Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Weblinks, Media

Where the Girls Aren't: in Kids' Films

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:07:43 -0500

The "G" in family movie ratings clearly doesn't stand for "girl-power." Researchers at the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Southern California studied 101 kids' flicks and found that male roles predominate: three of four characters are male, and fewer than one in three of speaking roles overall belongs to a female. There's evidence that exposure to television is a "significant and positive" predictor of sex role acceptance and attitudes among children and adults. The study was study sponsored by the nonprofit Dads and Daughters and its See Jane program.

Better Health through...Video Games?

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 15:30:32 -0600

Here�s some good news about technology�s impact on kids. While traditional video games are among the culprits behind an increasingly inactive lifestyle for children, a new type of video game is actually helping kids become more physically active.

The Porn Standard: Keeping Kids Safe Online

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 15:26:46 -0600

Third Way , a progressive strategy center, has issued a report detailing the extent to which the Internet pornography industry influences children�s lives, and the steps parents, policymakers, the porn industry, and others can take to prevent harm to children. Among the facts the group cites: the largest group of consumers of Internet pornography are youth 12-17 years of age.

Sex on TV: More Sex, Less Safety since 1998

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 15:24:01 -0600

About 70 percent of all network television shows contain some sexual content, showing an average of five sexual scenes per hour, and the number of scenes containing such content has increased 96 percent since 1998. The rate of references to safer sex issues is down slightly from 2002, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation report.

Public Comment Period: FTC-Proposed Changes to Children's Online Privacy Act

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 15:26:31 -0500

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is proposing changes to the �verifiable parental permission� component of the Children�s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires parental approval before commercial Web sites can gather and use information on children under 13. The changes permanently allow e-mail plus parental notification (right now a temporary measure)—making it easier for companies meet their COPPA requirements, but potentially leaving children and parents in the dark. The FTC is seeking public comments, which must be filed by February 14.

The Future of the First Amendment

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 13:56:55 -0600

How important is a free press to a democracy anyway? Only about half of America's high school students think newspapers should be allowed to run stories without government approval. In a study funded by the Knight Foundation, researchers at the University of Connecticut questioned more than 100,000 high school students, nearly 8,000 teachers, and more than 500 administrators and principals. Nearly three-fourths of high school students either do not know how they feel about the First Amendment or admit they take it for granted, and more than one-third of students surveyed say the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees. The more students study the First Amendment, use news media in the classroom, and are involved in student journalism, the greater their appreciation of First Amendment rights.

Children Now says FCC Chairperson Should Make Protection of Children a

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 15:27:05 -0500

In the wake of Michael Powell's resignation, Children Now of California called on President Bush to appoint a new Federal Communications Committee (FCC) chairperson who will make protecting children's interests a top priority. Among the issues the new chair will face are determining whether digital broadcasters will be allowed to target children with interactive advertisements and collect personal

The Revised FCC Children's Television Rules

Mon, 31 Jan 2005 09:14:06 -0600

In exchange for use of the public airwaves, the Children's Television
Act of 1990 required that each television licensee offer programming to
serve the "educational and informational needs" of children. In the
years since, the FCC has clarified and added rules. The November 2004
revisions include changes to the "three-hour rule" that requires
stations to air three hours of specifically designed educational and

Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children

Wed, 19 Jan 2005 14:29:24 -0600

Many health care professionals and consumer activists are calling for greater government oversight of food advertising to kids. On January 5, 2005, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) released new Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children � aimed at food manufacturers, broadcasters, restaurants, movie studios, and schools. Unlike the food industry's self-imposed guidelines, CSPI proposes basic nutritional thresholds to determine which foods should be marketed to kids.

Technology and Evaluation Research

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:49:46 -0500

The fall 2004 issue of "The Evaluation Exchange" explores the contribution of technology to evaluation practice, including a special feature on how youth programs are using media and video production

Online Game for Girls Eschews Fashion

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 07:10:11 -0600

While most games for girls focus on fashion and beauty, Girls Inc., says its TeamUp game is a fun and educational game that encourages teamwork, exploration and spatial logic.

More Pictures, More Stories

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 14:29:55 -0600

Lynne Bernay-Roman's students work hard to put together visual elements and text in ways that explore their feelings about the world around them. How are they doing? You be the judge -- we've gathered some more images from the Finding Focus Through Photography classes into this slide show.

This is Your Brain on ... TV?

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 14:31:08 -0600

This article in Pediatrics, "Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in Children," examines the first-ever study linking early television watching with later attention and concentration problems. Researchers from the University of Washington found that, for children age 3 and younger, every hour of television they watched led to a 10-percent increase in the likelihood of attention problems at age 7. Even before their first birthday, kids watch more than 2 hours of television a day.

The Money Trap

Tue, 07 Dec 2004 17:19:22 -0600

Developed as a financial education tool the Annie E. Casey Foundation documentary video, The Money Trap, highlights common financial predicaments that ensnare unwary, low-income consumers.

Toddler-Proof Your Computer

Wed, 05 Jan 2005 20:39:45 -0600

These tips from Sound Feelings show simple steps to prepare your computer for you toddler or young child while giving kids an opportunity to develop computer literacy.