Facebook & Social Networking Influences on Children

As social media continues to grow in popularity, we are slowly starting to see more psycholgical research regarding the risks and benefits of social media / social networking use.

In a talk called “Poke Me: How Social Networks Can Both Help and Harm Our Kids,” Larry D. Rosen PhD, professor of psychology at California State University, Dominquez Hills, discussed the negative effects social media (e.g. Facebook) has had on children. Rosen conducted a study to determine how overuse of Facebook can lead to the development of psychological disorders in teens. The study was based on a sample size of 1,000 urban adolescents.

Negative points of note:

• Teens who use Facebook show more narcissistic tendencies.
• Young adults who use Facebook show more psychological issues such as mania, anti-social behavior and aggression.
• Children who overuse media and technology (ex. Facebook, Video Games, TV) tends to show negative effects on health. They are more prone to depression, anxiety, and other psychological problems.
• Middle school, high school and college students who checked Facebook frequently received lower grades as Facebook served as a distraction from studies.

Note all research was negative. Below are some positive influences of social networking.

Positive points of note:

• Adolescents learn how to socialize
• Young adults who use Facebook are better at showing “virtual empathy”.

Are these really “Positive” Facebook Influences?

I am not sure whether these “positives” are much of a positive at all. It is good to learn “virtual empathy” but in the long run, time is better spend for a child or an adult to learn REAL LIFE empathy. The practice of interacting and socializing in real life context may cause some awkwardness and anxiety, but it is important for children and adults alike to practice so we can become fully functioning contributors to society, our friends, and our families. I do agree that social network does have incremental opportunities to interact and socialize with others, especially those who live far away, but the fear here is when people start to opt to send messages, emails, wall posts over phone calls and real life interactions where real life opportunities are lost.

Larry Rosen’s Advice for Social Networking Use for Children

Larry Rosen, offered some advice for parents by encouraging them to pay attention to the online trends and the latest technologies they are using but be aware that it will be difficult to monitor all of your child’s social networking activities.

“If you feel that you have to use some sort of computer program to surreptitiously monitor your child’s social networking, you are wasting your time. Your child will find a workaround in a matter of minutes,” he said. “You have to start talking about appropriate technology use early and often and build trust, so that when there is a problem, whether it is being bullied or seeing a disturbing image, your child will talk to you about it.”

Social Networking Monitoring Softwares

Despite Rosen’s comments about monitoring your children, if you feel a desire to protect your child from harm, different Social Networking Monitoring tools are slowly coming to public. One such option is ZoneAlarm Social Guard. I have not used this product before, so please by all means, if you have any feedback please share in the comments below. Video introduction of ZoneAlarm Social Guard is below.

Click Here for More Info: ZoneAlarm Social Guard

Social Monitoring Tool Features:

• Alerts you of “friends” who are much older than they claim to be.
• Alerts you of inappropriate discussions about drugs, suicide, violence, and sex.
• Alerts you of inappropriate links that is shared with your child.
• Alerts you of discussions that suggest cyberbulling.
• Parents do not need to be on Facebook to receive alerts.
• Watches your signs that your child’s account has been hacked.

Share Your Thoughts on Social Media Usage

• What is your thoughts on this study?
• What are some other positive and negative effects you see of using Facebook?
• In the name of irony – like our Clean Cut Media’s Facebook Page

Related posts:

1. Facebook vs. MySpace Statistics
2. Most Followed Twitter Users & Brands [Infographic]
3. Social Network – Facebook – Friends Forever

Just a discussion starter. So share your your thoughts below…

What are your thoughts on the fact that three R Rated, raunchy comedies earned multiple nominations at the TEEN choice awards?

Sneaking into the Minds of Unaware Teens

R-Rated Nominees – The Hangover Part II, Bridesmaids, Bad Teacher

The three R rated movie in question are “The Hangover Part II”, “Bridesmaids” and “Bad Teacher”. The Hangover Part II earned a six nominations, while Bridesmaid and Bad teacher were nominated for best comedy. Remember this is the TEEN choice awards for 13-19 year-olds voting for what they consider the best movies, shows, and music of the year. Anyone under 17 must still be accompanied by an adult to watch these movies due to their content. The Hangover Part II and Bridesmaid have been one of the more popular movies of this summer. The Hangover centers around a Drunken Bachelor party romp where the characters can’t remember what happened.

What is the Meaning of This? That's Evil! - Voldemort

“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” led the pack with twelve nominations including best sci-fi fantasy film. TV Musical “Glee” follows with nine including top TV Comedy. The Twilight Saga swept the awards last season, but expects to face stiff competition from “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1″, “X-Men: First Class”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” and “Super 8.”

Something is Just not Right

So I pose the question again.

What are your thoughts on the fact that three R Rated, raunchy comedies earned multiple nominations at the TEEN choice awards?

I think, it’s a testament to how much our standards have fallen in terms of what is considered appropriate and not appropriate for our teen’s consumption, let alone public consumption as a whole (including adults!). I bet for most reader, this news doesn’t seem like big news at all. Is there anything that can be done or will our standards just fall lower and lower? Did you know the US Superior court overruled a law, saying it is ok for stores to sell Mature Rated video games to children? Also I remember just a mere 10 years ago, what passes as PG-13 today would cause a riot even though it was Rated R. It’s a slipper slope folks.

Related posts:

1. The Social Network – Business Ethics in Movies
2. Media’s Impact on Sexual Freedom

hi. my name is... james bond

More Comfortable Online than Offline

This just in. Shocking story! A study from Kidscape, a children’s charity, showed that young people feel more comfortable with themselves online than they are offline. 45% of 11-18 year olds said they were happier online.

” [it's] easier to be who you want to be, because nobody knows you and if you don’t like the situation you can just exit and it is over. ”

Ok. So not really shocking.
Is any of this surprising to you?

More Statistics Among the Young:

• 60 percent of these kids admit to lying about their age
• 47 percent of these kids admit to behaving differently online than offline
• 40 percent of these kids admit to being dishonest about their personal relationships
• 10 percent of these kids admit to “[changing] aspects of their appearance and their personality for their online activity”

Is any of this surprising to you?

None of it really is, and many might say, hey that’s typical, that’s normal.
But hopefully we can all agree – this is sad.

Anyone else remember lying online or perhaps have a good story about it?

Related posts:

1. Kids Consuming More Online Content
2. Did You Know 92% of Toddlers Are Online!
3. Who Regulates Online Advertising & Marketing to Children?

“Skins” the Hottest New TV Show

“It is one thing to be documenting reality, it is an entirely different matter when you are manufacturing a representation of the youth lifestyle…”

A new MTV show “skins” started in January 17 with 3.3 million viewers, 2.7 million of them within 12-34 age range, making it the largest show launch in MTV History. Show creator Bryan Eisley called it “a very simple and in fact rather old-fashioned television series about the lives and loves of teenagers, how they get through high school, how they deal with their friends, and also how they circumnavigate some of the complications of sex, relationships, educations, parents, drugs and alcohol.”

Sounds like a good TV show that helps us see the true lives of teenagers right?

The Parent Television Council calls it “the most dangerous program that has ever been foisted on your children.”

Let’s be clear, MTV has no qualms promoting this show to a young audience, yet the show is rated TV-MA. It even uses actual teenage actors rather than adults depicting teens. One actor is as young as fifteen. The show has been accused of child pornography due to the nudity shown with underaged actors. It’s been called the most racy show ever. But even more telling is how the advertising world had responded.

Advertising Sponsor’s Response to Skins

Advertiser after advertiser, sponsor after sponsor has pulled out of these series due to it’s controversial content. Subway, General Motors, L’Oreal, Wirgley, Taco Bell, Dominos, Foot Lockers & Schick. Good riddance. Perhaps much of the decision was more of a brand play than anything as stated…

“There are few advertisers that are willing to put their neck on the line for any show… there is no lack of youth to reach in the marketplace. Why court backlash when you can find this audience somewhere else?” (Advertising Insider)

Though to their credit, many of these companies protested the underage sex and heavy drinking.

“It was never our intent to endorse content that could offend our consumers,”  Wrigley said in a statement. “Any ads that previously aired during the show were part of a broader advertising plan with the network [MTV].”

I just wish they would of just said “It was never our intent to endorse content that is WRONG”. Rather than what offends consumers. The decision should be made regardless not because of self-preservation.

However, when the advertisers pull their sponsorship, that means the money is not there which hopefully would deter networks from heading into this direction. So though the motive might not be correct, none the less we should be thankful the advertisers have pulled out their sponsorships.

“Skins” as a Moral Teacher?

This isn’t the only show focused on youth “life” and youth transgressions. In fact to no one’s surprise, Hollywood is obsessed with sexualizing teen girls, according to a study released by the Parents Television Council.

The study, which looked at the top 25 shows on broadcast television among viewers age 12-17, found that underage female characters have a higher percentage of sexual scenes compared to adult characters. It also found that only 5% of underage female characters showed any dislike about a sexual situation.

From “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom”, MTV has really capitalized on the interest of those in this age range. MTV and other networks often try to sell these shows as trying to depict “real life” and scaring teens from doing bad things.

Bryan Eisley says “It is just that these are characterized from the point of view of the many young people who write the show and has a very straightforward approach to their experiences; it tries to tell the truth,” he continued.

It’s the argument that, hey if it is real life, we should be able to show it.

But is it really necessary to show scenes that can be just implied? And why so graphically?

Also shows like “Skins” seem to fail in both depicting reality as it is and preventing teens bad habits.

A Virginia Tech senior writes in an article in Collegiate Times “What I find most irksome about [Skins] is simply how far removed from reality the premise and the character depictions truly are… to suggest that those experiences comprise the majority of high school students’ lives is not just irresponsible: It isn’t true.”

Another insider writes “It is one thing to be documenting reality, it is an entirely different matter when you are manufacturing a representation of the youth lifestyle,” an insider says. “Drug use or sexual activity as ‘news’ is very different than those same subjects as ‘entertainment.’”

In other words, the show is made for drama and made for TV. However the effect it could have is to plant ideas of what is the norm for teenagers and even adults.

If we watch enough of a certain lifestyle lived out as if it is normal, we start to assume those lifestyles as the norm of society.

Media’s Responsibility to Teens & Young Adults

Even MTV themselves have said “Young adults 15-17 are excited consumers and extremely impressionable,” MTV tells advertisers. “Now is the time to influence their choices.” Yet do they not realize, that they are influencing their choices, just in the worst way possible by altering their norms and desensitizing them to this kind of lifestyle?

Again Bryan Eisley argues that “We proceed not from the idea that teenagers are inherently likely to misbehave, but rather that they are intensely moral and disposed to make judgments on their own and others’ behavior,” he wrote in his Huffington Post blog entry.

Really? Do you interact with teenagers at all? Have you been a teenager? When I was a teenager I was always struggling with temptations, heck I still do now (with thankfully more restraint than before). I would argue that we as human beings are actually not moral at all if left to our own devices. Remove all sense of law and punishment and it would be utter chaos. That is a worldview not true to reality folks.

• What are your thoughts?
• Is there value to these shows? Does it outweight the negatives?

Related posts:

1. The Secret Life of the American Teenager – Sex Obsessed ABC “Family Channel”
2. Study Links Pregnancy with Watching Sexy TV Shows
3. Children Media Consumption: 7.5 Hours a Day

1 in 3 Teenagers Send 3,000+ Texts a Month

Prepare for an overload of Teenager Texting Statistics:

Just the Girls

• Girls typically send and receive 80 texts a day; boys send and receive 30.
• 86% of girls text message friends several times a day; 64% of boys do the same.
• 59% of girls call friends on their cell phone every day; 42% of boys call friends daily on their cell phone daily.
• 59% of girls text several times a day to “just say hello and chat”; 42% of boys do so.
• 84% of girls have long text exchanges on personal matters; 67% of boys have similar exchanges.
• 76% of girls text about school work, while 64% of boys text about school.

More interesting tidbits about Teens & Texting -

• A third of U.S. teenagers with cellphones send 100+ texts a day as texting has exploded to become the most popular means of communication for young people, according to new research.
• The Pew Research Center said that three-fourths of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 now own cellphones and of those that do, girls typically send or receive 80 text messages per day and boys, 30 per day.
• Study author Scott Campbell said focus groups conducted by Pew also offer insight into the subtleties of teen communication and culture, revealing for example that, while boys don’t typically use punctuation, for girls such nuances are critical.

“If a girl puts a period at the end of a text message (to another girl) then it comes across as she’s mad,” Campbell said, which explains the prevalence of smiley emoticons.

“They have these practices because they’ve learned that texts can lead to misunderstandings,” Lenhart said. “It’s a deliberate thing and it’s also part of a culture that’s interested in differentiating itself from adult culture.”

• The mobile phone has become the favored communication hub for the majority of American teens.
• Cell-phone texting has become the preferred channel of basic communication between teens and their friends, with cell calling a close second. Some 75% of 12-17 year-olds now own cell phones, up from 45% in 2004. Those phones have become indispensable tools in teen communication patterns. Fully 72% of all teens2 — or 88% of teen cell phone users — are text-messagers. That is a sharp rise from the 51% of teens who were texters in 2006. More than half of teens (54%) are daily texters.
• Among all teens, their frequency of use of texting has now overtaken the frequency of every other common form of interaction with their friends (see chart below).

How are Parent’s Responding to it All?

For parents, teens’ attachment to their phones is an area of conflict and regulation.

Parents exert some measure of control over their child’s mobile phone — limiting its uses, checking its contents and using it to monitor the whereabouts of their offspring. In fact, the latter is one of the primary reasons many parents acquire a cell phone for their child. However, with a few notable exceptions, these activities by parents do not seem to impact patterns of cell phone use by teens.

• 64% of parents look at the contents of their child’s cell phone and 62% of parents have taken away their child’s phone as punishment.
• 46% of parents limit the number of minutes their children may talk and 52% limit the times of day they may use the phone.
• 48% of parents use the phone to monitor their child’s location.
• Parents of 12-13 year-old girls are more likely to report most monitoring behavior.
• Limiting a child’s text messaging does relate to lower levels of various texting behaviors among teens. These teens are less likely to report regretting a text they sent, or to report sending sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images by text (also known as “sexting”).
• Teens whose parents limit their texting are also less likely to report being passengers in cars where the driver texted behind the wheel or used the phone in a dangerous manner while driving.

Cell Phone Uses Functionality

• 83% use their phones to take pictures.
• 64% share pictures with others.
• 60% play music on their phones.
• 46% play games on their phones.
• 32% exchange videos on their phones.
• 31% exchange instant messages on their phones.
• 27% go online for general purposes on their phones.
• 23% access social network sites on their phones.
• 21% use email on their phones.
• 11% purchase things via their phones.

Texting & Driving

• Half (52%) of cell-owning teens ages 16-17 say they have talked on a cell phone while driving. That translates into 43% of all American teens ages 16-17.
• 48% of all teens ages 12-17 say they have been in a car when the driver was texting.
• 40% say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put themselves or others in danger.

What are your Thoughts?

That my friends, is a ton of statistical information. What is clear is that texting has become the favored form of communication for teenagers. 100-200 texts a day? Many will grow to have finger arthritis at that rate. But seriously, what are your thoughts in all this?

Though I see it can be beneficial in being able to stay constantly connected to friends, what I fear the most is that when teenagers grow up relying on less personal mediums that do not requires face-to-face interaction – it could have some negative effects in the way a teenager is able to relate to people in real life situations. It is so easy to text something, especially something seemingly uncomfortable, then to pick up a phone and call or *gasp*.. meeting up with someone. It creates a easy way to not experience the real work of building personal relationship. Just a thought. What do you think?

• Do you feel there is little harm in youths sending 100 texts a day?
• Do the benefits of constant connection outweigh the detriments of losing real social interaction?
• How many TEXTs do YOU send a day?
• If you don’t mind – kindly state your age (or age range) since I am going to go out on the limb to assume different age groups will think very differently about this issue.

Take the Poll: Come Back to See Results:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Related posts:

1. Study Links Pregnancy with Watching Sexy TV Shows
2. Teenager Pregnancy Statistics – Good News?
3. Girl Self-Esteem & Image Issues & Parents

[Welcome Twitter Visitors - follow @CleanCutMedia Here!]

Sexualization of Girls Report by the APA

American Psychological Association came out with a report that shows girl as young as 4 and 5 years old are wearing new clothing styles such as push-up bras, thongs, mini skirts and other adult type outfits. Following the onslaught of media images girls see on TV, there is a changing standard born out of the pressure these images give to children to “get with it” or “fit in”. This report brings up the decrease in self-esteem and the increase in depressions and eating disorders linked to the increasing sexualization by the media. It also emphasizes the increasing underage sex rate.

Please don't let your daughters dress like this

Defining Sexualization of Girls

The APA taskforce on the Sexualization of Girls was formed in response to these public concerns. The APA taskforce also produced reports on the Violence in Mass Media, Advertising to Children, Video Games and Interactive Media among other similar reports. The “sexualization” process was defined having one of the following criterias.

• a persons’ value comes only from his or her sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics;
• a person is held to a standard that equates physical attractiveness with being sexy;
• a person is sexually objectified – that is, made into a thing for other’s sexual use, rather than seen as a person with the capacity for independent action and decision making; and/or
• sexuality is inappropriately imposed on a person

Examples of Sexualization in Advertising

Sexualization of Girls is pervasive throughout all media. The report outlines a few categories:

• Ads – Sketchers “Naughty & Nice” – featured Christina Aguilera dressed as a schoolgirl in pigtails with her shirt unbuttoned, licking a lollipop
• Dolls – Bratz Dolls – dressed in sexualized clothing such as miniskirts, fishnet stocking, and feather boas
• Clothing – thongs sized for 7-10 year old, some printed with slogans such as “wink wink”
• TV – Televised Fashion show in which adult models in lingerie were presented as young girls.

In addition, I find the most powerful media messages are often a lot more subtle. It is true that the constant barrage of images of pretty women with questionable outfits changes what we consider the “norm” in terms of how we define “beauty” and what is “appropriate” behavior. However just as powerful, is the message found in the lifestyles of sitcom characters. People love watching sitcoms. They become attached to characters and they see the characters in the context of “life”. When people watch their beloved characters living a promiscuous lifestyle or behaving in a sexualized way (using their beauty to charm guys, chasing after pretty woman, gawking at a pretty girl who walks by) we take in these “behaviors” as normal reactions and how things actually are in the real world. We learn what is normal through what we observe in carefully constructed sitcoms that milk on what sells and let’s face it – sex sells.

Interesting Studies of Sexualization in Report

List of some interesting studies covered in the report:
Note that these bulletpoints are not at all comprehensive.

• Sexualization inhibits Mental Capacity – Women who were in bathing suits trying to conduct a test did poorly then when wearing sweaters. Men found no such drop off. Thinking about the body and comparing to sexualized cultural ideals disrupted mental capacity.(Frederickson, Roberts, Noll, Quinn, & Twenge 1998; Gapinski, Brownsell, & LaFrance, 2003)
• Mental Health Problems - Researched links sexualization with 3 of the most common mental health problem of girls and woman: eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression (Abramson & Valene, 1991; Durkin & Paxton, 2002)
• Diminishing Sexual Health – Self objectification linked directly with diminishing sexual health among adolescent girls measured by decreased condom use and sexual assertiveness. (Impett, Schooler, & Tomlman 2006). Negative effects such as shame due to sexualization may lead to sexual problems in adulthood (Brotto, Heiman & Tolman, in press)
• Sexual Stereotypes - Girls and young woman who more frequently consume or engage with mainstream media content offer stronger endorsements of sexual stereotypes that depict women as sexual objects (Ward, 2002; Zurbriggen & Morgan, 2006)
• Effects on Men – Exposure to narrow ideals of female sexual attractiveness make it difficult for some men to find an “acceptable” partner or to fully enjoy intimacy with a female partner (Schooler & Ward, 2006)

Problem of Sexualization of Girls is Deep

The problem is not just the clothing they wear or even what girls are learning about sex – the problem is that girls at a young age are being taught how to approach relationships and how to approach intimacy. Media is teaching girls that being sexy and using their sexuality is important. Even Disney is responsible for using pretty, skinny woman characters using their beauty to get what they want. In the real world, many big name celebrities also are using their “sexuality” for all it’s worth.

Parents: Protect Your Child from Sexualization!

The ultimate message is that parents must protect their child. Some may think it’s cute to allow their young daughter to wear t-shirts that say stuff like “Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me” (the main line from a popular song) or allow your daughters to those “cute” mini skirts or short-shorts that have things written on their bottoms. To buy them make-up kits as a child and teach them to adorn themselves with beauty products. But it won’t be funny when those very children becoming sexuality active by middle school and learn to objectify themselves, placing their self-worth on how they look.

Download & Read the Full “Sexualization of Girls” Report Below

• Please let us know what other good pieces of statistics or information you find below in the comments section!
• Also what are your thoughts about the Sexualization of Girls? Do you see it as a big problem?
• What do you think we can do?

Summary: Executive Summary
Full Report: Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls (PDF, 408K)

The proliferation of sexualized images of girls and young women in advertising, merchandising, and media is harming girls’ self-image and healthy development. This report explores the cognitive and emotional consequences, consequences for mental and physical health, and impact on development of a healthy sexual self-image. – American Psychological Association

Follow Clean Cut Media @CleanCutMedia Twitter!

Related posts:

1. France to Regulate Airbrushed & Photoshopping Pictures
2. Study Links Pregnancy with Watching Sexy TV Shows
3. Unnaturally Beautiful Children: Image & Beauty

Internet Speeds Getting Faster, Asia Leads the Way

Internet speed around the world continues to become faster as technologies advance. That is not a surprise. However the speed difference between a country like Korea and the United States are quite startling.

South Korea, who already has the fastest connection in the world, continues to increase their national internet speed at the fastest rate as well. Korea owns 6 of the top 10 fastest cities in Asia and as a country averages 14.6 Mbps. Compare that to the United States where only 4.4% of users are above 10 Mbps. Korea averages 14.6 Mbps. In Korea 45.6% of users have connections above 10Mbps. 75% are connected above 5 Mbps while only 24% of the United States is at that level.

Compared to 2009, the distribution of connections in South Korea has risen in all the high speed categories. 16% of South Korean users are above 25 Mbps compare to only 1.9% for Japan who falls second in these rankings.

Why the huge gap in South Korea?

The primary reason South Korea sits so far ahead in terms of connection speed, is that Korea has the infrastructure to do so. Back in the late 1990s there was a nationwide focus on developing cutting edge technology. The government built out the infrastructure necessary to get the entire country on high speed broadband. In the United States you have to walk into a Starbucks with an AT&T account or Borders to get some free wifi. Connections are now available everywhere you go. It has become part of the culture and an expectation.

Another more interesting topic, and worth it’s own blog posting, is South Korea’s obsession with Internet Gaming. South Korea could easily be considered the gaming capital of the world. The “elite” of the PC gaming world are often full fledged celebrities as thousands gathers in stadiums to watch the elite play each other on a game of Starcraft. These tournaments are broadcast nationally on TV by five national channels dedicated solely to gaming. Believe it. 1% of all TV watched is accounted for by these channels. That is a lot of people!

South Korea - Starcraft Tournament

Korea has five major leagues for professional Starcraft alone. All the elite gaming teams know if they want fame, they need to travel to Korea to compete in tournaments. These “clans” get corporate sponsorships and wear corporate logos as if they were about to enter into a nascar race. It has become a popular desire for high school boys to pursue a career in being a professional gamer just as boys would want to become a professional basketball player. Even the “commentators” on these networks have become full fledged celebrities just as famous sports commentators.

Some 26,000+ Net cafes and game rooms are found all over the nation where people can come to pay to play games in a room full of fast computers and fast connections. These cafes make up around $6 billion a year from visiting gamers.

With gaming so tightly integrated with Korean culture, it is not surprising that the demand for faster high speed internet continues to raise the bar in terms of internet connection speeds across the nation.

*image source: thomascrampton.com

• What are your initial reactions to Korea’s whopping internet speeds?
• What are your opinions about the Korean PC Gaming Industry?
• How do you feel about the fact that Korean boys dream and seek to become celebrity gamers?
• How about the fact that elite gamers are even considered celebrities, with endorsements, fans and immense fame?

Related posts:

1. Social Networks in Asia: Korea, Japan, China, India, Hong Kong, Singapore
2. Late Night Internet Statistics: Online Videos, Games & Chat
3. $1B Social Gaming Market plus w/ $653M in Virtual Good Spend!

Children Consume nearly 8 hours of Media per Day

Kaiser Family Foundation released their most recent media usage study. Six years ago they found the usage of 8 to 18 year old was about 6 hours and 21 minutes of media consumption a day. This recent study shows that the media consumption rate has risen to 7 hours and 38 minutes. That is almost as much time as adults spend at work except remember that adults only work 5 days a week.

The amount of media consumed by children has always been a point of concern as media has been found to have great affects in molding a child’s view of the world. It has become all the more important that parents watch over what their children are consuming and what kind of message they are taking in.

Some things parents can do are to regulate what kind and what type of media their children consume. Another is to watch what your kids are watching together so you can explain how best to process the message it portrays. Another is to ensure internet safety for kids with tools that can supervise online activities.

With the proliferation of online media, increased video sharing, and mobile media – these numbers are shocking, yet they are not a surprise.

For the first time, Traditional TV consumption actually fell as other mediums such as video games, music, online media and movie watching has increased. What is even more wild is that kids are often watching multiple forms of media at once. The actual consumption of media was found to be closer to 10 hours and 45 minutes.

Growth of Mobile Media

Greater adoption of iPods and other MP3 devices has increased access and usage of mobile media. Children are able to surf the internet while listening to music and perhaps watching TV all in the same time. In 2004, only 39% of 8 to 18 year olds owned a cell phone. Now it is closer to 66%. Ipods? Jumped from 18% to 76%.

Television Consumption goes Online

TV broadcast consumption fell from 3:04 to 2:39. However TV consumption as a whole has increased by 38 minutes. This increase can be partially attributed to mobile media as kids watch movies and videos on their cell phones, but also a continuous trend towards TV show streams being available online.

Did You Know:

• Home Internet Access has grown from 74% to 84%
• Youth with Laptops jumped from 12% to 29%
• Internet Access from the Bedroom jumped 20% to 33%
• 71% of all 8 to 18 year olds have their own TV in their rooms.
• An Average home with an 8 to 18 year old contains 3.8 TVs, 2.8 DVD/VCR players, 1 digital video recorder, 2.2 CD players, 2.5 radios, 2 computers, and 2.3 console video game players.

Youths who spend more time with media show lower grades and lower levels of personal contentment

Nearly half of all heavy users who consume more than 16 hours of media per day (21% of all 8 to 18 year olds) report having fair or poor grades compared to 23% of light users who show less than three hours of consumption. Unfortunately statistics still support that majority of parents do not engage in much regulation of media consumption.

Did You Know:

• 7th-12th grader spend 1.5 hours/day TEXTING

Media Usage Statistics Study

This report was based on a national survey of 2,002 3rd to 12th grade students and includes a subsample of 702 respondents who volunteered to complete seven-day media use diaries. This is the third of such reports by Kaiser Family Foundation.

Download the full Study Here:

Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year Olds

It is a pretty long study with lot of great media consumption statistics to consume. We’ll try to break it down for you hear at Clean Cut Media with future posts. So be sure to come back!

Related posts:

1. You Watch 153 Hours of TV & Online 68 Hours
2. Powerful Impact of Media on Children
3. Who Regulates Online Advertising & Marketing to Children?

The sex-ed lobby has always claimed it was all about health—teaching kids how to stay safe. But in reality, their goal was not preventing disease, pregnancy, and emotional distress. It’s about indoctrinating them into a radical ideology—sexual freedom….

What’s the result of this [sex education] teaching? One in four American girls now has a sexually transmitted disease. – Breakpoint

• Are sex educators not providing the latest medical facts?
• Are we really missing out on scientific facts about our sexual health?
• What are the latest findings on the effects of living with sexual freedom?
• What are those scientific facts! Am I in danger?

Dr. Miriam Grossman vs. Sex Educators

Dr. Miriam Grossman M.D, a board certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, recently wrote a book called “You’re Teaching My Kid What?”.

She writes about the fact that sex educators as well as the SIECUS [Sexual Information and Education Council of the US], the organization that sets the standard for sex education, are not presenting the medical facts thus rather than empowering people to make the right decisions, they are giving them a false sense of security with disastrous results.

One example is how sex educators urge kids to avoid pregnancy by engaging in oral sex. But what about the medical facts?

- HPV can be transmitted during oral sex, and can cause cancers of the throat.

- If kids interact with five or more partners, they increase their risk [of oral cancer] “a whopping 250 percent.” And yet sex educators, Grossman writes, portray this activity as safe and normal.

Dr. Miriam’s Goal: Educate the Youth to the Medical Truths of Sexual Freedom

Her aim is simple: “As a physician who has spent hundreds of hours with young people with sexually transmitted infections, I’m on a one-woman mission to expose the falsehood of those claims.” What claim? Planned Parenthood, one of the biggest names in sex education says on their homepage “We deliver comprehensive and medically accurate information that empowers women, men, teens, and families to make informed choices and lead healthy lives.”

“I’m a doctor who is tired of seeing a steady stream of young people come through my office, casualties of the worldview that places sexual freedom before sexual health. The only power I have to fight this calamity is the power of the pen. While the nation struggles over issues related to health, and stands on the verge of supporting organizations like SIECUS with millions of tax dollars, does someone with authority have the courage to stand up and put an end to this fiasco?” – Dr. Miriam Grossman M.D.

SIECUS Undermines Parents with Different Messages

She has also published articles about how SIECUS adopts different positions depending on the audience. In public forums and statements, they tell the parents that their primary concern is with the child’s health. SIECUS says they tell the teens that it’s best for them to delay sexual activity. However in the material for teens, the message is about sexual rights and the freedom to make their own decisions at any age, regardless of what adults think.

An example of this is All About Sex. This pamphlet is the first resource suggested to young individuals on the SIECUS site. The piece begins by telling kids that everyone has their own way of expressing their sexuality, then it goes on to for eight pages discussing the a their “sexual rights”.

Read what it says:

“Every human being has basic rights. Still, adults may say and do things that make young people feel like they don’t have rights. It’s important for you to know your rights so that you can stand up for yourself when necessary.”

She continues: “At every point in your life, you can choose if and how to express your sexuality.” Later: “It is up to you to determine how much risk you are willing to take.” And: “Many teens choose to be sexually active and many choose not to. You have the right to decide exactly what behaviors, if any, you are comfortable participating in….”

Basically, it’s a green light, telling kids it is all up to them to chose how much they’d like to risk. A far cry from promoting the delay in sexual activity message they promise to parents.

Her statement is simple, sex educators are not providing the medical facts that are absolutely neccessary for a child (and parents) to make the right decisions. Rather by avoiding all the hard data, sex educators are simply promoting the social agenda of sexual freedom and when sexual freedom reigns, sexual health suffers.

Breakpoint Commentary on Sex Education Messaging

Below is a recent post from Breakpoint.

Are you squeamish when it comes to talking with your kids about sex? Well, you’d better get to them fast, before they’re exposed to sex educators in school.

Dr. Miriam Grossman was lecturing at a Philadelphia college about sexual health. The students had invited her to talk about something they’d never encountered in all their years of sex education—the dangers of non-marital sex.

Grossman will never forget the girl who told her that everything she’d said about sexually transmitted diseases was correct. “I always used condoms, but I got HPV anyway, and it’s one of the high-risk types,” the girl said. If the infection did not go away, she had a 40 percent chance of developing cervical cancer.

In her new book, You’re Teaching My Child What?, Grossman says she felt “a wave of sorrow” at the girl’s words—but she was hardly surprised. The girl was yet another victim of a destructive philosophy that has been forced on America’s youth under the guise of “sex education.”

The sex-ed lobby has always claimed it was all about health—teaching kids how to stay safe. But in reality, their goal was not preventing disease, pregnancy, and emotional distress. It’s about indoctrinating them into a radical ideology—sexual freedom. Kids are urged to consult websites that urge them to begin “exploring” their sexuality at a young age, insist that sex at any age is a right, and encourage them to engage in bizarre and dangerous activities.

The findings of science are not allowed to interfere with these radical teachings. If new research proves the dangers of the behaviors they advocate, the so-called “sexperts” simply ignore it.

For instance, sex educators urge kids to avoid pregnancy by engaging in oral sex. But two years ago, cancer specialists found that oral cancers were on the rise among young adults, who used to be at very low risk if they did not smoke or drink.

If kids interact with five or more partners, they increase their risk “a whopping 250 percent.” And yet sex educators, Grossman writes, portray this activity as safe and normal.

What’s the result of this teaching? One in four American girls now has a sexually transmitted disease.

What do the sex educators say about this? They shrug it off, telling kids that “most” people contract an STD in their lifetime—as if such a thing were normal and unavoidable.

This ought to make us really angry. The “comprehensive” sex educators have done enormous harm to our kids. They keep right on teaching kids that life is a sexual-free-for-all with no consequences as long as they use so-called “protection.”

Read Dr. Miriam Grossman’s book, You’re Teaching My Child What?: A Physician Exposes the Lies of Sex Ed and How They Harm Your Child… And then, share it with the teens in your life. They need to know the truth—that while STDs, cervical cancer, and heartbreak may be increasingly common, they are no more “normal” than swine flu.

- Breakpoint

Here is a link to Amazon for the book. You can read some reader reviews there.

You’re Teaching My Child What?: A Physician Exposes the Lies of Sex Ed and How They Harm Your Child

Endorsements of “Teaching My Child What?” – From Amazon

“Parents, this book is a gift from a gutsy doctor who puts your child first. Dr. Miriam Grossman examines what the powerful sex education industry teaches your child, and what she finds will make your hair curl. Do you have a child in school? With this book you’ll understand the destructive agendas of so-called `scientific’ sex ed, then you’ll learn what your kids really need to know: politically incorrect truths that blow those agendas out of the water. Finally, a doctor who’s brave enough to break ranks and call foul. We owe her a standing ovation.”
–Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Author and host of a nationally syndicated radio program

“Dr. Miriam Grossman is a bright, bold, but solitary beacon revealing the avalanche of faulty sex education and counseling that is endangering the physical and emotional health of our young people and corrupting their futures. This is an alert that all parents must read, and an antidote that our young people can use against those so-called experts who would indoctrinate them.”
–Nicholas A. Cummings, Ph.D., Sc.D. Former President, American Psychological Association

“The sex education lobby systematically undermines traditional morality and aggressively promotes an ideology of sexual license while pretending to be concerned only with the health and safety of young people. The sad truth is that by subtly (and sometimes not-so-subtly) encouraging and often facilitating adolescent sexual activity, the sex ed establishment jeopardizes the physical and emotional health of children as well as their moral and spiritual welfare. It is high time that someone stepped forward to expose much contemporary sex education for what it is, namely, a series of catechism classes for the pseudo-religion of sexual liberationism. Dr. Miriam Grossman has done just that. This bold and brilliant physician has done the nation and its children a great service. Everyone who believes, as I do, in the importance of childhood innocence and safety, and the sound moral development of young men and women, owes Dr. Grossman an enormous debt.”
–Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, Princeton University

Sample Reader Reviews of “Teaching My Child What?” – From Amazon

Must Read book for Parents

This is the first review I have ever written for a book. Never have I ever been so compelled to try and get the word out on an issue. This book MUST be read by every parent in the United States. Sex Ed in our schools must be updated. IT is false.

I heard Dr. Grossman interviewed on the radio. I was so compelled by her intellect and knowledge of the subject of Sexual Education in the public schools, that I purchased her book. This was a first for me. You see, I have three teenage children, two in college, and one in high school. I thought that it was high time I took a look at what their peers are being taught.

Dr. Grossman lays out, systematically and thoroughly in this book, the inaccuracies and outright lies of what is being taught by SIECUS (The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States), Planned Parenthood, and Advocates for Youth in our schools, and on websites that are recommended by our schools in the Sex Ed programs and accompanying pamphlets and brochures handed out in the nurses office or during the class.

This book starts with showing who is exactly teaching your children. She then covers the topic of the differences between boys and girls, and the false information taught in the SE classes. Next, she talks about the abstinence/protection/do it if it feels right issue, the doctor’s responsibility, the plagues of incurable sexually transmitted infections, gender identity and homosexual/heterosexual/transgender/etc. issues. All of these topics are taught to our children in the public schools. If a child doesn’t go to a public school, not to worry, most of this information is also available on line from the three above mentioned organizations and their websites, plus the sites that they link from within their sites. No child in the United States is truly exempt from this teaching.

The text is 188 pages with 48 pages of footnotes in much smaller font than the text. She amazed me with the research, and study that went into this book. In the introduction, I began to verify each footnote sited. By the end of the introduction, which contained 31 footnotes for 14 pages of text, I was convinced that she had done her homework and had completely studied and verified her claims. She makes a statement, and then shows you with easy to verify footnotes that prove what she is saying is true. Many footnotes are easily found online.

The book is filled with personal stories of her medical practice at university medical centers, as well as others that she has gleaned elsewhere.

She convinced me that the SE classes are being taught with faulty, outdated data, and sometimes even unscientific data. She presents in this book, the most up to date data and research available. One table that she presents as an appendix at the end of the book is dated June 19, 2009. This is current information. This is valid information.

Our children are not being given the most up to date, accurate information in their sex ed classes. They are being misled about things such as condom failure rates, percentages of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the fact that the younger you begin sexual activity, the more likely you are to become infected with an STI. This book needs to be read by you and your children if you deem it appropriate for their age. I would never recommend a parent give this book to your children to read before you have pre-viewed it. It is a book that we have discussed at great length in our home, but I would not allow younger children near it. It is graphic when it needs to be. We are talking about sex here, so a parent must use their own discretion when teaching the facts in this book to their children.

Dr. Grossman counters sex ed lies with hard science,

Wow! Just as the subtitle of the book states, Dr. Grossman exposes lies – sex education lies – and that they harm our children. She asserts that the health of our youth are in a `911 emergency’ state and explains how the sex education industry priorities are detrimental to our children. She counters with the biological and neurological truths that should be part of sex education messages they receive.

“You’re Teaching My Child What?” is a must read for any adults who care about and are involved in the lives of young people. Check out the references Dr. Grossman has highlighted as examples of teen `health’ sites – ones that are endorsing risky, bizarre and fringe behaviors. Learn why she believes sexuality educators “send these kids into a minefield”. Don’t assume her message is simply about abstaining from sex, as her approach focuses on biological truths and hard science.

Most importantly, Dr. Grossman guides parents, educators and health providers as to the message we should be conveying to our youth. She includes practical suggestions for parents “to optimize your child’s chance for a life of healthy sexuality”. One can gain knowledge to counter destructive messages your child is receiving and be encouraged to provide the truths they deserve to hear.

As a mother who has checked things out enough to be alarmed and shocked at the sexuality indoctrination, I am grateful to Dr. Grossman for her commitment and boldness. I highly recommend “You’re Teaching My Child What? A Physician Exposes the Lies of Sex Education and How They Harm Your Child”.

See more reviews on Amazon:
You’re Teaching My Child What?: A Physician Exposes the Lies of Sex Ed and How They Harm Your Child

• What do you think? Comment Below!

Related posts:

1. Study Links Pregnancy with Watching Sexy TV Shows
2. Media’s Impact on Sexual Freedom
3. Who Regulates Online Advertising & Marketing to Children?

France: Regulate those Manipulated Pictures!

This is going to create some interesting controversy. French lawmakers have decided to regulate airbrushing photos by requiring disclaimers on photos that are photoshopped or enhanced in any way. Image manipulation has been a practice going on since long before photoshop, to create stunning and perfect pictures for advertisement purposes. This action was taken as a way of fighting against body image issues at the source.

This disclaimer would be needed in newspapers, photos, magazines, political pieces, product packaging, art photography and any situation where there is a “retouched photograph aimed at changing a person’s physical appearance.”

Hours of Hair & Makeup followed by Hours of Photo Manipulation

Even after hours of hair and makeup styling, photos used in print often go through hours of photo manipulation. Some very common practices are to slim waistlines, slim the hips, lengthen the neck and legs, alter facial structures, increase symmetry, widen eyes, fix nose shape, have a woman’s breast lifted, change skin colors, add shadows, add tones, move eyebrows, remove bad marks, erase freckles, change the background, and stylize the hair. An altered photo can look dramatically different from the original.

The photo above is an example of what photoshop can do in a mere 5 minutes of photoshop work. During a 5 minute segment on Homepage, a show on CP24, Greg Danbrooke demonstrated how Photoshop is the real tool behind the perfection we see on magazine covers and billboards.

Check out the step by step difference here

Also if you haven’t seen the Dove Evolution Video watch it!

This law was proposed by French MP Valirie Boyer who also released a report on anorexia and bulimia. The concern has always been the effects of unrealistic body images has on young boys and girls. Starting at an early age a girl is exposed to so many images of beautiful celebrities, disproportionate barbie dolls, photos of women who have slender body types and seemingly perfect features. It is no wonder 62% of girls feel insecure about themselves and 81% of 10 years old fears getting fat.

“Many young people, particularly girls, do not know the difference between the virtual and reality, and can develop complexes from a very young age. In some cases this leads to anorexia or bulimia and very serious health problems.” – French MP Valerie Boyer

50+ French politicians have voiced their support for this legislation. The fine for breaking this law would be a fine of approximately $48K USD or 50% of the campaign costs.

• Do you think this law is a good idea or a bad idea?
• Do you think this law should pass?
• Is photoshopped bodies a detriment to self-image especially in children?

Please share your thoughts below!

Related posts:

1. Unnaturally Beautiful Children: Image & Beauty
2. Sexualization of Girls in Media – New Report
3. Pretzel Crisp says “You Can Never Be Too Thin”

The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) came out with a study this week that suggests that gaming habits developed as a youth carries with them into adulthood. Specifically those who played video games as a child or a teenager have a trend to become inactive and have more health issues.

The study included 552 adults between 19 and 90 in the Washington State area. Gaming once was considered a children centric activity but in this study, 50% of gamers were found to be within the 18 to 49 age while 25% were 50 and older. Those in the younger age between 8 to 34 showed many signs of addiction.

Men and Video Gaming: Health Problems

The findings show that men who play video games tend to be more overweight, have a higher BMI and spend more time online then those who did not engage in video game activities.

Women and Video Gaming: Coping Mechanism

Women on the other hand were more likely to play games as a way to get their minds off of their worries and problems. It is referred to as “digital self-medication” and unfortunately has become a coping mechanism of escape from both dealing with their problems and just dealing with reality. It also leads many to the road of game addiction.

Video Game & Media for Social Dependency

Another trend is that both men and women are showing more dependency on the online world for social engagement and support. Through social sites such as Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook, people are more reliant on the Internet than ever for social needs.

Though this study ultimately is simply showing a correlation between video gaming and health, it does give us a picture of how video games and the internet are having a direct impact in the lives of people. Both men and women could be coping with extra time or life difficulties by playing active sports or talking with friends. However media consumption, whether that be video games, movies, or surfing the internet, has become a popular alternative to simply push out worries and not deal with it.

I can readily admit that when life troubles comes my way it is easy to want to ignore it for a while by distracting myself with something to do. Games, Movies, Music all being one click away doesn’t help. How about you?

• How do you cope with downtime?
• How do you cope with life worries?
• Do you know of people or perhaps do you often use media as an escape mechanism?

Related posts:

1. Health Warning Labels for Video Games – Congressman
2. Is Video Game Addiction a Serious Problem?
3. Online Gamers in China must Register with Real Names

Twilight by Stephanie Meyers?
Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber?
Blue Bloods by Melissa de La Cruz?

Heard of these titles? These are just an example of the rise of the vampire genre in recent literature and film. Popular among the youth, these books presents unique young characters catering to different types of teenagers. Unlike traditional vampire stories where vampires are blood-sucking epitome of evil, these new modern vampires are young teenagers discovering their self-identity and going through all the awkwardness and problems of a typical teenager boy or girl. Oh, plus dealing with immortality and dealing with inter species relationships. Of course.

As teenagers go through physical and emotional changes, they have to deal with new feelings and desires they have never felt before. They are often confused, full of anxiety, constantly focused on how they measure to those around them and always self-conscious as they try to form their own sense of self-identity. Unfortunately, outside of family influence, most of their identity gets formed through the peer pressures of school and the unrelenting media. The media fills their minds with images of what is cool, what is normal, and what is not. It helps mold their self-perception as they compare themselves with what they see on screen or read in books because that is what they perceive reality to be.

Each of these vampire stories cater to a different type of teenager. Twilight is catered to a wider audience and all awkward teenage girls and boys. Vampire Kisses is focused on the insecure teenager discovering herself. Blue Bloods cater to the fashion, shopping type. Regardless, the issues of peer pressure, discovering love, the anxieties of adolescent life is something the youth are drawn towards.

If you are interested in a small summary of each of these series and info on the main teenage character check out this article on vampire influences on self identification.

• Have you read any of these books?
• What is your take on the teenager characters?
• Are they good examples or bad examples?
• How do you think it is influencing the teenagers of today?

Related posts:

1. The Secret Life of the American Teenager – Sex Obsessed ABC “Family Channel”