Sexualized Media Messages and Our Children: Teaching Kids to Be Smart Critics and Consumers

(Hardback)

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Description

This provocative book takes a look at children's consumption of sexualized media messages while providing parents, teachers, and professionals with strategies for abating their influence. In this eye-opening book, experienced child psychologist Jennifer W. Shewmaker contends that the manner in which a child is raised influences how they respond to media messages, particularly those shaded by sexual overtones. This text takes a hard look at the impact of advertisements, products, and entertainment on a child's psyche and offers strategies for helping kids become critical, active media consumers. Drawing from research in a wide variety of disciplines, this book explores the interpersonal factors within children's lives that impact how they learn to process sexualized media messages. The book argues that an increase in marketing to children along with media-based fabrications of beauty, masculinity, and femininity impact the confidence and character of young children who are often greatly affected by what they see and hear. The author shares invaluable tips for promoting strengths in children and adolescents of both genders and presents the protective influence of communities to help children dismiss distorted media images.

Reviews

Using the ideas and suggestions in this book, both individuals and groups of children could be helped to become sophisticated reactors to powerful media influences that focus on their potential as sexual objects. The book is clearly written, and the chapters are well referenced with research literature in the field. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals, and general readers. * Choice *
(Shewmaker) successfully demonstrates the impact of sexualized media on children and how parents and professionals can teach children to be media critics . . . clearly written, well-supported and engaging . . . this eye-opening book contributes a well-researched, practical solution to a major problem affecting children and adolescents, as well as a call to action by parents and professionals. * Journal for Youth and Adolescence *

Author Bio

Jennifer W. Shewmaker, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology at Abilene Christian University and is a nationally certified school psychologist.