A few years ago, on the first day of school, I sat down at lunch next to one of my new kindergarten students. She pointed over her shoulder and told me, “That is the popular table.” I was surprised; the seats were pre-assigned. “What do you mean by ‘popular’?” I asked. She explained, “You know. They have nice clothes.” This was her very first day of school, so I had to wonder where she had learned this. I asked, and she replied without hesitation, “The Disney Channel”.
Last week, I heard from a mom whose daughter loves to read, but is now getting called a “dweeb” at school. Mom and daughter are struggling with how to handle the teasing. Does she try to ignore the teasing and find new friends? Does she hide the fact that she likes to read? It is a problem that many kids in the United States face. Kids who like to study and learn are often the butt of the joke. “Dweeb”. “Nerd”. “Geek”. This affects kids of many races, in the suburbs and the cities. This mom is convinced that the influence of the Disney Channel – which many of her daughter’s friends watch – is at the root of her problem.
And just yesterday, someone sent me a link to a children’s clothing store that is selling
“Pre School Musical” t-shirts for babies as small as 3-6 months – listed on the site under “Cool Baby Clothes”. When did infants go from cute to cool? The shirts aren’t licensed by Disney, but the Disney influence is clearly there. Disney’s High School Musical dynasty, and all the paraphernalia that comes with it, is already a major force in the lives of preschoolers – now we can extend that influence to babies. Enough already! But there is more…Disney is revamping their stores, calling them
“Imagination Parks”. Hmm, for me, an imagination park has trees, flowers, sticks, leaves, rocks and other wonderful and inspiring natural toys – not microchips, movie clips at your finger tips and live satellite feed to talk with Disney stars.
Disney has already agreed to
refund parents for Baby Einstein videos that have been proven NOT to make your kids smarter. For me, they have publicly admitted their manipulation of parents. To now pretend that their products and stores promote imagination is a total farce. Their products and stores promote
imitation, NOT imagination. And the lessons kids are learning aren’t the ones we want them to imitate. (As illustrated above.)
For more information on the messages Disney is sending our kids, watch
Mickey Mouse Monopoly. It’ll knock your socks off.
A few years ago, on the first day of school, I sat down at lunch next to one of my new kindergarten students. She pointed over her shoulder and told me, “That is the popular table.” I was surprised; the seats were pre-assigned. “What do you mean by ‘popular’?” I asked. She explained, “You know. They have nice clothes.” This was her very first day of school, so I had to wonder where she had learned this. I asked, and she replied without hesitation, “The Disney Channel”.
I know Einstein and you sir are no Einstein.
-Windsor Parent
I find the same thing with my children — reality following "art," especially with their understanding of the concepts of "popular," "cool," and "nerdy."
When I try to make them aware of the phenomenon (my poor children get the benefit/suffer the drawback of having a parent who studies child culture), they resist it — don't want to know because they like watching Disney Channel and being aware sours the fun.
Good points, Faith. My sons have only just started kindergarten, and so far go along with our "no TV" household. I am wondering when the pressure will come from them to get a TV, cable, etc… Only once one of the boys asked me, "How come other people get to watch TV in their houses but we don't. It's not fair!" Of course, then he had to hear my lecture about the evils of television.