|
|||||
See LAMP students in action! Click the image above for a video about our first-ever summer program, LAMPcamp, and browse student work. |
| The LAMP is on: |
      |
| Quick Links |
Posts Tagged ‘Youth’
Give the gift of media literacy in 2010!
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
“Smart Choices” made easy? Indeed…
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Reese's Puffs, named one of the least nutritious but heavily marketed cereals
A few days ago, Yale University released the results of a study conducted around the television advertising of cereal to children. Also a few days ago, according to an editorial in this morning’s L.A. Times, the Food & Drug Administration made some noise about plans by the food industry to add “Smart Choices” labels to cereals and other foods which are high in sugar and other non-nutritious additives. On the one hand, I applaud the FDA for stepping up to protect consumers from misleading information, but on the other hand, I’m still furious it took this long. Really–the FDA is just noticing this now? For far too long, it has been too easy to slap a “Smart Choices” label on less-than-smart food.
Among the findings of the Yale study was research demonstrating that marketers in the cereal industry are pretty liberal with their health claims. For example, Lucky Charms, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Crisp and Reese’s Puffs average three or more health claims per box. A look at the Nutrition Facts box on Lucky Charms reveals that although it does provide several vitamins, it also contains a lot of sugar–14 grams per serving, and that’s a one cup/35 gram serving. And, that one serving fills 10% of the recommended daily intake of both carbohydrates and sodium. Perhaps I’m being cynical, but on top of this, I doubt that most kids eating Lucky Charms are only eating one cup.
Ok, so Lucky Charms is only advertising its strong points. That’s typical; if I wanted to sell a product I would also choose to accentuate the positive while downplaying the negative. But the real trap here is that most people see those few positive things, and forget to ask about the rest. In my opinion, the fact that Lucky Charms is 41% sugar outweighs the benefit of the calcium and vitamin D in it, since I can get my calcium and vitamin D in lots of other ways that don’t also require me to overload on refined sugar. Plus, research shows that fewer consumers under 30 years old are looking at nutrition labels.
The application of media literacy to this issue is clear. Consumers and children are not asking questions about how something is being marketed to them (why are all the kids cereals on the bottom shelf at the supermarket?), nor can they identify the constructed message which may not tell the whole truth up front. Like I said, I’m glad the FDA is doing something, and I hope the momentum continues. Better late than never.
–Emily Long
Mega-City Hero
Friday, May 8th, 2009
Last night, Executive Director D.C. Vito and I attended the demonstration of an exciting new video game, Mega-City Hero, created by a nonprofit organization called The Ten Project. Aimed for kids who are roughly ten years old, the game was created on the premise that today’s youth will be building tomorrow’s cities, and that the innate creativity and imagination of young people can be harnessed for urban planning solutions. Each player chooses one “mega-city” in which to play; a few choices are New York City, Lagos, Jakarta, Shanghai and Mumbai. Once the city is selected, that player is sent on a mission, which is decided upon by a real-life expert in architectural or urban planning.
One example of a mission was, “How can fisherman only catch the kind of fish that they can sell?” The player on this mission would then work to solve the problem, perhaps by designing a new kind of fishing net, or by going out to talk to fishermen about the obstacles that keep them being more profitable while also sustainable. The player would then create a design using the game’s platform, and that design would be shared with the expert, who could potentially put the ideas into practice. Players earn points for missions, and can also work in “tribes” to collaborate on a mission–for example, a player who has chosen to play in Mexico City but who actually lives in India might do well to partner with someone with someone in Mexico. As players gain more points, they move up on the leadership board, and have the opportunity to win sponsor prizes. The difficulty also increases with the more missions players accept.
The director of The Ten Project is John Tattersall, who also administered the demo. He has filmed 16 seasons of “Survivor,” been nominated seven times for an Emmy in cinematography, worked with various philanthropic organizations throughout the world, having visited 90 countries and lived in 18. He certainly has a great idea with Mega-City Hero, and hopes that it will be an after-school program in urban and rural schools all over the world. I personally love the empowerment it brings to young people to have an impact on their world, and the interaction between players and professionals who can use some of that creativity to work on problems in their city. I love that the kid in India and the kid in Mexico can work together and share ideas about how urban problems are solved or viewed differently in each of their countries. When we at The LAMP talk about working with teachers to integrate and explore new media in their classrooms, this is the sort of thing we’re talking about.
My concern is the territory of need that may prove an obstacle to the game being a success. In particular, I wonder about access. The teacher sitting next to me was saying how she loved the game but wasn’t sure if her students would be able to participate, because the game is Web-based and her school doesn’t have a decent Internet connection. In addition to needing the Internet connection, players also benefit from having access to things like digital cameras that they can use to present and share their ideas, and interact with each other across the globe. There is also the issue of how media literate the children and teachers are in a certain area. Low-income schools and communities may be able to get computers with government grants or philanthropic support, but the machines are useless if they are not also provided with the media literacy that is necessary for them to be productive, responsible citizens of the digital world. In his presentation, Mr. Tattersall spoke about wanting to engage squatter communities and slums with the game, but I’m not sure yet about how they would be able to do that without expensive equipment.
To be fair, Mega-City Hero is not going to solve all the problems of the world, nor does it intend to–I don’t think it was created to address or solve the issue of access or poverty. In order to have the greatest impact with the broadest spectrum of players worldwide, Mega-City Hero will need to incorporate organizations like The LAMP, One Laptop Per Child, Kiva and many, many more doing similar work in their countries. Truly, this is a project of gigantic proportions, and I think it is an incredible opportunity for young people to make a positive change and consider the impact they have on the world around them. Because it is so large, it will move in baby steps at first in relation to the scope of the vision Mr. Tattersall described for us last night. Yet they will nonetheless be giant steps to a world of empowerment, creativity, understanding and growth.
–Emily Long
E-Learning
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
In a recent post, Claire Cain Miller of the New York Times writes about a new website called DreamBox Learning that helps teach children math through a series of interactive games. Using technology inspired by Amazon.com’s feature that generates suggestions based on a user’s previous purchase and searches, DreamBox tailors the lessons to each individual student’s skills and progress.
While the program itself is certainly worthy of note and discussion, Miller also makes another really interesting point that addresses the overall idea of “e-learning.” “Education,” she writes, “is one area that Internet has not yet transformed.”
The Internet has some amazing capabilities as a learning tool, but many educators have largely ignored its potential. In fact, schools tend to go in the opposite direction, limiting students’ access to computers or imposing time constraints. Certainly schools are justified in some of these restrictions that promote healthy online experiences, but the resistance educators have to employ new and innovative educational online programs and tools in the classroom indicates that they are not eager to explore this new terrain.
However, by refocusing our approach to the Internet in schools, we might find, as DreamBox has, that e-learning creates both a thus-far untapped market for developers and a new, interactive method of teaching our students.
I want my MTV–and Plan B!
Friday, January 9th, 2009
MTV.com is running banner ads on its website for Plan B, a.k.a. the “morning-after pill,” but some parents and advocacy groups object. As quoted in an AdAge article on the issue, one parent remarked, “For MTV to run this ad is irresponsible. There are some kids — girls and boys — who aren’t quite ready to understand all this. Between that and the way the advertising for Plan B makes it sound like you can make a mistake and have a do-over, it’s irresponsible.” Part of the issue is that, according to visitor demographics, a significant portion of mtv.com users fall below the required age of eighteen years for purchasing Plan B: %4 of the site’s visitors are between three and eleven years old, and 27% are between twelve and seventeen.
As of now, mtv.com is currently running ads and online content for shows such as “A Double Shot At Love With The Ikki Twins,” “Bromance,” “The Hills” and any number of music videos that are highly sexualized. So, wait–your kid is on mtv.com and you’re worried that they’re seeing an ad about Plan B? What about the depictions of casual sex, the objectification of women, drugs and alcohol, body image and relationships?
I am completely aware of the heated debate around sex education, early termination of pregnancies and abortion. I respect viewpoints on all sides. No matter what you as a parent believe about these issues, understand that your kids are already getting a plethora of mixed messages about sex from the media. Maybe you’re not ready to have “the talk,” but there is another kind of talk you cannot delay, and that is about what your kids are seeing and doing online, what television shows they watch, the movies they see, the video games they play, etc. I consider myself a fairly well-educated person, but even I am confused when a Plan B banner ad is running above a clip of the scantily clad Ikki Twins licking frosting off their suitors. Again–you think the ad is the only thing wrong with this picture?
Kids as Super-Consumers: Creepy!
Friday, December 19th, 2008
I highly recommend a video called Consuming Kids which has just been released by the Media Education Foundation. You can see a 5-minute trailer by clicking here.
We know kids are attracted to television commercials, and are, for the most part, impressed by catchy ad messages, wherever and whenever these ads catch their attention. I see the attraction in my own children, though I try my best to point out to them the flaws in the messages every chance I get. As a result, my 10 year-old has become a bit cynical. Good for him.
What most people may not know is the lengths to which marketers go to shape children into consumers – even going so far in their “research” as to visit the homes of these malleable little spenders, talking to them about what they eat, what they wear, and what they like to do, all in the interest of figuring out the best way to sell to them. The marketers also get the wee friends involved, since it’s best for marketing practitioners to witness kiddie group think. The worst part is that not only do the marketers talk at length, and intensely, with these burgeoning consumers, they also just sit and watch them—with the video camera running. As one critic featured in Consuming Kids aptly explained, it’s just absolutely creepy!
The video is a must-watch for parents. It reminds me of a kiddie version of “cool hunting,” a practice explained in the PBS documentary Merchants of Cool, where marketers penetrate the minds of urban youth trendsetters, looking for ideas to steal so they can brand their sodas, sneakers and other products using techniques that continuously associate those products with the latest, hippest trends.
The irony is that it’s just so uncool to shape children into consumers. I realize it’s been happening for a long time, and that it’s virtually impossible to steer clear from it. After all, how did we get into this financial mess in the first place? But thank goodness for a video like Consuming Kids, which lays it out there–cynical marketers, cutesy advertising, the resulting eternally dissatisfied children slathered in advertising–all of it.
Truth be told, kids need to watch this, too. I’ll get my 10-year-old to sit down and watch. Maybe we’ll get a viral anti-marketing thing going at his school, for the kids and the parents.
–Katherine Fry
2009 Toy of the Year Nominations
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
The Toy Industry Association has announced the nominees for 2009 Toy of the Year. And since it’s the holidays, we thought we’d look at the toys in the Educational and Electronic toy categories to help you make smart gift choices this year–and of course we wanted to see which ones are incorporating media! You can view the entire list of nominees here.
EDUCATIONAL TOY OF THE YEAR
Computer Cool School by Fisher Price: This kid-friendly keyboard attaches to your home computer, and includes a CD-ROM which needs to be installed (one time only) before the games begin. Kids can use the special keyboard to navigate the program and do activities related to math, science, reading, art, vocabulary and more–all while learning the basics of using a computer.
Idbids Eco-Friendly Starter Kit by Idbids: The Idbid characters consist of Scott the Cloud, Lola the Flower or Waverly the Water Drop. Each kit uses one of the characters to teach kids about the environment, including a storybook, Field Guide of small things kids can do to make a difference, and an online rewards program where kids get a certificate for completing their Field Guide mission.
TAG Reading System by Leapfrog: This pen-like device is used concurrently with a selection of over 20 books. As the pen touches the page, it “reads” the words on the page, providing audio as they learn to read. The pen has different settings which can be used for different reading levels.
Zillions Touchscreen ATM by Summit Products: This fancy piggy bank replicates an actual ATM to help kids learn about withdrawing money, saving money and how to count money.
V-Motion Active Learning System by Vtech: A wireless gaming console that works with your television for your kids to play learning and developmental games with characters like Scooby-Doo, Thomas the Tank Engine, WALL-E and others.
Discovery Kids Smart Animals Scanopedia by Jakks Pacific: A wand scans a barcode on Smart Animal figures to give more information about the animal, like what sound they make, what they eat, etc. The wand can also be used with the provided poster for more activities.
EyeClops Bionicam by Jakks: This is essentially a microscope. Kids look at specimens with the camera, save them to the camera’s flash drive, and can look at them more closely on the computer or share with friends online.
ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT TOY OF THE YEAR
Ultimate WALL-E Programmable Remote Control Robot by Disney: Based on the movie, this robot interacts with you to play music, dance and talk to you, all by using a remote control.
Imaginext Spike, the Ultra Dinosaur by Fisher-Price: Use a remote control to make Spike walk, stand, blink and more.
Fur Real Friends Biscuit My Lovin’ Pup by Hasbro: Looks like a dog, and responds to your voice to perform tricks and play.
U-Dance by Tiger Electronics: This is a wireless mat-free dancing game. Players have motion-sensor detectors, and use their movements to control the game. Kids dance to songs, or simulate running on a treadmill for a workout.
KidiJamz Studio by Vtech: The keyboard acts a mixing station, allowing kids to record and create their own songs. Kids can use their voice, preprogrammed songs and sound effects as well.
RS Tri-bot by WowWee: A robot friend who dances, runs, tells jokes and stories.
Residency with P.S. 107
Thursday, September 25th, 2008
Location: P.S. 107, Brooklyn
Times: Mornings
Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays from September 16 through October 30
Ages: 3rd grade
This fall, the LAMP is in residency with P.S. 107, exploring news and reporting with third graders. In the workshops held twice a week for six weeks, students will explore the news and how it is made, exploring what makes news, where it comes from, how it is made, how it changes in print and digital formats, the use of text and pictures to tell a story, and more. Students will also work hands-on in creating their own news stories, conducting interviews, writing and researching stories, while also creating and editing photography and video footage.
If you are interested in having the LAMP at your school, we would love to speak with you. We can design curricula tailored to your needs and interests. Please call us at 718-789-8170 or send us an email.
