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 * __Group Action Project: Commercialization of Childhood Wiki__**

By: Shannon Sanchuck, Jennifer Hall & Angela Kelly

We have created this wiki to raise an awareness of the pervasive impact of media messages in western society, and the world, today. Television, movies, the internet, magazines and social media are among the culprits that are constantly bombarding our children (and ourselves) with the illusive temptation that we need to have it all and be glamorous in the process. What kind of values do these popular culture sources instill in our youth? Is this what we want the next generation to be focusing their attention on? The answer, in our opinion, to both of these questions is no. We want our own children and our students to be critical consumers of the media that surrounds them every day. The most effective way to combat the influence of the media is to be a better and more effective influence ourselves.

The idea to create this wiki stemmed from our collective effort in our group project which focused on the impact of the media on our youth. As we delved deeper into this issue we found many shocking statistics that only furthered our concern the need for social action to be taken. The goal of this wiki is provide a starting point and a body of resources that will help parents, teachers and others to better educate their children about the essential stronghold that the media has on our youth. Among the resources we have included journal articles, information about valuable print resources, web links for further learning, methods for taking appropriate social action and lesson plan ideas. It is our hope that the information on this wiki is beneficial for parents and teachers and that the bank of resources grows and develops over time. It is a public space to share and exchange information and its potential as a teaching and learning forum is endless.

If we allow our children and students to be passive recipients of the popular culture messages that dominant in our society then we are only perpetuating the vicious cycle of consumption that is eroding our quality of life. Providing our children with all of the information they need to make intelligent and informed decisions about how they want to live their lives is our job as parents and educators. Giving a voice to the social injustice that the messages in the mass media perpetuate is the most effective way to educate our children. Children are incredibly intuitive, self-aware and vigilant. Enriching our children’s understanding of the consumer based lifestyle that they are being indoctrinated with will encourage them to stop and think about the life they want to create for themselves and their future families. Our goal is that this wiki does just that.