Center on Media and Child Health

Research Toolbox: Recently Published Books

Recently published titles of interest on the topics of children, media, and health:

New Books

• Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture By Peggy Orenstein

The author offers a radical, timely wake-up call for parents, revealing the dark side of a pretty and pink culture confronting girls at every turn as they grow into adults.

• CyberSafe Protecting and Empowering Kids in the Digital World of Texting, Gaming, and Social by Media Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, MD, FAAP.

This informative book will guide parents through the landscape of the digital world, helping them better understand things like the history and the future of the Internet, cyberbullying, social networking sites like Facebook and MySpaceGaming and virtual worlds and digital footprints.

• Mediated Girlhoods: New Explorations of Girls' Media Culture by Mary Celeste Kearney (Ed.)

This book is the first anthology devoted specifically to scholarship on girls' media culture. Taking a cultural studies approach, it includes analyses of girls' media representations, media consumption, and media production. The book responds to criticisms of previous research in the field by including studies of girls who are not white, middle-class, heterosexual, or Western, while also including historical research.

• Television Personalities: Stardom and the Small Screen by James Bennett 

This book examines how television personalities function as commodities, and also function ideologically, thus relating them to issues of class, national identity, sexuality, gender and social history.

• The Winter of Our Disconnect: How Three Totally Wired Teenagers (and a Mother Who Slept with Her iPhone) Pulled the Plug on Their Technology and Lived to Tell the Tale  by Susan Maushart  

The author embarked with her three teenagers on a six-month screen blackout (no cellphones, iPods, PCs, laptops, game stations, or television) to discover if the technology intended to stimulate and keep us virtually more connected was, as she suspected, making us actually more disconnected and distracted.

 
Please let us know if you would like to see any books highlighted in the future!

Research Toolbox: Youth Anti-Smoking Strategies

According to the latest CDC youth tobacco use, each day in the United States, approximately 3,900 young people between 12 and 17 years of age smoke their first cigarette, and an estimated 1,000 youth become daily cigarette smokers.                       On November 18, the American Cancer Society is celebrating the 35th Great American Smokeout and encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day.

To celebrate the event, we highlighted studies that explored various youth anti-smoking programs and strategies:

Vardavas, C.I., Symvoulakis, E.K., Connolly, G.N., Patelarou, E., & Lionis, C. (2010). What defines an effective anti-tobacco TV advertisement? A pilot study among Greek adolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 7(1), 78-88.  FREE ARTICLE

• Researchers found that ads that were viewed by the adolescents as having a clear message, having  message that is important to them, and making them "stop and think," tended to be rated as being more effective. Advertisements that elicited emotions, such as fear, anger and sadness, also tended to be rated more effective. 

Rhodes, N. , Roskos-Ewoldsen, D., Eno, C.A. & Monahan, J.L. (2009). The content of cigarette counter-advertising: Are perceived functions of smoking addressed? Journal of Health Communication, 14(7), 658-673. FREE ARTICLE

• Researchers found that adolescents were the most common targets of the anti-smoking advertisements. Ads for younger audiences focused on the social image of smokers, negative influences of smoking on athletes, and attacking the tobacco industry. Researchers suggested that anti-smoking advertisements need to address what teens think are the benefits of smoking in order to be more effective.

Primack, B.A., Fine, D, Yang CK, Wickett D., & Zickmund S. (2009). Adolescents' impressions of antismoking media literacy education: Qualitative results from a randomized controlled trial. Health Educ Res, 24(4), 608-621.  FREE ARTICLE

• Researchers found that the media literacy anti-smoking program received positive ratings from the students. They concluded that, although anti-smoking media literacy programs seemed to be a good approach, introducing some components of more traditional approaches might increase the effectiveness of an anti-smoking program.

Whittaker, R. et al. (2008). A multimedia mobile phone-based youth smoking cessation intervention: Findings from content development and piloting studies. J Med Internet Res. 10(5), e49. FREE ARTICLE

• For 4 weeks, participants received 2 messages per day on their cell phones that included text messages, anti-tobacco video clips, and videos of role models talking about smoking and quitting. Of the participants, 9 actually quit smoking and said the program had helped them to do it.

Edwards, C., Oakes, W., & Bull, D. (2007). Out of the smokescreen II: Will an advertisement targeting the tobacco industry affect young people's perception of smoking in movies and their intention to smoke? Tob Control. 16(3), 177–181. FREE ARTICLE

• Researchers found that compared to participants that did not see the anti-smoking message, non-smokers that did see the message were more likely to see glamorous portrayals of smoking as “not OK”.

Farrelly, M.C., Niederdeppe, J., & Yarsevich, J. (2003). Youth tobacco prevention mass media campaigns: Past, present, and future directions. Tob Control, 12 Suppl 1,i35-47.  FREE ARTICLE

• Researchers found that mass media prevention campaigns can be effective, but that they are most likely to be effective when paired with school or community based programs.

Looking for more resources? This list of youth web sites offers links to state resources and organizations throughout the U.S.

Research Toolbox: AAP-Community Pediatrics

Have you seen the new AAP Division of Community-based Initiatives (DOCBI) website? The new design makes it easy to get to the many useful resources.

The AAP Division of Community-based Initiatives raises awareness of community pediatrics and supports pediatricians and child health professionals in developing a community perspective of pediatrics. This AAP division promotes understanding of the factors that affect child health and supports pediatricians and child health professionals to improve child health through the practice of community of pediatrics.

Their website offers a variety of resources, including health topics, webinars, and funding opportunities. The DOCBI also has a grant database, searchable by seven major categories: target population, health topic, state/territory, project activity, AAP program, AAP district, and project year.

You can subscribe to the Listserv to receive Community Pediatrics e-newsletters, program information and funding opportunities.

A Loss in the Field of Children and Media

This post was written by Dina L.G. Borzekowski, Ed.D. Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Gerald Lesser was a wonderful, kind soul, who touched the lives of children (and families) all over the world. He passed away on Sept 23, 2010.

So many people who work in the world of Children and Media were trained directly and indirectly by Gerry.  He taught the importance of merging education and entertainment.  Also, he greatly valued how research could help shape how media is produced and received by children and adolescents.  Gerry's work was imaginative and influential.

I was one of Gerry's last graduate students and feel incredibly lucky that I had him as a mentor, advisor, and friend. It is my hope that my own work can be a worthy tribute to his spirit. Lastly, I will try my best to use simple, declarative sentences.

>> Read Harvard's tribute article with an opportunity to comment on how Dr. Lesser influenced your own work

Research Toolbox: Bullying and Cyberbullying Resources

Here's a list of selected resources on bullying and cyberbullying for researchers, educators, and parents. You will find resources such as bullying curriculum, educational programs, hand-outs, organizations, research, and statistics.

Bullying Resources

• Bullying .org- This organization aims to prevent bullying in our society through education and awareness.It provides educational programs and resources to individuals, families, educational institutions and organizations. 

• Bullying is Not a Fact of Life by SAMSHA-National Mental Health Information Center-This page offers insightful information about bullying for parents and schools.

• Bullying Facts and Statistics  by SafeYouth.org -List of facts and statistics along with references. 
  

• Bullying- It’s Not OK by the Massachusetts Medical Society. Explains the concept of bullying and offers a list of tips.

• Eyes on Bullying- This organization offers information about bullying along with resources, websites, teleseminars and activities.

• Exploring the Nature and Prevention of Bullying by US Department of Education- This resources offers a quiz to explore the concepts about bullying and takes a deeper look into what the research says about questions such as "What Is Bullying?" "How Common Is Bullying?" and How 

• Highmark Healthy High 5-Bullying- List of organization and definitions, books and guidesDoes Bullying Differ Among Students?"

• The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence). This porgram is a universal intervention for the reduction and prevention of bully/victim problems. The main arena for the program is the school, and school staff has the primary responsibility for the introduction and implementation of the program.

• Stop Bullying Now- This Web site created especially for adults and kids. Here you’ll find resources about bullying awareness, prevention, and intervention.

Cyberbullying Resources

• Cyberbullying 2010: What the Research Tells Us by Pew Internet & American Life Project- An updated look at the research and definitions around bullying and cyberbullying

• Electronic Media and Youth Violence: A CDC Issue Brief for Educators and Caregivers (2008)
  This document was developed for educators and caregivers and summarizes what is known about young people and electronic aggression and discusses the implications of these findings for school staff, educational policy makers, and caregivers.

• i-SAFE- This non-profit foundation is dedicated to protecting the online experiences of youth everywhere. i-SAFE incorporates classroom curriculum with dynamic community outreach to empower students, teachers, parents, law enforcement, and concerned adults to make the Internet a safer place.

• Indicators of School Crime and Safety: Bullying and Cyberbullying 2009 by the National Center for Education Statistics- This report presents the most recent data available on school crime and student safety.

• IkeepSafe.org- This organization offers a variety of tools and resources for kids, parents and educators to empower them to teach children the safe and healthy use of technology and the Internet. Its educational resources teach children of all ages in a fun, age-appropriate way, the basic rules of Internet safety, ethics, and the healthy use of connected technologies.

• My secure cyberspace- An educational resource created by Carnegie Mellon University. Includes tips for dealing with cyberbullying online and in the classroom.

• National Crime Prevention Council: Cyberbullying- This sites has resources on internet safety, cyberbullying, and bullying prevention.

• Stop Cyberbullying - This site discusses cyberbullying ("when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted" usually by another child, preteen, or teen, via "the Internet, interactive and digital.

Research Toolbox: Upcoming Conferences

Save the dates! To help you keep track of relevant conferences and events, here is a list of upcoming conferences from around the world that may be of interest.

Conferences

• 9th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, June 29-July 2 2010, Chicago, IL

• American Academy of Pediatrics, October 2-5 2010, San Francisco, CA

• European Communication Research and Education Association, October 12-15 2010,
  Hamburg, Germany

• 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Paediatric Societies,  October 23 -26 2010, Copenhagen, Denmark

• National Communication Association, November 14-17 2010, San Francisco, CA

• Media and Learning 2010, November 25-26 2010, Brussels, Belgium

• Excellence in Paediatrics,  December 2-5 2010, London, UK
  

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Let us know if you know about any conference or event of interest that you would like us to post.

Research Toolbox: Children, Media, and Health Blogs

Blogs (short for web logs) are a great informal way to keep up with current research and news. Here's a list of blogs with a focus on children, media, parenting, and health.

• Annie's Fox Blog

This blog offers thoughts about teens, tweens, parenting and education.

• Ask The Mediatrician-Center on Media and Child Health, Children's Hospital Boston

Dr. Michael Rich answers questions about media and health and provides parents science-based answers and practical solutions that can help the children in your life use media in ways that can enrich their development.

• Crianças & Midia (Portuguese)

This blogger from Brazil offers an international focus on issues about children and youth, learning, education, and technology.

• Dads and Daughters

This is the spot for thoughts and reflections about the unique and powerful relationships between daughters and their fathers and stepfathers.

• iKeepSafe

This is the blog for the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, a broad partnership of governors and/or first spouses, attorneys general, public health and educational professionals, law enforcement, and industry leaders working together for the health and safety of youth online.  iKeepSafe® uses these unique partnerships to disseminate safety resources to families worldwide.

• NetFamilyNews

This blog covers issues such as online safety and privacy news and tools, new technologies and Web resources for kids and research about kids' use of digital media.

• Shaping Youth

This blog offers a forum to learn more about media and marketing's influence on kids.

• Thrive- Children's Hospital Boston

This blog is devoted to all things pediatric health care and scientific research. It offers perspectives from Children’s experts on the latest pediatric health news, the latest cutting-edge research impacting the health of kids and adults alike and videos about Children's patients and families.

• Young People's Media Network

This blog is full of information about youth media organizations and young people working in and with the media.

Research Toolbox: Upcoming Conferences

Save the dates! To help you keep track of relevant conferences and events, here is a list of upcoming conferences from around the world that may be of interest.

Conferences

• Children’s TV in the Arab World, University of Westminster, London, England, June 4, 2010.

• European Distance and e-learning Network- Media Inspiration for Learning, Valencia, Spain,
  June 9-12, 2010.

• Diverse 2010, Portland, Maine, July 6-8, 2010.

• 21st Century Media Literacy Summer Institute 2010, Ithaca, NY. July 12-16.

• Future and Reality of Gaming (F.R.O.G. 2010), 4th Vienna Games Conference. Vienna, Austria, September 24 -26.

• DIY Citizenship: Critical Making and Social Media, Toronto, Canada, 12-14 November, 2010. 

• Media Literacy Conference, London, England, November 19-20, 2010.

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Let us know if you know about any conference or event of interest that you would like us to post.

Someday Melissa: Making a Movie, Changing Lives

The power of media lies in the ability to engage people in a story and influence what they know and think about a particular issue.  When Judy Avrin lost her teen daughter, Melissa, to an eating disorder last year, she chose to use the power of media to tell her daughter's story to the world. 

Her documentary, Someday Melissa, recently received attention from the New York Times and The Today Show, and Judy is discovering that the work she is doing to honor her daughter is already changing lives. We asked Judy to write to us about her view on the power of media:

Someday...

I’ll eat breakfast.

I’ll keep a job for more than 3 weeks.

I’ll have a boyfriend for more than 10 days.

I’ll love someone.

I’ll travel wherever I want.

I’ll make my family proud.

I’ll make a movie that changes lives. 

When I found this writing in my daughter's journal after she died in 2009, I made the decision to go public that she died from an eating disorder. I began work on a documentary called Someday Melissa.  The recent media attention has resulted in an overwhelming response: hundreds of messages from around the world, thanking me for having the courage to speak out and bring eating disorders out of the shadows.  I’ve received messages that calls to helplines have increased, and that children have gone to their parents saying they didn’t really believe they could die and they need help.  

Never could I have imagined the power of media in helping others.  My sweet Melissa is changing lives with the media she dreamed of being part of.

If you are suffering with an eating disorder, or know somebody who is, there is help.  Reach out to the National Eating Disorder Association [NEDA] at http://nationaleatingdisorders.org, or call for assistance at 1-800-931-2237. 

Earth Day: Saving energy, recycling electronics, and environmental media for kids

In honor of Earth Day, we've put together a list of ways to encourage kids to explore the natural world, and we're "recycling" last year's fantastic resources for you:

• How can you use media to educate kids about the environment?
• How can you save energy with the media you use?
• How can you recycle those old TVs, phones and computers?