Chezney

[clfrench05-blog]

Youth-culture

The world around us is deeply affected by the youth. When talking and learning about youth culture, we have to acknowledge the history they have in our country and other many countries. Teenagers were not something that existed, the youth culture as ignored and treated as adults or either children. There was no in between, when the world needed them they became relevant. Youth culture has never been understood and I don’t believe it ever will be. We see in history all of these different minorities, groups, cultures and etc. have been stigmatized by society and misunderstood. Youth culture is something that was never accepted, so they went to extreme measures to be accepted. We see this with African American’s and Latino’s involvement in gang-life, the Zoot suitors, African American girl’s with double-dutch, Cuban kids resulting to punk rock and so on. With them not being accepted by society, they find acceptance elsewhere and are named as deviant and criminals. Youth culture is all about reaching out, testing the limits and finding themselves. With that being said, people don’t know how to handle or react to these situations. So then parents, elders and officials start talking crisis. Gang activity can be seen as a crisis, but double-dutching, punk rock music and being gay cannot. My mind-map shows the connections from youth culture being misunderstood to it becoming a crisis’s, with then leads to them acting out even more. Unfortunately youth culture is misunderstood, it will always be. Until we are able to accept them into societies as who they want to be, they are going to find acceptance elsewhere.  

Mind map Link-

https://bubbl.us/?h=2b9fe8/57f7b9/28ODVCrstHLq2&r=22324260

[awesomeelegantdetectivebouq-blog]

The movie “Mean Girls (2004)” is about a girl named Cady Heron, who has been home-schooled by her zoologist parents and has lived the first fifteen years of her life in a jungle in Africa. At the age of sixteen, with knowing the survival rules she has learned so far by living with the wild animals, she is all set to experience a new page in her life- high school life in the United States. At her high school, Cady meets two teenager, Damian and Janis who suggest her to stay away from “The Plastics”, a clique of A-list, mean, beautiful and famous girls in the high-school, which is led by Regina George. Gretchen and Karen follow Regina in the clique. Regina, Gretchen and Karen show interest in Cady and accept her in their group. Things go well until Cady falls in love with Regina’s ex-boyfriend, Aaron Samuels. After Regina gets to know about it, she plans to take revenge of Cady by persuading Aaron to get back into relationship with her. Cady gets upset by Regina’s actions and she along with Damian and Janis plan to bring down Regina’s status by cutting off her resources. The movie ends with an awesome note that everyone is good and perfect in their own ways. It doesn’t have to be ideal as depicted by the society.

The movie starts with Cady’s nervous parents dropping her at her first day of high-school. I think at the start of the movie itself a glance of current youth culture is showed though I feel it is exaggerated. The teenagers are shown chilling out before the class, talking to each other, making fun of other peers, etc. When a guy enters the classroom, he is kissed by his girl-friend. Then, when the teacher comes, Cady bumps into her by mistake splitting teacher’s coffee on her. When teacher tries to remove off her sweater, her shirt is stuck to her sweater and students see her bra. As we have talked about the media’s influence on youths, by showing this youths do get affected and they assume that this is the real high-school life. This makes them look down upon and in turn disrespect their teachers. Then, in health class, a guy teacher warns students to not have sex and if they have sex they will get pregnant and die. Ok if we keep the humor apart, when young people are watching this movie, they do grasp a different and not always true type of view. Ya it’s true that having unsafe sex can impregnate a girl, but, a girl doesn’t die after getting pregnant. I think what the teacher is trying to tell is correct, but, the way of telling it to students is inappropriate. Even though Cady is really good in math, to get Aaron’s attention, she does bad on her math tests. I really like when the math teacher tells Cady that getting good grades is more important than having a boy-friend at this age.

The movie is a perfect example including the historical stereotypes about girls we learnt in the documentary “Miss Representation”. As in the documentary, the movie shows that girls are all about their looks, the way they represent themselves in the society, their attractive bodies, their weights, they bitch about eachother and they being sex-objects. It depicts a typical girls’ world by emphasizing on “The Plastics” clique. To be accepted in the society (here high-school), girls are forced to think about and follow the ideal image of a woman pictured by the society. In this movie, the ideal woman is Regina who has a perfect body and is the Queen bee of the high-school. Boys are attracted to her. I think these conventional stereotypes about women discourage them to value their own intellectuals over their looks and physiques. The movie shows that girls (Regina and Cady) fight with and plan revenges against each other for a boy. They are mean to each other. If media keeps on depositing these stereotypes in the society, it will take so long for women to gain gender equality and respect in our society.

Also, as we have gone through some articles about African-American and Latino people, I would like to point out some related instances from the movie. A couple of times, only black people are associated with Africa. When Cady tells Regina that she came to the US from Africa, she is questioned by Karen that how she can be from Africa as she is white. I came across this racial stereotype in the movie.

The last thing I want to mention is how the people you hang out with affect your behaviors and actions. I had talked about this in my Disney movie analysis of Oliver & Company. In the Disney movie, the kitten initially hangs out with dogs, who are engaged in criminal acts, and then, he himself unknowingly gets into criminal acts. In “Mean Girls”, when Cady hangs out most of the time with “The Plastics” girls, she begins to become one of them. We tend to behave or think like the group of people we are with. Also, teenage is the age when kids are most likely to get into bad things as they still don’t have a good understanding of the real world and they get persuaded easily. This is the age when peer pressure has a huge impact on them.

[clfrench05-blog]

I liked your points about the movie and relating them to stereotypes, behaviors  and actions. Though in this movie i also believe it’s worthwhile to point out Cady wanted to fit in. We see this all time in schools, people and youth wanting to be apart of the cool kid group. Cady even went to extreme measures to fit in, when it was just supposed to be a joke and prank. About halfway through the movie we see that it might not be a joke, or prank  anymore, she wanted to take over the cool kids group.  Relating to our class, it’s all about youth’s wanting to fit in and feel accepted somewhere. Cady was accepted by her “real friends”, but that wasn’t enough she wanted Regina’s crew to accept her. Eventually making her want to be Regina and take over her crew. 

[miguelyouthculture]

Final Feature Film Review - High School Musical

High School Musical is an extremely corny and saccharine portrayal of two high school kids (who look like they are in their 20′s) who fall in love and try to discover their identities. Troy, the high school basketball star, and Gabriella, the nerd, break out of the mold and encourage other kids to ”break free” and not “stick to the status quo.” They are met with opposition by their judgmental peers, and constantly sabotaged by the schemes of Sharpay, the most popular thespian in East High.

Troy’s and Gabriella’s drifting away from social rules in order to express themselves is a theme that is prevalent in the readings about youth culture that we have discussed. “Frikis” in Cuba deliberately disobeyed societal rules about American fashion and music, to the point that they would inject themselves with the HIV virus in order to be sent to sanitariums, where they were free to express themselves. During Hitler’s rule, Edelweiss pirates waged war against Hitler’s youth. When they couldn’t identify with white culture or the cultures of their parents, zoot suiters created their own. These groups actively tried to deviate from a society that was trying to dictate their identities. Similarly, Troy and Gabriella deviate from East High’s rigid social rules and “cliques” by expressing their passion for music. Other students from different cliques follow suit; a high school jock reveals his love for baking, a “nerd” expresses her love for dancing and hip-hop, and a skater admits his passion for cello.

The students of East High responds to this self-expression with rejection. These deviants are told by their peers to “stick to what they know” in order to be accepted. Mess with the status quo, and you’re instantly “not cool.” These students are compartmentalized into categories based on their appearance, interests, or the people they hang out with. It’s unheard of for a jock to be interested in baking or singing, it’s unheard of for a “nerd” to be interested in hip-hop or break-dancing. A similar kind of stereotyping is discussed in Miss Representation. This is the idea that it is “unnatural” for women to strive for what society thinks are masculine pursuits: success and leadership. This idea extends to the toys traditionally given to young children: girls get dollhouses and Barbies, boys get submarines and action figures.

On another note, one thing I noticed about the film is the fact that most of these high school students look like they’re in their 20s. And well, that’s because a majority of them were. I remember being a high school freshman and being frustrated with myself for not looking as “developed” as the high school “kids” portrayed in media. I can imagine that other kids experience the same insecurity. Teen girls and boys are pressured to physically “grow up.” When the media throws out an image of what teens “should” look like, it will probably cause insecurity in kids who don’t fit that description. This might lead to body dysmorphic and eating disorders.

[clfrench05-blog]

I think the High School Musical series is a good movie when talking about youth’s finding their identities and crises. Gabriela is a math and science student, who was expected to go really far. While Troy was the star basketball player. When their parents found out about their relationship and new found love and interest with singing, it was a crisis. Even their friends plotted to end their singing careers and relationships. Sharpe even sung a song about the status-quo in the lunch room because, Troy and Gabriela were going against it. In the first movie and part of the second, nobody accepted them. They were finding their true identities and who they wanted to be and yet, everyone treated it like a crisis. Is that really a crisis? A basketball player wanting to be in a musical...No! This relates to our project on crisis and what they mean to society now.

[clfrench05-blog]

Tre, Ricky & dough-boy

Boyz in the hood is a classic for African American youth. Most likely because, they can relate all to much to the situations these three best friends went through.  It follows the story of Tre, Ricky and Dough-boy as they go through L.A’s tough streets as teenagers. 

 Tre is sent to live with his father in tough South Central Los Angeles. The movie follows three boys as they go through the rough life of the hood. Tre has a father who instilled good values, morals and attempted to lead him down the right path. Tre’s friends Dough-boy and Ricky don’t have the same kind of support and are drawn into the neighborhood’s drug and gang culture, resulting with tragic outcomes. With the crips and bloods at their peak rival in the neighborhood the friends are deeply effected. Dough-boy eventually joins the gang, was shot and is now is a wheel chair. While Ricky had a son and scholarship to USC to play football. When their best friend Dough-boy gets into an argument with the rival gang the result was Ricky being shot and killed along with his dreams of making it out of the hood. Vowing to get revenge for their friends death Tre and Dough-boy get extremely involved with gang life as the movie progresses. Dough-boy eventually is murdered because of gang retaliation and Tre leaves the gang with the intention to attend Morehouse college. The story follows three beat friends as they struggle to survive in the rough hood and gang life of L.A. Unfortunately their story is the true reality for many youths in America. 

Gang life in cities like New York, Detroit, Chicago and L.A create a sense of acceptance and power for youth.Not receiving these things from society they are resorting to the gang life. As seen in the movie everyday is a constant battle with money, drugs, respect and acceptance. Walking down the street to the corner store could be the end of your life any day. Walking down the wrong block or simply wearing the wrong color could even result in your death. The three best friends in Boyz in the hood were just trying to survive. They grew up together, went through the hood together and two dies together. Unfortunately this is a reality for many kids, not just a good film.

The image of youth culture that this film creates and portrays is the typical negative picture people have. These three kids were involved with crime, violence and gang activity. Unfortunately, for minorities that’s the picture many people paint when they see them or talk about them. So they were being true to the stereotypes that were attached to their race and lifestyle. Relating to the class, the movie supports the sections on youth trying to fit in somewhere because they aren’t accepted other places. We seen this in so many different cultures and we have studied a lot of them this semester. Tre, Ricky and Dough-boy depended on each other, unfortunately they selected to gang life for acceptance and reassurance. It goes as far as getting retaliation for their “brothers” the rival gang killed. Their gang was like family, it was strong bond that could not be broken.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4sKiGkzKJo

[clfrench05-blog]

“Study explores link between medical marijuana ads and youth behavior”

Youth behavior in reality is something that changes constantly. Youth’s are often seen as deviant, no matter what they do. This article linked ads causing youth to engage in smoking pot.  Studying more than 8,000 Southern California middle school students, researchers found that youth who reported seeing any ads for medical marijuana were twice as likely as peers who reported never seeing an ad to have used marijuana or report higher intentions to use the drug in the future. This is the first study to link pot ads and youth behavior. Medical use for the drug is often advertised, so the youth are seeing it more than more. The correlation of them seeing the ad’s and wanting to smoke more just ads to the pressure they are already faced with. Since so much of the youth are smoking today, youth are constantly surround by it one way or another.  "As prohibitions on marijuana ease and sales of marijuana become more visible, it's important to think about how we need to change the way we talk to young people about the risks posed by the drug," said Elizabeth D'Amico, lead author of the students. The researchers collected data from 8,214 students enrolled in 6th, 7th and 8th grade during 2010 and 2011. The students were asked each year about their exposure to medical marijuana advertising, marijuana use and their intentions about whether to use marijuana in the future. During the first survey, 22 percent of the students reported seeing at least one advertisement for medical marijuana over the past three months. The rate jumped to 30 percent the following year. With the increase of these ads, youth’s are becoming more curious about the drug. It’s going to lead to youth behavior becoming more deviant as they continue to be curious and eventually use it. Smoking pot is already a culture norm in a lot of communities for youth. Still illegal in many states it’s just another reason why youth’s are seen as deviant. This reveals that youth culture is driven and influenced to be so deviant. 

[clfrench05-blog]

Latino and African American Youth

In “Dummy Smart”, Victor Rios studies Black and Latino youth. Rios figured out that these two youths were creating their own social capitals. Resulting from poverty, and lack of basics needs the boys received their respect in numerous ways. Often they resulted to criminal activity to just prove a point that there are in control and respected. Growing up in poverty stricken areas they were denied the means to be successful in the capital and social markets of school and the work force. Often criminalized and seen as deviant, their idea of professional behavior did not correlate with mainstream ideas. So when the youth intended to do good and the right thing, it was almost never recognized and seen as deviant behavior. “The developed their own alternative to social and capital culture, which they used to survive property, persists in a violent and sociology punitive ecology, prevent violence, avoid incarceration and attempt to fit into mainstream institutions.” All they were trying to accomplish was gain respect from society and in social institutions. Though seen as criminals, the minorities craved a sense of equality and dignity. They satisfied these cravings through violence and theft. Minorities are being conditioning that the only option is violence and that they will alway be seen as minorities and deviant to society. Not fitting into a system, they searched for alternative ways to gain respect and acceptance. We see this throughout history with so many minorities that this happens often. People are resulting to extreme measures to fit into society. Just as the Salvadorian youth did with hang violence, the Latino and Black youth are doing here, what the Zoot suitors did with their clothing and so many more. We are seeing patterns in these behaviors, instead of resulting to criminalizing these youths why don't we observe the common factors. Something is wrong with society is such thing are happening in multiple cultures just to be accepted. In societies were youths are wanted and respected they are doing what they can to create their own form of dignity and acceptance in their communities. While doing so they deemed as delinquent, criminals and such by the people who aren't accepting them and granting them basic things. It's so unfortunate because they aren't being accepted and they take matters into their own hands and then they are distanced and unaccepted even more.

[clfrench05-blog]

Miss Representation

The documentary, “Miss representation” is all about when is it going to be enough? The youth are doing things to be and accepted and to fit in and it’s never enough. The idea of beauty is so extreme young kids are developing eating disorders, harming themselves and trying to achieve this impossible idea of beauty. Young men are judging these girls off of the unrealistic standards that the girls are trying to accomplish. “The media is shaping our child’s mind.” The media has been conditioning child’s minds their entire lives. Those images are impacting children everyday. From a very young age, girls are taught what’s most important is how they look, while boys are taught it’s about how girls look. On average women in the U.S spend 12,000$ trying to accomplish the unrealistic standards of society. Self-objectification is becoming a big problem. Not only are men seeing women as objects, women are seeing themselves as merely tools as well. Women’s objectification is something that society says is acceptable. The media is sending girls messages that their only value lies in their bodies. It’s holding women back from higher positions and positions of power. In media women are always taught to be insecure. Their insecurities are seen as they try to become this image that society creates for them. If we think about children movies all the women had the same theme, looking for love or a man. It’s never about their agency, we may see movies where we think it’s about their autonomy. But as the documentary said, as we begin to peel layers back we see the true intentions of the characters played by women. Their are women in higher positions, CEO’s and positions that don’t involve sex for success. But the problem is we aren’t seeing that. We aren’t seeing that in any type of the media. We are teaching young girls this is what they should amount to be. Throughout any type of mass media we seen women portrayed as sex objects, they are “body props”. We’re socializing boys that being a man means being powerful, smarter than women and in control. I believe the documentary shines necessary light on so many issues about gender, the work force, success and most of media. But I'm questionable of it's going to help. People need to watch more things like this so they can question their own lives and how it's effected by media. Media starts conditioning children at such a young age, it's almost impossible to get away from. From their first Disney movie they are talking messages that don't positively prepare them for their future. The media is a strong tool and we have to watch bs unit ourself or we will continue to be salves to it.

[clfrench05-blog]

Salvadorian Youth..

Fools Banished from the Kingdom: Remapping Geographies of Gang Violence between the Americas (Los Angeles and San Salvador), by Elana Zilberg explores struggles of Salvadorian youth and their urban experiences. Zilberg argues that, “cities such as Los Angeles and San Salvador emerge as crucial spaces for the appearance of radically unfamiliar and new identities.” The cities play a role by meditating between local, national, and global is obvious in deportation. For the Salvadorian youth, it’s on the streets on the barrios that the United States is most, “effectively policing the boundaries of its nation state.” The article goes on, to talk about the sequel of Rodney King’s beating that happened in the middle of the immigrant neighborhood. The police scandal paralyzed the body and wrongly imprisoned an undocumented Central-American immigrant and member of the 18th St. gang. One of the officer’s agreed to cooperate and admitted a level of corrupt activity. Officers engaged in “bank robberies, drug deals, and organized prostitution rings”. The officers were also accused of hurting and killing unarmed gang members and planting guns and drugs on their victims. During this time period LAPD were targeting undocumented, gang members. Many strategies were combined to change immigration laws and in result the Illegal Immigration Reform and Individual Responsibility Act of 1996 came about. The act resulted in the deportation of many El Salvadorians, mostly ones involved in immigrant gang youth. The immigration policies o this time had a zero-tolerance for gang activity and therefore deported several Salvadorians from Los Angeles, back to El Salvador. With that happening Zilberg forms an argument that it did not decrease the immigration and gang activity problem, it increased it…if anything. Zilberg goes on to interview several people of the community finding out they had no connections to their home county. The Salvadorian youth connected more to the culture of here their migrated to, verse their country they come from Joining gangs was something they did. As immigrants they already had disadvantages in social institutions. If gang activity and membership the only way these immigrant youths can fit in and feel accepted, why wouldn’t they join and participate? We see behavior like this in all minorities, ethnicities and cultures. Maybe it’s American culture that’s the problem. If people were able to fit and be accepted would things like this exist to the extent they currently are at?

[clfrench05-blog]

Double-Dutch

The article, "Dancin in the Street to a Black Girl's Beat", by Gaunt discusses the transition of double-dutch from a street sport of dance, freedom and expression to a sport of competitiveness. Double-Dutch is a sport when typically a girl, or girls jump two roles at the same time with the combination of singing, yelling, stomping, clapping and dancing. The whole point of the game is to keep the beat and go as fast as you can. African American girls in larger cities such as Chicago and New York used double-dutch to express themselves verbally, physically and emotionally. African American girls has double-dutch and African American boys had breakdancing. When the sport became competitive it became something else. It was a sport with many rules and limited expressions. Relating Guants article to the podcast on Cuban Youth, Cuban youth often used music, punk rock to express themselves.

In the mid seventies double-dutch became known as restricted and a feminine competitive sport. Musicking was banned and it was the form of expression they used Like the Cubans youth form of expression through punk rock music, African American girls weren’t able to express theirselves through their form of expression either. The podcast and article about youth expressing theirselves through different forms of expression. When the street game became a competitive sport the street version became a nuisance. “Street play became a nuisance as cars, buses and trolleys began to occupy urban streets”. The double-dutchers fought back and began to include those forms of transportation into their game.

Girls wanted and needed a sport that wasn’t a “hand-me-down from men.” Double-Dutch allowed girls to not feel second-class in something. Their are feminine sports like women’s basketball, but it was always a masculine sport first. Girls has something to call their own, African American girls at that. Many aspects of music making in everyday culture among blacks are either overlooked, misinterpreted or “ruled out” from being musical and respectable.

[arielc88-blog]

Child Consumers

Children learn from an early age how to be consumers. They even learn about consumers and advertising in schools. Children learn to be consumers from numerous sources such as their parents, teacher and peers, and of course through the media that they encounter on a daily basis.

One of the first places children learn to be consumers is from their parents. This occurs in numerous ways. First, children grow up watching their parents shopping even if it is just grocery shopping. They may even see parents looking through the Sunday paper and cutting out coupons in order to get the best deal on paper towels. By observing their parents, children hopefully learn to be wise consumers. Another way many children learn to be consumers is through allowance. Many children either are given or earn an allowance which is in turn their own to spend as they wish. Parents can also use their children’s desire to be a consumer as a way of teaching them responsibility. When I was about 8, I wanted a pair of roller blades. My parents were not about to spend the money on the roller blades and have me use them for a week and then be done with as often happens with kids. My parents created a chore chart that had to be completed for a few weeks in order for me to be able to get the coveted roller blades. Because I wanted the roller blades so badly, I did all the chores and earned the money to buy them. It filled me with a sense of accomplishment and a desire to continue purchase what I wanted.

School also teaches children to be consumers in numerous ways. Children and youth are taught in different ways how to be consumers, and the “how to” grows in sophistication as children get older. Many elementary classrooms have a system where students can earn tokens or “money” through their accomplishments in the classroom. At the end of the week, students are then given the opportunity to “purchase” something from the school store as a reward. This concept is similar to allowance from parents. Many middle school students also do some kind of project that requires them to understand the concepts behind advertising. They learn different techniques and then must employ these techniques to either convince the teacher or other classmates to buy their product. Though this is role reversal of actually consuming, this unit is still focused on consuming. In high school, there is a class called consumer education where students are literally taught how to be consumers. They learn to fill out checks, balance check books, manage a budget and many other things that are important to know in order to be a smart consumer.

Another way school teaches children to be consumers is through students’ interactions with each other. At school, students come face to face with their peers who are wearing certain brands or who have a specific kind of pencil pouch or a specific type of pen. The majority of adolescents desire to fit in with the main stream crowd and one way to do so is by dressing like their peers. For example, all the boys that played on the basketball team and others all wear the Nike Elite basketball socks and slides. There must be something really special about those dashes on the back of the socks because any boy that wants to be considered an athlete must have these socks, especially if you’re on the basketball team.

One of the strongest influences of children as consumers is the media and its portrayal of American youth culture. Children can’t turn on the tv without being bombarded by advertisements geared directly towards them. One way that advertisers exploit American youth culture into creating young consumers is through the use of celebrity endorsement of products. One such product is Proactiv. Of course many teenagers get acne and can be incredibly self-conscious about it. But here’s Adam Levine, voted one of America’s sexiest men, telling us he used to have acne but he used Proactiv and now he’s #flawless. This certainly teaches adolescents to become consumers, and to conform to society’s idea of beauty.

[amstyouthculture]

These are fantastic examples, Ariel!  Although I’m so glad that you mentioned getting an allowance (since no one else did!? Do kids not do chores for money anymore!?) as a pathway to learning that as an adult have to work to pay for the things you want, I’m particularly excited that you mentioned how schools offer the “school store” as a reward for A-earning students.  I distinctly remember getting the chance to purchase small goodies from this store, begging my parents for money for the “bookstore” which barely sells books, and having to sell candy for school fundraisers in order to win the pizza party.  You clearly know the inner workings of school consumerist spirit, Ariel.

[clfrench05-blog]

I liked your point about allowance, I mentioned something about this as well in my original post. I think for youth allowance can start at a variety of ages. I was getting an allowance as early as third grade from helping my mom loading the dishwater. I received this allowance and became a consumer. Children are receiving these allowances and money and being consumers at early ages. Even if it's me going to the gas station and spending my allowance on a piece of candy and donut. At my high school we did have a class called consumer education though, I think it's a good idea to teach high school youth how to be a smart consumers and manage their money. If we think about it, high school is an important time to reach the youth to become smart consumers, they are getting their first jobs and preparing to go off to school on their own. I do agree the media is the strongest influence on youth consumerism. Since children are constantly in contact with televisions, phones, iPads and other electronics they have access to so many advertisements. You can't watch a t.v show or download an app on your phone without seeing ad's that pertain to the youth today.

[darrenamst201-blog]

Raising Consumers

Parents often times give kids toys to play, the very same toys that shows up in commercials on television.  After a few iterations of this, the kids would start wanting the new toys they see on television, and sometimes the parents will give in to this.  This will slowly accumulate into the kids wanting more and more things.

From my experience of school, school itself often does not turn kids into consumers, but the environment that exists within schools do.  Schools is a congregation of kids.  And kids often share their experiences, ideas, and toys with each other.  This creates environment where if something is perceived to be “cool”, many kids would want to have it.  Likewise those without won’t be cool.  Certain items or brands within the school would be used to gain status for the kids that own those items.

This is more of a new thing, but more and more now a lot of games (especially on mobile) rely on micro transactions (basically you pay a little bit of money at a time in the game to gain in game bonuses but after a while it becomes a lot).  Combine this with the new acceptance of letting your kids play with phones and you end up with kids spending fortunes on some stupid mobile game.

I think kids had always been consumers in a sense.  It’s just that with the introduction of modern media, this fact became extremely obvious.  I think kids will continue to be consumers and be influenced by modern media, but I don’t think this is a completely detrimental thing.  Done in moderation it should allow kids to enjoy the modern era without overspending.

[clfrench05-blog]

I didn't even think about the media's influence on youth and consumerism. Especially with toy advertisements. I don't how many times I've watched television with kids and they all say, "I want that". It becomes a routine for kids to learn to be consumers through the media. When parents buy the things they are wanting from the ads it's conditioning them to think they will receive everything they want from the ads. The mobile games was also extremely relevant. Working at an elementary scoop everyday I see kids with cell phones. They aren't texting or calling people, but engaging in these apps and games that are micro transitions. Kids are becoming consumers and they don't even know. They are playing these games land every level purchasing more items or points to keep playing.

[clfrench05-blog]

Children and Consumerism

Growing up my parents taught me how to be a consumer. We would go out to eat, on vacations and to all of these places constantly to spend money. I would even do chores around the house to receive money, to then go spend it on things. When I reached my older years of grade school, about third grade what items I had shaped how my peers seen me. At this age, I begin asking for specific items and gifts that I needed, so I became a consumer myself. I began seeing what other people had and thinking that I too needed those items. As middle school came around, it only became worse and I needed more and more items to fit in. When I entered high school, I went to an all white private school so I stuck out. During the year I spent there I believe my peers taught me to be a consumer and definitely influenced my process on becoming one. I wanted everything that everybody had. So I got a job and started buying everything. When I go my first job at sixteen, like many of my peers, I reached my peak in consumerism. I was gaining freedom, learning to be adult and spending my money, how I wanted to. I would see something at the store or on television that I wanted and I would go but it. I didn't need to ask my parents permission or for money anymore. A culture norm that conditions youths to be consumers is, what we have will influence our lives in every social institution we go through while measuring our level of successful with what we have. Going through these social institutions like work, family, school and so on are greatly impacted by consumerism. In school, if we aren’t having and buying the latest items we aren’t “cool”. At work if we aren’t dressing nicely and buying all of the items we are “unprofessional”. This process and effect that consumerism has never ends. It impacts youths because, what we have measures the level of success. We see high paid jobs with expensive cars, homes and clothes. While we see somebody driving down the street in a Benz we automatically assume they are success and associate success with them, because of what they have. My Dad drives a big truck. It’s nothing special and not a Benz, BMW or hundred-thousand dollar car. When seeing my Dad in public and driving his car, nobody thinks he is as successful as he is. He doesn’t wear the latest or cleanest shoes and he still uses his iPhone four. But my Dad owns five restaurants and has a Masters degree, he is success. But by the standards of consumerism…he is not because success is measured by appearance, while appearance is influenced by consumerism.

[clfrench05-blog]

Mulan

I decided to analyze my favorite movie of all time Mulan. To this day I still watch Mulan constantly. Traditionally Disney movies are teaching kids lessons and how to be a normal American like Sammons article discussed. Mulan took a different route and although it’s my favorite movie its lesson aren’t ones children should be watching. The first part of the movie is all about Mulan becoming the “perfect” bride, which is a traditional gender role, and finding love. She goes through all these stages to become perfect so a man will chose her! In the beginning of the film she is insubordinate and a misfit because she did not qualify as a “typical Chinese beauty”. In many ways Disney sets Mulan up with an opportunity to be different but they always make her have negative consequences. It’s sending the message to young girl, that if they decide to be different their life will be extremely hard. Mulan’s life was hard because she didn’t want to search for a husband and because, she wanted to fight for her father.

Mulan was a disappointment to her family because, everyone thought she would never find a man to marry. Her father was unhealthy and aging when he was drafted for the Chinese military. Fearful for her father’s well-bring and life, Mulan disguises herself as a women and takes his place and heads to war! Mulan was a girl living in a patriarchal regime where women were not allowed to serve and it as a serious crime to do so. Her guardian angel, the dragon, Mushu, went along with her on her journey as she attempted to fool everyone. Mulan was hurt saving The Captain’s life and needed medical attention when, they found she was a women. She fought with the Army while saving China for the Hun invasion. While doing so she fell in love with The Captain who in the end proposed. But more importantly a women saved the Chinese emperor and became a hero!

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Disney and the American child

The “Making A Manageable Child”, in an article by Sammond that explains and relates the Disney movie, Pinocchio to the depression era and success of American children. He discusses and agues the attempt to make a “normal American” and how Disney movie would influence their children to be one. Apparently Disney movies provided a backpack for of tools that were necessary for children to have to become successful. Not only did these tool provide success, they ensured parents their children would be obeying, manageable, protestant Americans.  “As progressive era social reformers appealed for support, they invoked an ideal childhood in which poor children would assimilate”. Parents were gauging their children’s progress from the “bodies and behaviors of White, middle class children.” Social scientists were conducting research on children that were White and middle class. Parents, but most of all children were being pressured to meet the standards of being a “normal American child.” They published their findings, hoping parents would read about their outcomes and adapt their way of measuring their child’s Americanization process. While progressive reformers were arguing that in American culture every child should be raised on the baseline of protestant, middle class virtues. Native children had the fear of being de-Americanized, while poor and immigrant children were being Americanized to be the “normal American child.” Americanization was becoming something so intense and serious, which was attempted through children’s movies. Children’s toys, books, movies and much more was were influencing and shaping them into this “normal American child.” It was a time of providing an environment and things that consistently imbued proper virtues such as hard work and gratification and Disney did that.  

[clfrench05-blog]

Thomas the train

I decided to research a toy that was made in China, Thomas The Trains. China is the biggest toy exporter in the world, nearly 75% of all the world's toys are made in the country. The retail price of one high-quality toy in the western market is often more than six months' salary for a Chinese toy factory worker (1). That alone tells you about the conditions Chinese toy makers are working in. Often the factory workers are forced to work about 120 extra hours a month unpaid, while they are already making about 240$ a month. Many labor unions have formed allegations and law suits against the poor conditions and pay the workers are receiving.  American toys are being made in China because it’s saving money although, China has had several toys recalled for safety reasons in the past.

The process of the toys getting from China is very complex. With children’s toys there are a lot rules and regulations (2). Toy Safety Regulations are often regulated by frameworks or directives, such as CPSIA in the United States and the Toy Safety Directive (EN 71) in the European Union (2). They have a lot of labeling requirements and even more testing requirements before they can be shipped. It’s always up to the importer to ensure compliance, not the supplier, so the United States is at fault for not meeting the regulations. Toy safety issues have made the headlines on a frequent basis in the last few years. In 2011, a report from IPEN and Greenpeace claimed that one third of the toys sold in China, contained excessive amounts of lead and other heavy metals (2). That is why there are very strict guidelines when shipping toys. Especially since the products are for children, safety is all of the countries main concerns.

Thomas the trains are one of the many that are manufactured in China and in these conditions. They have been recalled numerous times for lead in the paint. The toy trains and railroad pieces are made directly for RC2 at plants it oversees in China, presumably giving it some control over the quality and safety of the toys made there (3). Most of the Chinese workers just paint the trains and do not actually put them together. Thomas the trains are extremely popular for children throughout the United States. 

1.    http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/12/chinese-factory-workers-and-toys-they.html

2.    http://www.chinaimportal.com/blog/guide-to-importing-toys-from-china/

3.    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/19/business/worldbusiness/19toys.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

�

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Youth’s in Crisis...LGBT

I decided to focus on the LGBT community for many reasons. One the new law passed legalizing gay marriage recently. Two, I have experience with my family considering my cousin’s coming out stage as a crisis. Finally, it’s something that effects youth a lot in terms of depression and suicides. I think youths have to types of crisis they go through. The ones parent’s see as an emergency and they try to “fix” them and the kinds where parents are completely oblivious to the fact that their child needs help and is struggling everyday with life. Unfortunately a youth dealing with the unfortunate consequences of being a part of the LGBT community sometimes have unacceptable parents.

My cousin B came out to our family in eighth grade at Christmas, she wanted to make a scene! I remember all of my families reactions a lot of them were relived she told us, some already knew and a few were disappointed. Her parents and our grandfather were a part of The Kingdom and Jehovah Witness religion. Immediately Brooklyn’s decision about her sexuality became a crisis. She was sent to The Kingdom, Bible studies, church camps and all of the above to literally “fix” her. Long story short B developed depression and her parents didn’t acknowledge it or notice. B became much unconnected with our family which was rare with our family, we were all very close. Our sophomore year of High School she overdosed and almost died. B came to live with my family and still currently does and does not speak to her parents. Just because B was different and didn’t fit into the boxes society has predetermined for us she as seen as a crisis. B’s problem wasn’t a crisis, of course she might have a rough road ahead with the choice she made but it wasn’t a crisis.

I believe that crisis’s do happen to youth today. I also believe the definition of crisis is over used and abused when talking about youth’s. A crisis is hard to define because everybody and our historical context define and see them differently. In my opinion a youth being part of an LGBT community is NOT a crisis. The struggles, discrimination and hatred a youth will go through BECAUSE they are a part of the LGBT MAY cause crisis, such as depression, suicide, bullying and etc. But the initial decision to be a part of the community is not the problem. I think that’s parent’s problems when defining and attempting to understand crisis. They see crisis as something that THEY don’t understand, like, or agree with while fail to realize the real crisis is what comes after that. Even my dramatic parents thought I had a crisis in High School. All I wanted was to be able to do the same thing my friends did. I started disobeying their rules, I snuck to get my nose pierced and several other minor things (lol) and you would of thought by their reactions and punishments that I was on murder trial!

Ultimately children aren’t in crisis a lot of times. Parents are over dramatizing choices they don’t approve of and see as deviant. Crises are being a teen mom, involved in a gang, attempting suicide, running away and so on. Having selfie obsessions, being gay, a little over weight or adventurous is not a crisis!

[amstyouthculture]

What a great personal anecdote, Chezney!  I’m so glad you shared it in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling which will, undoubtedly, shape a generation of youths encountering emerging adulthood today.  You very astutely unpack how the idea of a crisis is completely contextual.  If you were to look back on this episode in your family’s history 100 years from now as an historian, what do you think the experiences and reactions and ultimate resolution reflected about our current historical context?

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I think the reactions would be completely different. If we’re thinking of these topics in a historical context of about 100 years ago, the crises would be very dramatized and a hundred times worse. For example being homosexual a 100 years ago wasn’t acceptable. It’s something that’s not even completely a. Lets me in today’s society. So I think 100 years ago it would have been seen as a crisis. The ultimate resolution I think would be very cruel, inhuman was things. I've read about societies different approaches to a homosexual person and it always near death things. For example, draining their blood to drain the evil (them being gay) out of them. So youth deciding to be gay 100 years ago would be a crisis.

[clfrench05-blog]

Youth’s in Crisis...LGBT

I decided to focus on the LGBT community for many reasons. One the new law passed legalizing gay marriage recently. Two, I have experience with my family considering my cousin’s coming out stage as a crisis. Finally, it’s something that effects youth a lot in terms of depression and suicides. I think youths have to types of crisis they go through. The ones parent’s see as an emergency and they try to “fix” them and the kinds where parents are completely oblivious to the fact that their child needs help and is struggling everyday with life. Unfortunately a youth dealing with the unfortunate consequences of being a part of the LGBT community sometimes have unacceptable parents.

My cousin B came out to our family in eighth grade at Christmas, she wanted to make a scene! I remember all of my families reactions a lot of them were relived she told us, some already knew and a few were disappointed. Her parents and our grandfather were a part of The Kingdom and Jehovah Witness religion. Immediately Brooklyn’s decision about her sexuality became a crisis. She was sent to The Kingdom, Bible studies, church camps and all of the above to literally “fix” her. Long story short B developed depression and her parents didn’t acknowledge it or notice. B became much unconnected with our family which was rare with our family, we were all very close. Our sophomore year of High School she overdosed and almost died. B came to live with my family and still currently does and does not speak to her parents. Just because B was different and didn’t fit into the boxes society has predetermined for us she as seen as a crisis. B’s problem wasn’t a crisis, of course she might have a rough road ahead with the choice she made but it wasn’t a crisis.

I believe that crisis’s do happen to youth today. I also believe the definition of crisis is over used and abused when talking about youth’s. A crisis is hard to define because everybody and our historical context define and see them differently. In my opinion a youth being part of an LGBT community is NOT a crisis. The struggles, discrimination and hatred a youth will go through BECAUSE they are a part of the LGBT MAY cause crisis, such as depression, suicide, bullying and etc. But the initial decision to be a part of the community is not the problem. I think that’s parent’s problems when defining and attempting to understand crisis. They see crisis as something that THEY don’t understand, like, or agree with while fail to realize the real crisis is what comes after that. Even my dramatic parents thought I had a crisis in High School. All I wanted was to be able to do the same thing my friends did. I started disobeying their rules, I snuck to get my nose pierced and several other minor things (lol) and you would of thought by their reactions and punishments that I was on murder trial!

Ultimately children aren’t in crisis a lot of times. Parents are over dramatizing choices they don’t approve of and see as deviant. Crises are being a teen mom, involved in a gang, attempting suicide, running away and so on. Having selfie obsessions, being gay, a little over weight or adventurous is not a crisis!