When Meanness is Cool--Talking With Kids About Bullying

answers and self-esteem. They watch these shows--sometimes with their parents who are applauding and cheering at the losers-- and see this behavior as accpetable.

Lack of Decent Teenage/Young Adult Role Models
Currently, teenage girls look up to Paris Hilton, Brittney Spears, and the women from Sex & the City. Some even aspire to be Hooter Girls (I just had a conversation with three 17 year old girls who will go to work for Hooters as their first job...not because of the money, but because of the attention). Girls today are hard pressed to find someone their age who isn't dressed in glamorous clothes or selling some beauty products. Even Hilary Duff, Disney's 21st-century answer to Annette Funnicello, who used to be quite wholesome, is now very fashion-conscious and looks-conscious. As for the boys, their role models are the rappers, MTV's Real World Jocks and other various sports/movie stars. Pickins are slim!

How Has the Media Helped or Hindered?

I feel the media has tried to help with its public service announcements and the Ad Council's The More You Know campaigns, however, I think the bad outweighs the good when it comes to media's influence over our children.

I see this new culture of meanness being portrayed on TV as one reason why kids are so mean to each other. Without their parents there to guide them in their social interactions with others, they only have the frame of reference these TV shows show them. Ashton Kutcher isn't out there saying not to "punk" or make fun of others because that's not a very decent thing to do, he's showing that it's OK to prank others and it'll get you a lot of attention. That can and more often than not leads to kids being on the receiving end of the pranks, who then feel inferior or picked-on, and without a strong parental connection, may become depressed and result to violence.

The copy cat aspect of Columbine only survived a short while afterwards. Although we have seen and heard of attempted shootings here and there, I do not think they were fueled by Columbine. The media's portrayal of violence in schools has not been a factor in school violence, I think it's the other way around...the TV shows like Boston Public and movies like 187 showing school violence are reflecting what is truly going on inside some inner-city schools already, due to the reasons listed above.

It's hard being a teenager and even harder being the parent of a teenager.

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