Media Stereotypes and Their Impacts on Youth

A Common Sense survey which investigates how on-screen stereotypes affect kids' development found that many of the movies and TV shows children watch reinforce rigid and stereotypical gender roles, and parents worry about the influence those stories can have on their kids' ideas about what counts as acceptable behavior, how relationships work, and even what jobs they can have.

Some of the key findings include:

-       The media reinforces the idea that masculine traits and behaviors are more valued than feminine traits and behaviors, and boys who consume these media messages are more likely to exhibit masculine behaviors and beliefs.

-       In adolescence, media use is associated with more tolerant views of sexual harassment and more support for the belief that women are at least partially responsible for their own sexual assaults.

-       The television programs and films that children and adolescents watch reinforce traditional gender stereotypes.

-       Heavier viewing of gender-traditional TV and film content is linked to the expression of more rigid beliefs about what men and women do and are and how they behave.

-       As children enter adolescence, media provide lessons on how they are expected to behave in romantic and sexual situations, and these lessons are strongly gendered.

Common Sense Media (2017). Watching gender: How stereotypes in movies and on TV impact kids’ development. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/research/commonsense_watchinggender-topline_release.pdf

Global Cognition and Movement in Youth

A new study on children across the U.S., published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, finds that when they spend more than two hours on screens every day, they tend to perform more poorly on tests of cognition. Meeting the 24-hour movement recommendations was associated with superior global cognition. These findings highlight the importance of limiting recreational screen time and encouraging healthy sleep to improve cognition in children.

Walsh, J. J., Barners, J. D., Cameron, J. D., Goldfield, G. S., Chaput, J., Gunnell, K. E., Ledoux, A., Zemek, R. L., & Tremblay, M. S. (2018). Associations between 24 hour movement behaviours and global cognition in US children: A cross-sectional observational study. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2(11), 783-791. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30278-5

Foundations for Learning Through STEM Lessons Early On

Introducing science, technology, engineering and math concepts in early grades helps establish a foundation for learning about these concepts in later grades, according to a report from the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education. This report draws on research and development supported by the National Science Foundation to highlight important considerations about STEM educational experiences for young children and professional learning for educators who provide those experiences. Findings show that early STEM lessons also can lead to gains in other areas, including reading and writing.

Sarama, J., Clements, D., Nielsen, N., Blanton, M., Romance, N., Hoover, M., Staudt, C., Baroody, A., McWayne, C., & McCulloch, C. (2018). Considerations for STEM education from PreK through grade 3. Waltham, MA: Education Development Center, Inc. http://cadrek12.org/sites/default/files/DRK12-Early-STEM-Learning-Brief.pdf