Teen Girls and the Media

An article in the September 22, 2008 issue of Time, "The Truth about Teen Girls: So you think they're having sex too soon and it's the media's fault. It's not that simple," discusses the interplay of media, girls' self-image, and what appears to be an increasingly younger girlhood sexiness (even if girls may or may not actually be having sex at a younger age). Celebrity teen pregnancy scandals, Massachusetts' Gloucester High School pregnancy pact among teen girls, the movie Juno, tv shows like The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Gossip Girl draw attention to the issue of early sexual activity and teen pregnancy. According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control in 2007, the rate of 15- to 19-year-old girls giving birth is increasing, and Longmont continues to have the highest teen birth rate in all of Boulder County, accounting for 60% of teen births in the county in 2002-2003.

What are parents to do? In regards to media, parents can help educate teenagers - especially girls - about media literacy and direct their girls to positive media, such as Girls, Inc. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evalute and produce a variety of media texts. In other words, media literacy is becoming an active viewer who understands the impact of media. PBS Parents recommends the following tips for helping teens to develop media literacy for TV and movies (more information about younger ages and other media can be found on the PBS Parents' website):

1. Talk to your teen about TV's "tricks of the trade." Point out patterns: laugh tracks and live audiences on half-hour sitcoms, themed subplots running through hour-long dramas, unrealistic elements in "reality" shows or a dominant point of view that drives documentaries. Rather than channel-surf during commercials, mute the sound and talk to your teen.

2. Find out if TV images affect your teen's self image. Popular culture can dictate what's cool and what it means to be accepted. Knowing this, talk to your teen about media messages. Start a conversation by asking your teen how she feels (Do you envy that character?), whether the show reflects her life (Do you know anyone who looks or acts like that?) and what she knows (Do you think that's really what happens in a trial?).

3. Help your teen question what he sees. By talking back to the TV when a show doesn't make sense or an ad makes unrealistic claims, your teen will learn not to accept what is portrayed on TV as the truth.

4. Talk to your teen about the links between content and ads. To grasp the economics of programming, get your teen in the habit of spotting product placement. Why do companies use TV shows to market their products? (to get viewers to link a brand with popular actors; to build brand awareness). You might ask about a certain ad: Who do you think is watching this show? What are the marketers trying to sell? How do you react emotionally to that ad?

5. Exercise remote control. When watching a movie at home, go back to certain scenes and pick them apart with your teen. Decide if the scene was important by hashing out questions like these: How did that scene develop the story? Did it set a mood? What did it reveal about the lead character?

6. Talk about how media coverage shapes our understanding of the world. Ask your teen how she knows what she knows about life in other countries. When watching a news report, pose questions about the story's images, "facts," quotes and "experts." Make connections between how a news story is put together, how it makes you and your teen think, and what it makes you both feel. Explain how bias can infect journalism. Urge your teen to find out more rather than believing what she hears from a single source.

For more information, check out the following websites:
National Association for Medial Literacy Education
PBS Parents
Project Literacy Among Youth (PLAY)