Archive for June, 2011
The Smackdown on Common Sense: How the Anti-Bullying Movement is Hurting Itself
Children and teens know they can see anything WWE has ever broadcast on YouTube; through the WWE channel or in clips posted by individuals. WWE knows this and as a business strategy it makes perfect sense; i.e. look harmless while keeping the more degrading programming away from people who don’t understand how viewers find the content. At any rate, you may not agree with WWE’s and the Creative Coalition’s definition of “family friendly” after you watch this compilation from their 2010 Smackdown Bikini Contest:
Devil’s Advocacy: The NEA and WWE’s New Anti-Bullying Campaign
When I asked Nora Howley, manager of NEA’s HIN programs why they decided to work with WWE, her response was, “WWE wrestling is silly, scripted matches. And there’s no body of evidence that proves wrestling causes violence.” Ms. Howley is right; you can’t prove wrestling causes violence. Unfortunately, that fact entirely misses the point.
Rosalind in Houston Chronicle on Texting Safety
With the World Health Organization’s recently released study once more raising questions of the tenuous link between cell phones and brain cancer, the Houston Chronicle turned to Rosalind for information on cell phone dangers of a more common kind.
I Do Not Have Short-Term Memory Loss
If you have raised children in the last fifteen years, one of your family’s favorite books may have been Mo Willems’ hilarious book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. I haven’t read this book in a while but a conversation with my 10-year -old son brought it all back today when he asked if he could throw a piece of pottery he made in art class out a third story window.
Doing Good Is Complicated: Kind Campaign’s Partnership With Mattel
The Kind Campaign’s recently announced partnership with Mattel is an opportunity for any of us who advocate for children or any social cause to think about a difficult question; how do we collaborate with larger, more powerful organizations and corporations to get our message across?
