Mommyish Poll: Would You Support The Healthy Media For Youth Act?
Many parents are willing to critique the many media images that their children see in advertisements, television shows, and films. Everything from blatant sexism to gender stereotypes to misconceptions about beauty permeate the ads and entertainment geared towards both boys and girls. But given how much you take issue and discuss with your children what they see, how would you feel about a bill that put national resources towards fighting problematic media for kids?
Senator Kay Hagan and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin have introduced the Healthy Media for Youth Act in the hopes of improving media literary and promoting more realistic heroines and media messages for kids.
Congresswoman Baldwin had this say about the issue on her website:
”Starting in infancy, American children are still stereotyped by gender. As they grow, they’re bombarded with print and video images that reinforce those gender stereotypes. Vulnerable young girls are exposed to unrealistic body images and, too often, see women in passive or supporting roles. The need for more positive images of girls in the media is clear,” said Congresswoman Baldwin. ”I’m proud to join Sen. Hagan in sponsoring legislation that will help girls and young women see themselves in a new and stronger light,” said Baldwin, who co-chairs the Congressional Women’s Caucus Task Force on Young Women.
They go on to cite Geena Davis and her gender equality efforts for girls in film as well as a startling statistic from her foundation that found only 27% of speaking characters to be female. The act itself consists of a grant program, more research on the impacts of media of children, and standards for the depiction of women and girls:
The Healthy Media for Youth Act takes a three-pronged approach to promote healthy media messages about girls and women. First, the bill creates a competitive grant program to encourage and support media literacy programs and youth empowerment groups. The bill also facilitates research on how depictions of women and girls in the media affect youth. Finally, it establishes a National Taskforce on Women and Girls in the Media, which will develop voluntary standards that promote healthy, balanced, and positive images of girls and women in the media for the benefit of all youth.
So would you support the Healthy Media for Youth Act, mommies? Sound off.
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