This weeks reading resources discuss the issue of sexaualization and the the affects the media play on that. According to Levin and Kilbourne, children are bombarded from a very early age with graphic messages about sexiness from the media (2009). As a mother to 2 young girls I constantly check what my girls are watching and exposed to from the media. Its unfortunate but many of the shoes on Disney channel (which my 7 year old loves) are infiltrated with sexually graphic messages. From flirting to actual kissing.
As an educator and mom I believe watching what children are exposed to is important. I believe it will be hard as educators to take away all the negative exposure children endure from various media outlets. I think opening up the dialogue and talking to children about it can be helpful. I feel sexualization in ECE has not been a big topic but as it becomes more apparent and evident in media outlets I believe it will be a topic that must be addressed.
Resources
Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1–8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf
Shayla,
ReplyDeleteToddlers and Tiaras is unreal. I watch bits and pieces of that show and see pictures of these little girls and I wonder why parents do this to them. They are dressed way beyond their age and they are taught to act sexy and I think to myself why. Children should be allowed to be children and grow-up at their own pace. I believe parents are just as much to blame than the media.
Shayla I have wathed a little of the Toddlers and Tiara show . I was appauld aat how grown these innocent children looked in the show. My niece is a judge for pagnants and I have had many of conversations with her about how the girls look in these pagnants. I think that in our society their are many parents who are pushing their children to grow up too fast.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is close to impossible to undo the sexual messages that children are receiving, so this is why it is so important to be willing to dialogue openly with children. Young children do not know the difference between fantasy and reality, and take in media messages as part of who they themselves are. That is why it is so important to impress upon children that what they see happening on movies and on tv is not realistic for children of a young age. That adult situations are reserved for adults only.
ReplyDelete