, neon-red Kool-Aid laden) hairbrush, to transfer a leftover pink tint into my freshly showered blonde locks.

As I grumbled a few unrepeatable choice words to myself before finding she’d fouled up my flat iron to boot, I realized it was high time for yet another ‘responsibility’ talk about ‘owning’ your actions and the respect for other people’s items, and the media conduit as an ‘enabler’…

As our newest Shaping Youth Gen Y-Correspondent, Vanessa VanPetten will attest, “You’re grounded” is the battle cry for many a parent of teens…(full feature on Vanessa and her work to help parents and teens develop better relationships soon)

As with most knee-jerk whims, if kids act before they think, in myopic self-focus of ‘if it feels good do it,’ the reverb is something they’ll be stuck with for awhile.

My daughter was quick to jolt me out of seeing red with some media perspective, “C’mon, mom, sheesh, it’s not like I’m one of the Gloucester 17!” (great analysis on Packaging Girlhood here called From Lady Humps to Baby Bumps)

Ahem. Thankfully she hasn’t bought into drinking THAT Kool-Aid…I’ll take pink streaks in my hair any ol’ time…

It’s gonna be a loooooooong summer.

Ready to tap into the ‘inner sphere’ of the upcoming teen site Orb28?

Continuing yesterday’s post about youth media orgs like these ready to put pop culture messaging on a whole new frequency, we’ll see what some of the Orb28 Girls Web Editorial Board (at left) have to say about ‘what’s good for girls’…(also don’t miss Patti Binder’s blog along these lines!)

Orb28 fits well with some of our other partner orgs like Girls Are Champions (see our sister channel’s ESPN2 clip on License to Thrive.org about Title IX) Starlings Volleyball USA, (giving girls a chance to soar) our Tapestries of Hope gal pals with girls helping girls cross-continent, and our changemaker friends at readergirlz, Girls Rock, Girls for a Change, Girls Get Real and beyond…

Next up to watch? The expansion of Courtney Macavinta’s Respect Rx, (feature next week!) my daughter’s fave, GLTR Girls (’girls learn to ride’, surfing/wakeboards etc.) and DigiGirlz all shaking up the status quo…plus a host of new media/marketing ventures on the horizon which we’ll cover soon in a preview of the YPulse National Mashup.

It’s encouraging to see the ‘dark side of the moon’ grow dim as organizations like New Moon Girl Media challenge the churn of the media and marketing machine to light up the potential, unplug the power, dial down the damage, and focus on ‘Young People Who Rock.’

Wanna add your voice to these 13-15+ articulate teens? Here are Orb28’s submission guidelines and our interview with a few of the GWEB girls for a glimpse of what’s to come…(C’mon Jessi, are you REALLY 13? wow. My daughter’s not going to believe it; awe-inspiring!)

Shaping Youth: Who would YOU pinpoint as a strong role model for girls? How can we shift perceptions of girls’/women’s possibilities toward the type of role-model girls could endorse?

Sarah Jane, Age 14:

Sadly, my two PERSONAL role models, Queen Elizabeth I and John Lennon, are dead. But a new one that I have is Julie Taymor, because she is a BRILLIANT director. However, for others…I think powerful actresses (Ellen Page, Cate Blanchette, etc.), musicians (P!nk, members of the bands Paramore and The Hush Sound, etc.), leaders (Hilary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi…and not directly in politics, the women in CodePink), writers (J.K. Rowling, Sharon Creech), along with local figures are all GREAT! I don’t think it would be hard to convince girls (to shift away from celebutantes) as these are well-known people (who HASN’T heard of Harry Potter?) The word just needs to be spread…

Juliet, Age 14:

Anyone who is willing to hear what women/girls are saying. I think most perceptions are started by the media; if the media is pro someone, chances are that will impact your opinion.

Jessi, Age 13 (shown at left)

I think Drew Barrymore is a nice actress, though she doesn’t get as much credit as some people who are clearly less talented. I also like Hilary Clinton, some tend to find her “rough” but I think she needs to have a tough exterior, after all it’s politics. Some other good role models are Mary J. Blige, her music is so empowering and Queen Latifa, she’s gorgeous!

America Ferrera is also a great role model, not only is she a talented actress, but she is also showing curvy Latina women are beautiful, too! In order for girls to start looking towards “real” women as role models, I think they first need to have confidence in themselves. These girls who try to be stick-thin and wear brand names to feel cool, are actually very insecure. It will take time, but with support and understanding, I think girls will start to realize the Paris Hilton’s of the world, aren’t what beauty should look like.

Marly, Age 13:

I don’t really have one role model, but there are people I admire and look up to. I think people should look up to those who are famous for being talented, influential, and inspirational, rather than celebrities like Paris Hilton who get media attention for all the wrong reasons. J.K. Rowling is a role model to me because she is such a great writer!

Shaping Youth: What positive media do you enjoy and why? (favorite websites, books, movies, TV shows, magazines, etc.) Editor’s note: They all mentioned New Moon as a safe place to have pride in being a girl, opinionated, etc., so I edited those out as a ‘given’)

Sarah Jane, Age 14

Gilmore Girls…VERY realistic, focusing on a teen girl and her single mom. GURL.com…a good place to vent anger…Bend it Like Beckham…TOTAL girl power movie!!! And Paper Moon, for something older…

Jessi Age 13

I like to read books with strong heroines, like Pride and Prejudice (who can’t resist the witty Elizabeth Bennett?) and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle…(about a girl who becomes a pirate!—even for people who dislike the idea of a book about pirate, you’ll like this) A fun movie is The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (they’re making a 2nd) and a soon-to-be-movie, which is also a book, Pope Joan. All these movies/books show me friendship, love, and happiness, but most of all they show strong-willed women who overcome great obstacles.

Shaping Youth: How has the media’s obsession with female “beauty” or “perfection” affected you? Do you think the media is getting worse (more unrealistic or degrading images) or better (more powerful, realistic images)?

Sarah Jane, Age 14

For me, it makes things hard in a weird way. I’m blonde, thin, and blue eyed…fairly classic American girl except my abnormally short height. Because I’m small, I eat less. Combined with the fact that I run, it makes girls annoyed if I’m not HUNGRY to eat more food. (e.g. 2 brownies and I’m done). I think the media is DEFINITELY getting worse, but it’s not too late to stop.

Juliet, Age 14

I think it has affected many people; but I don’t consider myself one of them. I feel it makes many people feel conscious about how they look, the way they dress etc. I don’t really have many years to compare the media to, so all I can say is that I don’t think the images and things they choose to show are getting better and less degrading.

Jessi Age 13

If it wasn’t for the media, I probably wouldn’t feel as pressured to fit into a certain mold. Especially for me, brand-names like Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch, bother me because they expect women to be a size 00 or wear something just for the name.

Some people say they like these things because it makes them feel “safe” if they act like everybody else then they won’t be teased or picked out of a crowd. So, sometimes it’s hard for me to make friends, I can see people looking me up and down and I feel like they are saying, “she’s different.”

Yes, I like being different and I’m not afraid to voice my opinion, but it saddens me that people would lose out on friendship over something like clothing. I think there has become more awareness to the fact that, yes, women are being degraded, but I also feel that some women encourage it. It’s a bit like tug-of-war, both sides think they’re right, so on TV and magazines you see the good and bad advertising, I just choose to ignore the bad advertisements and focus on the positive.

Shaping Youth: Do you watch America’s Next Top Model? What do you think about the show? Does it contradict Tyra Banks TZONE Foundation which focuses on helping girls and women reach their “full potential”?

Juliet, Age 14

Occasionally I watch the show. I think it semi-contradicts it, but it doesn’t say anything about image really…

Sarah Jane, Age 14

I don’t watch it, but my friends do; they make it sound like it’s “just fun”…but so is Barbie.

Jessi Age 13

Actually, I’m quite a fan of America’s Next Top Model. (I’ve sat through an all-day marathon before so I guess that considers me hooked!) I do think Tyra Banks has done a great job bringing more awareness to problems facing girls, (eating disorders, physical and mental conditions, as well) but people have to understand modeling.

Modeling is a business, the women are used to model the clothing, that’s it. That is all they have to do. Taking pictures, is different. With modeling the clothes, designers don’t care if the woman is curvy or black, they just want to sell their clothing. So while ANTM is great, it is also unrealistic to the harsh realities of modeling.

I may not agree with the designers, but from a business standpoint (I come from a family of businessmen) I understand this is a job, the designers don’t have time to hear every model’s life story, they just need to sell their clothing. I think every girl should strive for their “full potential” so ANTM is a great opportunity.

Shaping Youth: What do you think about this CosmoGirl article and poll that recently ran in the “What is Sexy” spring issue by Marina Khidekel?

Opening Excerpt:

…”Has our society’s obsession with sex gotten out of control? You say yes. According to a CosmoGirl poll, 81% of you feel bombarded with sex and sexy images in the media, and 85% of you think there’s more sex in the media now than when you were younger. You’re probably right-a recent Newsweek poll found that 84% of American adults say sex plays a bigger role in popular culture than it did 20 or 30 years ago.
Not only is the amount of sexual imagery on the rise, but it’s thrown at you earlier than ever. Bratz dolls, the number-two-selling doll for little girls behind Barbie, come wearing short skirts and fishnets. Stores such as Limited Too sell lingerie like push-up bras and skimpy low-rise underwear for preteens. And TV shows aimed at your age group with smart female lead characters (like Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars) are being canceled, while shows that survive (like America’s Next Top Model and The Hills) focus mainly on girls’ appearance and hookups.

When you’re surrounded by the message that if you’re not hot, you’re not anything, you start to believe that as a girl, it’s your sexual power-not your talent, brains, or ambition-that counts most. “The girls at school act sexy to impress boys and each other,” says Katie, 16, from Detroit. “They dress slutty and act ditzy around guys to get attention-and the sad thing is, they do.” In an age when girls have more opportunities than ever to be successful, why are you growing up with the notion that being hot is the most important measure of success?” (article excerpt from CosmoGirl March ‘08, Vol. 10, pp.154)

Shaping Youth: As teen girls, do you feel it’s hypocritical for CosmoGirl to publish an article like this, when so much of their magazine focuses on looks and being “sexy”—OR is this a way to get this message to girls who might NOT see it otherwise??

Marly, Age 13 (at left)

I thought it was a good article. I don’t think it’s hypocritical for CosmoGirl to publish it; it is a pretty good magazine that encourages girls to have fun and be themselves. The article said that you can be sexy in a lot of ways – with your intelligence and sense of humor, for instance.

Sarah Jane, Age 14

I think it’s good that CosmoGirl is recognizing it, but it’s easy to SAY without DOING. When their magazine reflect this article, THEN they have made some steps in the right direction.

Jessi Age 13

Let’s be honest, we ALL have our hypocritical moments and most of what we see today (in the media with celebrities and politics) have two-stories…

Politicians preach about fair representation and honest work, then they hire prostitutes or commit child pornography. Some celebrities get Oscars and Emmys, but do they really deserve it when they spend $5 billion dollars on handbags!?

So, CosmoGirl writes an article about the pressure to feel sexy, and CosmoGirl is one of the notorious “…you can be sexy, ooh ahhhh….” magazines, I think it shows that readers are tired of this sex-appeal and they’re sending a message to the writers at CosmoGirl. Honestly, I was surprised at how thorough the article was, because sadly, interest pieces are normally a paragraph or two. (I know women can write and read more than that!)

If CosmoGirl wants to put an article in their magazine about the pressures of sex and sex appeal, then they’d better step-up to the plate and prove that they can deliver more inspiring writings…I’m not going to put down the article, because it was well-written, but I will say the magazine is stepping blindly into a controversy over women’s looks.

Shaping Youth: As teens, how do you feel about “the F word” (feminism?) Is it a word you use to describe yourself? How do the people you know react to this word?

Marly, Age 13

I don’t know. I’ve never actually said to anyone, “I’m a feminist”, but I’m not sexist either. I don’t think people would think badly of the word “feminism,” but I don’t know because in my school and where I live, no one really puts down girls and women.

Juliet, Age 14

I’d like to believe that I am a feminist, as I am fully (obviously) for the women’s movement. I don’t think anyone I know has that strong of opinion towards the word.

Jessi Age 13

I think the spirit of feminism embodies all women, when women embrace themselves for who they are and try to better the lives and others then I would say they are a feminist. Personally, I love being a feminist and the people who know me don’t act as if it’s negative, but that it’s just me LOVING myself. I feel like anyone who has a bad connotation of feminism has been misled…Make it what you want, don’t try to be someone you’re not.

Sarah Jane, Age 14

I am DEFINITELY a feminist. It’s the only label, (pretty much) that I give myself. (I’m probably too much of one, as I tend to be a bit sexist to GUYS, but I’m working on it.) Most of my friends just laugh off or ignore my serious comments when talking about women being less than men. They think we’re equal…I don’t.

Shaping Youth: We have a lot of ‘cause-marketing’ teens on our youth team…When you get fired up about a “cause” how do you choose to spread the word? (websites, cell, text messages, FB, etc.)

Do you have any stories about rallying others around something you believed was important? Eco, animals, humanity, etc.?

Sarah Jane, Age 14

Well, I have a lot of causes…I used to blog it, but now I’m in high school there’s less time. I’ll e-mail, make it my Facebook status (like “Sarah Jane is…IRAQ: 5 YEARS TOO MANY”), or just bug my friends about it. One of my friends, Marina, and I started a Peace Club at our school this year as Freshman.

Marly, Age 13

Hmmm…I’ve never really had one “cause” that I supported a lot; I think we need to save the environment, end world hunger and poverty, and be kinder to animals, but I never had one cause that I told anyone about. I guess I would tell people my cause through word of mouth or posting things on the internet and creating a website dedicated to the cause if I had one.

Jessi Age 13

Normally I pick an issue that’s important to me and do some research on the web. (it’s always good to be well-informed about the topic you’re discussing/rallying for) Then I talk to my friends and ask if anyone would like to join me (you’ll be surprised how open people can be if you just ask!) after that I like to take talents that people have and put them to use. (like if one person is a great artist, have them make the signs or posters, or even have someone write a song or do a skit. This year, I’m participating in the Day of Silence in April; honoring LGBT who have had their voices put down. I am also considering starting a protest or attending a rally sometime soon.

Juliet, Age 14

I think Facebook is an awesome way to get people involved. You can set up events, groups, causes, etc. on it.

Shaping Youth: Thanks Juliet, Jessi, Marly and Sarah Jane for giving us a glimpse into your world…looking forward to more.

Our Shaping Youth tween and teen advisors are all over the board from public and private schools and our diversity mix, but still very regional in nature, so we’d like to hear from other parts of the world to keep from S.F. Bay Area/Silicon Valley digital myopia. (The 8-12 ‘tweens’ at New Moon) are a special lot as well

I’ll be anxious to see how the Orb28 GWEB content develops, as it’s always interesting to hear how regional, socioeconomic, and environmental and familial infrastructures differ in kids’ upbringing and worldviews, even as the media/marketing landscape begins to homogenize and impact both genders across the board.

If any of you have contacts to boys groups (beyond scouts and B/G clubs etc.) Shaping Youth is also interested in building our GUYS team of youth voices for interviews especially on the ‘flip and blip’ video/TV content creation with a given theme, and ‘day in the life’ podcasts.

We seem to have a stronger contingent of girls’ input but would love to hear more about Packaging Boyhood in the 21st century world of media/marketing and how it’s landing on guys.

We’ll be interviewing Dr. Jennifer Austin Leigh along these lines, to review her new book Laid or Loved, hearing ‘secrets’ from guys on ‘dream girls and just in his jeans girls’ as well as more about her documentary film work and teen MySpace following of over 65,000+ teen friends!

Here’s a YouTube sample of her ‘on the street’ interviews exploring questions like, “Do Women Manipulate Men?” Plus a snapshot from her book that says guys feel “Girls are under dressed, oversexed and mean spirited; media, cell phones, internet and an “anything goes” culture are responsible.” Yowza. Should be an interesting session!

So please send me some teen boy youth voices, and maybe we’ll get our sister channel, GACtv to host a teen townhall format on some of these pop culture issues and media/marketing driven behavioral cues and invite Dr. Jenn to moderate?

Meanwhile, as teen pregnancy pacts about cheerleader escapades flood mainstream media (RespectRx and Reign of the Girl Child both blogged this issue extremely well) I’m thankful new media voices at Orb28 and the girls’ blog will bring some balance to the cacophony of chaotic coverage. (say that three times fast!)

(btw, Courtney Macavinta’s ‘Respect Pact’ is a must read; and she was featured in that SAME CosmoGirl issue for her INNER beauty! More on that in our upcoming feature on RespectRx)

Oh, and btw…If you ever feel like positive youth voices are being drowned out by negative noise, just remind yourself of this media literacy nugget:

“Harmony seldom makes a headline. ~Silas Bent”

There are plenty of ‘youth’ out there who ‘rock!’

Orb28 Let’s see: Orb: “A sphere of influence, a collective body”…28: numeral referring to the moon’s cycle…New Moon: lunar phase when the moon orbits between the Earth and the Sun; Moon: a symbol of womanhood…

Okay, I’m beginning to get it now…As a name generation gal, I tend to dissect etymology for sport, but I admittedly glossed over New Moon Girl Media as simply a ‘line extension’ of Nancy Gruver’s award-winning New Moon magazine brand, without really delving deeper into the lore of Orb28 as a separate entity in itself.

This upcoming teen community is being billed as a ‘web experience’ which to me is a fancy way of saying they’re overhauling their tween anchor brand into a fresh, vibrant voice far beyond the original ad-free magazine of New Moon itself.

The signs are all there…the upbeat new look, the new media paid web model, the new street teams atwitter, teen and parent UGC blogs, even a Facebook group. Yep…This is the digital dawning of the age of Aquarius for New Moon…an older offshoot in a multimedia conversation.

So what’s a New Moon without a big cheese? Well, next month Founder/CEO Nancy Gruver will be speaking on a panel at the YPulse National mashup titled, “Are Girls the New Geeks?” (see sidebar) and today we’re interviewing Orb 28’s Managing Editor Lacey Louwagie, but the girls are the core focus here, and tomorrow we’ll hear from a few of the 28 teens ramped and ready to share their original work, (art, articles, attitudes, advice, you name it!)

The same New Moon mission to inspire, support, be heard and dare to dream has the potential to amplify via the internet, in a digitally safe haven for girls to interact freely on a global scale. It’s only a tiny sliver of the New Moon rising at Orb28, as girls grow forward to create a fairer world…

First, a pre-launch primer: (my editorial snapshot/POV)

Who?

Parent company founder/CEO Nancy Gruver (aka New Moon Girl Media Maven ) has orbited her staff, to spread out the star power, so that former Managing Editor of New Moon Lacey Louwagie is now heading up Orb28.

What?

New Moon Girl Media is creating a unique online community called Orb28 for girls ages 13-15+ to blog, ask, ponder, share, query, produce and promote their own media collaboratively as they bring girls vital voices to the world. (now if I can just get my own daughter to jump into that sea of change!)

When?

Launching by year’s end, Orb28 is eager to embrace teen/youth views on topics from health and body image to trends, school, advice, reviews and peer perspectives from around the globe. (their 28 GWEB lead writers span the USA, with a handful overseas, so encourage any girls you know to submit!)

Where? How?

Virtually, of course. The internet enables girls to collaborate, create content, team, mentor, guide, and share mutual experiences in diverse cultures from articles and poetry to podcasts and video creations…Shaping Youth is excited to swap skill sets with these teen teams and create community between our youth orgs, while opening eyes and minds in the process! Talk about ‘creative commons!’

Why? The time is ripe to nourish girls’ self-confidence and creativity in our media saturated culture with a safe haven girls (and parents!) can fully embrace to ‘let their hair down.’

Like Shaping Youth, Orb28 is using media itself as a powerful conduit for expression, authenticity, and purposeful change by adding meaningful voices into the mix that haven’t been heard loud enough over the din of mass media offerings. (adult voices often drown out firsthand youth experiences in sheer volume, but Orb28 reverses that model, with the girls taking the lead and ‘adult-on-call experts’ in an adjunct/ancillary/advisory role, so that’s very cool too)

And with that, I’ll move on to our Q&A interview, inviting any of the 28 GWEB teens who would still like to add their comments to ping me with their answers for tomorrow’s post…

We’ll kick off our mutual alliance by giving the Orb28 girls some of our own partner orgs to team with, as we share resources to create a more positive worldview for kids.

Shaping Youth Interviews Orb 28 Managing Editor Lacey Louwagie

Shaping Youth: How can Orb28 and New Moon Girl Media help shift role models away from ‘celebutantes’ toward admirable personas of merit/worth?

Orb28: As part of the media industry, we have a unique opportunity (and responsibility) to spread the word about girls and women who show the diversity of ways to be female. Just because mainstream media is obsessed with Paris Hilton and Britney Spears — (perpetuating the idea that this is all there is for girls to aspire to) — doesn’t mean that WE have to be. By highlighting girls and women who DO incredible things and THINK incredible thoughts, we offer a glimpse at another possibility for girls.

Not only that, but every offering from New Moon stands as its own testament to the possibilities that exist for girls, as it serves as a “microphone” for many individual girls’ voices.

Shaping Youth: Are there any ‘role models’ that your teen team repeatedly embrace in your organization’s ‘girl culture?’

Orb28: It’s not enough to talk about alternative role models; it’s the perpetuation of the celebrity culture girls are seeing in mainstream media; They’re talking about it at school, it’s part of the world we live in, so we give girls a place to dialog about the one-dimensional image of womanhood and to acknowledge it does have an impact on how we perceive ourselves.

Orb28 has a Powerful Women department (alternate role models) a Pop Culture Department (where girls offer commentary about what they’re seeing in the media around them) that kind of thing…

Shaping Youth: How have body image/appearance-based cues in media landed on girls in terms of self-worth/self-definition etc.?

Orb28: There’s definitely a lot more body-image awareness now, but that’s because we need it more than ever. The focus on women for their appearance has become worse. It’s epitomized in the Bratz line of dolls, which, rather than being pulled from the market, are continuously expanding their line so that girls can not only buy scantily-clad girl (teenage? Adult?) dolls, but “sexy” baby dolls with pouty lips, long eyelashes, and flashy outfits as well.

Barbie has t