Empowered by Play » Common Sense Media

Troublemakers and Peacemakers

Geralyn Bywater McLaughlin M.Ed. — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:35:00 +0000

Today I am thinking about ways to make a little trouble. I am talking about speaking up when you see something that concerns you and making noise to effect small changes.

Yesterday I had a conversation with an executive at MilkMedia, the folks who brought us the Bakugan/Nintendo milk carton for schools. It was an interesting conversation, and we agreed that we will never agree, but at least the violent content that I mentioned has been removed from the website. Also, the Bakugan side panels have been recalled. He promises that no character properties or PG-13 properties will be used in upcoming milk side panels. Small victories – if we can’t fix everything, at least we can make it better. It reminded me of earlier this fall when the Common Sense Media website had posted terrible advice to parents of toddlers – recommending PG-13 costumes. I contacted the co-founder and editor, and within minutes, she had agreed and changed the content of the website. When my husband is in a public place and the television is blaring, he’ll reach up and turn it off or turn down the volume. Usually no one minds. The other day at the gym, the television was showing Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers or something along that line. My 5 year-old sons were fascinated. I was not happy. I quietly signaled a staff member to turn it off. He saw the young boys staring at the screen, and quickly obliged. I tell these stories in the hopes that you will consider being a bit of a troublemaker for peace. Every little bit helps our kids and our world.

Good News, Fantastic News and Sad News

Geralyn — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:40:00 +0000

The good news is that Common Sense Media has changed their recommendations for toddler Halloween costumes. Yea! I wrote to the editor today and heard back quickly. She agreed that Harry Potter and Star Wars (PG and PG-13) were not good ideas for toddler costumes, and thanked me for pointing out their mistake. She made quick changes to their website. Small victory there.

Huge victory, however, for CCFC (Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood). Today I got an update on the Baby Einstein video situation. CCFC has persuaded Disney to offer a full refund on any Baby Einstein videos purchased in the last five years! Click here for more information from CCFC. Absolutely fantastic.

The sad news is that today I also learned of the passing of Ted Sizer, the founder of the Coalition of Essential Schools and the author of the visionary book on high school reform, Horace’s Compromise. Ted was a champion of authentic assessment and meaningful work, and so much more. Tonight I feel the loss, though I look forward to celebrating his life at the annual Coalition of Essential School’s Fall Forum in New Orleans in just a few weeks.

I will always remember the day Ted came to my kindergarten classroom. We shared lunch at one of the small tables and chatted about ideas big and small. He was a tall guy with visionary ideas, but was completely at home in our kindergarten world. Ted was and always will be an inspiring educator.

No Common Sense for Common Sense Media

Geralyn — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Today I am very disappointed in Common Sense Media. A few months ago, I added them to my list of recommended websites. They review movies, TV shows, books, music and websites for parents. I began recommending them when I saw that they were becoming more responsible (helping parents limit screen-time, advocating for healthy family alternatives to screen entertainment, and the addition of strategies to combat consumerism). However, their recent article about toddler Halloween costumes is absurd and irresponsible. Here is a direct quote:

Best Halloween Costumes for Toddlers

Toddler Halloween costumes got you stuck for ideas? Here’s a list of some of our favorite TV and movie characters to inspire the best boys’ and girls’ Halloween costume ideas — whether you make your own or buy them at your favorite online Halloween shop. These characters are just the thing to inspire your mini-Harry Potter, princess, pirate, gypsy, cowgirl, or Star Wars favorite. Disney costume ideas include Snow White, Peter Pan, and Tinker Bell. Have fun browsing — and be sure to take lots of pictures of your little trick-or-treater!

Come on! The promoting of toddlers wearing Harry Potter and Star Wars costumes? Are they for real? These movies are PG and PG-13! Not to mention all the Disney characters listed. So their advice is that your toddler can be a billboard for some media conglomerate. Yikes! Also, the non-media linked ideas offered seem more appropraite for older children. If you choose to dress up your toddler, how about as a bunny rabbit, pumpkin, puppy or teddy bear? Choose a theme relevant to a toddler’s life. There are so many other choices, it is sad that Common Sense Media did not use common sense in this article.

Common Sense Media

Geralyn — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Today I added Common Sense Media to my list of websites for information and action. The organization is a not-for-profit organization based in San Francisco. According to their mission statement, they are “dedicated to improving the media and entertainment lives of kids and families.” They review and rate movies, TV shows, websites, video games, music and books – helping parents make informed decisions about what is and is not appropriate.

A year ago, I wasn’t recommending this site to anyone. I’d been aware of the organization for a few years and was always suspicious of their motivation. When I looked at the website, I felt as if they were actually advertising the movies, shows and music. With such a sleek website, I wondered where all their funding was coming from. To me, they were making it too easy to slip into the notion that screen entertainment was the only form of entertainment and that pop culture was to be worshipped. This bothered me especially in their section for the youngest kids. As Common Sense Media grew, and more and more parents across the country were turning to them for information, I cringed at some of the messages being sent, and worried about what was not being said.

In November, I had the chance to pose my questions and concerns to the CEO and founder, Jim Steyer. He was presenting at the NAEYC (National Association of the Education of Young Children) conference in Dallas, and I was there presenting as well. Jim is a talker, no doubt, but he listened respectfully to my publicly posed questions and concerns. Other educators and parents applauded in agreement when I raised the specific concerns about his website’s handling of media and young children.

Jim conceded the point, acknowledging that Common Sense Media did not consider the specific developmental needs of these young children when designing this portion of the site. He defended his funding, and described situations when he has turned down money from groups and corporations who wanted Common Sense Media to change their unfavorable reviews. The site is sleek, he explained, because Common Sense Media knows they are competing in a world where expectations for good web design are high. They are working hard and spending resources to capture and retain their target audience: parents.

Jim welcomed my input and I was ready to share more ideas. As the months passed, I emailed his staff some of my concerns and suggestions. When I look at the site today, I see many of these ideas (links, etc) incorporated into the site. Most importantly, alternatives to screen entertainment are getting more publicity. There are suggestions for family contracts to limit screen-time, research about the potential health concerns associated with too much TV, questions about appropriateness of advertising to children and ideas for managing screen entertainment. A recent article about the Transformers movie actually included ideas for your family entertainment – instead of taking them to the movie! In Dallas, Jim explained that consumerism is a major concern of his – he is a father of four – and that comes through much more clearly now in the website.

Movies, TV shows, etc are reviewed through a number of lenses: violence, sex, messages, drugs, role models and also consumerism. With each review, there are also suggestions about what issues families can talk about in relation to the movie, show, song or book. For example, a recent song review contained this advice: Families can talk about why some people value appearance over character. What are the potential pitfalls of having a relationship with someone who looks great on the outside but treats others poorly? Is it possible to develop a romantic interest in someone based on his or her personality?

The site has many opportunities (through reviews and community discussions) to add your own thoughts – or even catch up about what kids (especially tweens and teens) and parents are saying about the latest movie, TV show, video game, website or book.

I still have more ideas I want to share with them, but for now, I can feel good about saying, “Check out Common Sense Media.” In the media ocean parents struggle to navigate, Common Sense Media makes a worthy compass.