The LAMP » Families

Workshop: Family Video

The Lamp — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:24:51 +0000

Location: TBD in Brooklyn, hosted by Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment

Dates: October 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th; November 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th

Time: 3-6pm

Ages: Families of all ages

Cost: FREE!

The whole family comes together to make a video memory book! Shoot and edit a video of parents and children interviewing each other, sharing favorite memories and stories while creating a lasting record to be enjoyed now and forever.

Skills learned include:

Group collaboration
Exploring representations of family in commercial media
Using visuals, words and sound to create a family narrative
Video editing

To register, call us at 718-789-8170 or send us an email.

Waiting for Corporations to figure it out

The Lamp — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:54:37 +0000

Here in New York City, after a resolution passed by the City Board of Health in 2006, you will find the caloric count listed next to most of your favorite fast food items on the overhead menus. The idea is that as long as you’re aware that the Double Whopper you’re about to order is almost 800 calories (alone, not including the large order of fries and soda you’ll most likely pile on), you’ll make your decision to proceed with or without your purchase informed and knowledgeable. I’m a big proponent of this measure because I theorize that it will cause a shift in the marketplace, where companies start offering more healthy options to their patrons in order to maintain their customer base (and perhaps even grow it). I don’t see the measure as going far enough, but I understand – baby steps.

The Associated Press recently reported on a study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) that explains how few nutritional options the average parent has to choose from for their children when they eat out. The center found 93 percent of 1,474 possible choices at 13 restaurant chains they examined exceed 430 calorie, which is apparently the recommended per meal number of calories for children. I was shocked to learn that there was in fact a recommended amount – my parents sure weren’t trying to stick to a caloric maximum when they were insisting I clean my plate. In fact, our family rarely ate out at fast food joints and restaurants because my parents recognized the indulgence and the poor healthy options offered. Which leads me to my point. Is this report from the CSPI really necessary? How many parents honestly think a meal that consists of deep-fried chicken fingers, deep-fried french fries, or a fried-cheese sandwich swallowed down with a sugary soda or juice could be anything but unhealthy? Instead of waiting for corporations to make the products they offer healthier, parents need to take a more proactive role in their child’s nutritional well-being.

This falls right in line with the LAMP’s goal, bringing families together through their consumption of media in order to make it a healthy and robust relationship rather than waiting for the media companies to make that decision for them.

Photos from our Family Media Scavenger Hunt

The Lamp — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:14:50 +0000

On Saturday, July 12, the LAMP held its first Annual Family Media Scavenger Hunt in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Families gathered together to go on a hunt for media in their neighborhood, taking the time to think about and break down media messages they see every day. Many of our participants were surprised with what they saw when they stopped to look at their surroundings in a different way. Afterwards, the group enjoyed lunch, discussed their findings, and a raffle was drawn for some amazing prizes. Visit our flickr page to see photos of the fun!

Keeping Up With the Natives

Katherine — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:05:07 +0000

Terms I like to use to describe the differences between young people and their parents when it comes to the use of digital technology are sociological/anthropological metaphors that are now used every day. The term digital “native” describes young people who have grown up learning and using digital technology. It is innate to them. Their parents, however, a generation (or two sometimes) ahead of them, are digital “immigrants” because their exposure to digital communication came later in their lives, even if they are now comfortable using many digital technologies. It is not innate to them, and some aspects are still often perplexing (like constant instant messaging, multitasking with various media, and the like).

Like all metaphors, “native” and “immigrant” in this case molds a way of thinking about how today’s very young and older generations differ from each other in the ways they communicate — which has everything to do with how they develop relationships, relate to the world and even understand who they are. The metaphors have become commonly accepted among media scholars and others who study new media and young people. The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., just announced a lecture series on “Digital Natives” which I highly recommend because of the topics and the speakers. The first lecture will explore how young people think, learn and play. The title of the talk is “The Anthropology of Digital Natives” and will be delivered by scholar and child development expert Edith Ackerman, currently a visiting scientist at MIT. This lecture will be held Monday, April 7, at 4 pm.

Since many people can’t make it to the Library of Congress, the lecture will be streamed live at www.loc.gov (which is where I’ll be tuning in). I’ll be reminding you of all lectures as they near, but for a list of all the speakers, titles, dates and times, please visit http://www.loc.gov/kluge. This is an outstanding opportunity to hear from first rate scholars studying Internet communication and young people. And stay tuned for information about our own LAMP panel discussion about the Internet and young people coming up later this spring at a location here in New York City.

-Katherine Fry

Talking About Client 9 with Your Family & Students

The Lamp — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:00:35 +0000

Sensitive items appear in news media every day, from devastating natural disasters to horrendous acts of violence. As much as we might wish to shield our younger ones from some very adult issues, it is not always possible. In a week of news that has been dominated by Eliot Spitzer and his involvement with a prostitution ring, it’s a good time to think about how to talk with your kids.

With newspapers bearing headlines such as “Hooker Happy” and “Ho No!” being sold on every corner, lots of questions can come up in the mind of a kid. Ultimately, the most important thing is not to shun that conversation. Be an active listener. You don’t have to lie, but you don’t have to divulge every little detail if it’s not appropriate. Try to think of times like these as opportunities to get to know your son or daughter better, and to engage their sense of right and wrong.

For a great resource about talking with your kids about the news (and other things), check out PBS’s Talking With Kids series.

For examples of how some families discussed the Spitzer scandal, read this brief article from the New York Times.