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Guest Post: Geena Davis Speaks Out About Girls In The Media

We’re thrilled to have a guest post from Ms. Twixt, an expert on all things tween. She attended an event about how girls and women are portrayed in the media, and the facts are surprising and, frankly, a little depressing, considering the impression girls get of their own worth from an early age. True, there are a few examples of “girl power” movies and TV shows that get it right, but they’re the minority. Ms. Twixt explains below…

To contact Ms. Twixt, email her at mstwixt @ gmail.com.

Guest Post: Geena Davis Speaks Out About Girls In The Media

Academy Award-winning actresss Geena Davis is famous for portraying strong (both physically and emotionally) women on screen. When she became a mom, however, she was struck by the utter dearth of positive, active, and central role models for girls in movies and on television. She founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in the Media (GDIGM) to conduct research on the issue and advocate for change in the industry. Georgetown University’s McDonogh Business School hosted an event on this topic, and we had the chance to ask Ms. Davis a few questions.

GDIGM did a comprehensive survey on the roles girls and women have in film and television. They looked at everything from the amount of screen time, how many girls and women are included in stories, their costumes, the number of lines they had, how they were or were not stereotyped, and more. The organization also looked at the number of women in professional positions in the industry — that is, those behind the cameras. The results of these studies, especially those on family programming, were disturbing:

• Women and girls account for less than a third of the characters in family films. Despite public perception that this has changed (oft-cited are films like “Mulan” and “Tangled,” and shows like “iCarly” and “Hannah Montana”), this figure is the same as it was in 1946. Surprised? We were too.
• Research shows that there is a direct correlation between more women working behind the camera and women having more screen time and accounting for a higher number of characters (even background characters). But the number of professionals in the industry who occupy the key roles of director, producer, and writer are going down.
• In G-rated films, 80.5% of all working characters are male, but in reality, women comprise 50% of the workforce. Why are we shown a 1950′s version of the world in 2011?

Why does this matter, especially to tween girls and their parents? Because:

• Even though females comprise 50% of the U.S. population, our daughters see that men outnumber women 3-to-1 on screen. Inexplicably, only 17% of group or crowd scenes are female. As Ms. Davis said yesterday, “So if we’re 51% of the population but only 17% of the crowd, where did we all go?”
• This research means that “family entertainment” isn’t the safe haven parents think it is. Female characters are hyper-sexualized, especially when animated, and are only present as eye-candy in the majority of shows. As Ms. Davis put it in one of our favorite quotes from the event, “The way they’re drawn, there’s no room for a spinal column.”
• “Coraline” is often held up as an example of a strong female lead role, but Hollywood weakened her. In the book from which the film is based, Coraline saves herself, but in the film, a boy character is added, and — surprise surprise — he saves her. Really??
• Other research GDIGM cites finds that girls who are exposed to more media have the feeling that they are fewer choices in life, and that, on average, the more media boys watch the more sexist their outlook.

GDIGM will update their research next in 2015. Let’s all hope that the results show improvement.

About Ms. Twixt

In real life MsTwixt leads the digital strategy group at a local consulting firm and, prior to the Great Recession, owned Twixt, DC’s “Best Kids Clothing Store” as voted by local parents. She writes under this pen name in a likely fruitless attempt to avoid further drama with her own tween daughters. She authors an active blog on tween lifestyle at www.MsTwixt.com, regularly invokes the wrath of mommy bloggers at Technorati, and occasionally contributes to YPulse.

Source:

http://www.ypulse.com/guest-post-geena-davis-speaks-out-about-girls-in-the-media

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Ypulse Essentials: Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day Of Play, Demi Lovato’s Comeback, New Facebook Buttons

Turn off the TV and head outdoors this Saturday for Nickelodeon’s Annual Day of Play (an international event that encourages kids and parents to be active. While technology can positively influence kids, Nickelodeon also wants to promote a healthy lifestyle where children play games and experience good ol’ fashion fun! Nickelodeon’s programming and website will go dark for three hours to encourage this behavior. Although the event will take place everywhere, the official Day of Play will be held in DC with Michelle Obama and 20+ Nickelodeon stars. WebKinz, the leading children’s virtual world, will also turn off its site to support the effort) (NY Times)

Source: ypulse.com

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Back-To-School: Students Are Excited, Make Shopping Decisions

Most students are back in school by now, and despite the stereotype that students dread the end of summer freedom, students most commonly say they’re excited to be back in class, according to a Ypulse back-to-school survey.

College students (66%) are more excited than high schoolers (52%), which might be a reflection of students’ relative sense of freedom during school. College students have more autonomy in determining their class schedule and most live in dorms or apartments during the school year, whereas high schoolers are more likely to have rigid schedules and parents checking up to make sure they did their homework.

Despite their excitement, students are also anxious. Again, this applies to college students (51%) more than high schoolers (44%). College students will find themselves in classes full of students they’ve never met and teachers they don’t know much about. Also, with each semester they get one step closer to the “real world” and a challenging job market. No wonder they’re anxious!

High schoolers are much more likely than collegians to be scared (17% vs. 12%) and sad (26% vs. 9%) about school starting. Those who are sad are no doubt mourning their summers of freedom; high schoolers are less likely than college students to take classes or have jobs during the summer. Those who are scared to go back to school may be facing an entirely different issue…bullying. While it is a year-round issue for students thanks to the Internet and social media, dealing with bullies face-to-face, in front of other students is much more difficult.

The best part of school is friendships; high school students most commonly say seeing friends is the best thing about being back in class (56%). For college students, taking new classes tops the list (41%), followed closely by seeing friends (39%). While students are excited to get new clothes and technology for class, few cite those things as the best aspects of back-to-school season; only 5% say tech is top and a mere 4% name clothes.

Students have a significant role in back-to-school shopping; 76% claim they are the primary decision makers. As expected, college students (82%) are more likely than high school students (49%) to be the decision makers, but an additional 39% of high schoolers say they share the decision making and make at least half of their back-to-school purchases. Only 12% of high school students and less than 1% of college students say someone else makes most of the purchase decision.

The research presented here is from an initial back-to-school survey conducted by Ypulse. Stay tuned to Ypulse Research for the more on the full report in a few weeks.

Source:http://www.ypulse.com/back-to-school-students-are-excited-make-shopping-decisions

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Tweens And Teens On The Back-To-School Shopping Scene

Today we have an exclusive ethnographic study on the back-to-school shopping scene, highlighting how retailers and marketers are reaching Millennials as they get ready for another school year. I, a Millennial myself, braved department stores, mass merchandisers, national chain stores, and office supply stores this past Friday to see who was shopping, what they were stocking up on, and what brought them into the stores during Labor Day weekend. Read on to find out the scoop…

As I walked through two malls, catchy, colorful signs called to shoppers promising affordable prices on back-to-school products. But despite the steep discounts, there weren’t nearly as many shoppers out as I anticipated, especially considering students are shopping later and later each year hoping for the best deals. The malls and office supply stores were moderately busy, but not as much as one might expect for Labor Day weekend. Moreover, big box stores like Target and Kohls, room décor stores such as Bed, Bath & Beyond and The Container Store, and free-standing retailers like Old Navy were relatively empty in comparison when I visited. Granted most college students have already left for school, but the low turnout during what’s known to be a big shopping time means Millennials aren’t spending as much this year or they’re mostly focused on the essentials.

Tween and teen girls — who were the majority of shoppers — tended to shop for shoes, jeans, technology, and, of course, school supplies. They were mostly accompanied by their moms, presumably the ones making the purchases and hoping to take advantage of the special promotions. That’s not to say guys weren’t doing BTS shopping, but there were far fewer guys than girls, probably because boys didn’t want to deal with crowded stores and are more likely to shop online.

Sales are one of the best ways to get shoppers in the door and clothes off the shelves, but today’s tweens, teens, and twenty-somethings want more than just “unbeatable deals”: they want shopping to be a social and exciting experience. Sure they appreciate the low prices, but they also want stores to have engaging incentives and interactive features.

Millennials seemed most interested in the stores that let them “play with products.” Tween and teen girls filled group-friendly stores — ones that girls can go to when they want to socialize and shop. Stores like Claire’s, DELiA*s, Forever 21, and Sephora were filled with such customers, since these stores offer trendy, age appropriate items at reasonable prices. Tween and teen girls can browse such stores with friends, easily try on make-up, accessories, and cool clothes, and make purchases without breaking their bank. Girls go to these stores with friends more often than with parents. The social setting makes it appealing for girls in groups, allowing them to be actively involved and experiment with self-expression.

When girls were with their moms, they tended to go to different stores, typically ones that are more expensive. When it comes to clothes, once popular collegiate-inspired brands such as Abercrombie, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Hollister, and Who.A.U, are not as enticing to Millennials this season. These stores were relatively empty in comparison to H&M, Express, and the teen sections of department stores like Nordstrom. Millennials seem to be sick of the logos and lack of individuality associated with the former brands, and instead prefer stores like the latter where they can mix and match unique styles to form their own identity.

With it’s hands-on displays, it was no surprise that Apple was one of the most packed stores in both malls I visited. Technology is always on Millennials’ minds, especially at back-to-school time. Students want hot new Apple products for the school year, but they also enjoy browsing the store because of its sleek design and the “cool factor” associated with the brand. Even young kids were enamored with the environment at Apple, as well as Staples, where they could test out an array of tech products.

Moreover, almost every tween and teen out shopping was glued to his or her cellphone (big surprise!). They were texting their friends and surfing social networks, which is why more retailers should implement strategies that connect in-store shopping and social networking. QR codes may seem like the obvious way to attract a tech-savvy generation, but Millennials aren’t particularly interested in them, largely because they don’t know how to use them or see value in them. In fact, only two out of the 30+ stores I visited — Macy’s and Express — offered QR codes. The ones at Macy’s stuck out because they were on large displays, however the QR codes at Express were placed at the bottom of the windows in the store’s entrance, only serving to make Millennials even less likely to use them. In fact, if I hadn’t been on the lookout for QR codes, I would have easily missed them.

Instead of QR codes, some stores are implementing other interactive strategies. Steve Madden had sales associates outside its entrance passing out scratch cards for shoppers to win discounts. Other stores give customers special sales if they checked in to the store online, or “liked” the brand on Facebook while shopping. Staples partnered with DoSomething.org and the cast of “Pretty Little Liars” to gives local students school supplies when shoppers check in via FourSquare. Unlike scanning QR codes, checking in or going on Facebook is part of Millennials’ regular routine, so they’re more inclined to do so while shopping, especially if it’s for a brand or cause they like.

Source: ypulse.com

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Even teen and tween retailers are buzzing about this year’s Fashion’s Night Out (taking place tonight in New York and other U.S. cities ahead of Fashion Week. Mattel’s Barbie — the first supermodel? — is sponsoring a scavenger hunt for girls to find her doll-sized looks as various stores around town, and then enter for the chance to win the full-size version of the outfit. “Twilight Saga”‘s Christian Serratos is helping Forever 21 celebrate. Macy’s will be streaming it’s FNO events live for the crowds at Herald Square and online. We’re hoping to catch a glimpse of Material Girl Kelly Osbourne! Young guys are into fashion too; just ask Justin Bieber and Daniel Radcliff who will be making appearances at Dolce & Gabanna and Columbia Sportswear and Jeffrey, respectively. We’re glad to see reasonably priced fashion getting its fair share of attention, making the event more inclusive of younger shoppers. And if you can’t be there to witness FNO in person, plan to tune in to a webcast on Saturday to get the scoop from the teen perspective) (Vogue) (HuffPo) (Define My Style)

Source: ypulse.com