22
Jan
Showing Our Kids That Learning Is Cool – Scholar Ladies
Today I met with professors from George Mason University and Howard University about our Ancestry Education Project. The topic of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s latest report: Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds came up.
One of the key findings shows that Black and Hispanic youth consume significantly more media than White youth. “Substantial differences in media consumption emerge between White youth and Black or Hispanic youth, with the latter two groups consuming nearly 41/2 hours more media daily (13:00 of total media exposure for Hispanics, 12:59 for Blacks, and 8:36 for Whites). The difference between White and minority youth is largest for TV: Black youth spend an average of 2:18 more per day with TV than White youth.” (p. 37)
Now, we don’t need a study to tell us that the media our kids are consuming sends them very poor messages of who they are and what they can become. It’s alarming to now be told that our kids are spending ridiculous amounts of time engaged in media that feeds them negative images of self.
Then, I get back to my office and receive an email with a youtube video called “Scholar Ladies”. Thank goodness there are people out there who are using the power of the media to positively influence our kids. There is hope!
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