Spoiled Bratz

It's been a rough couple of months for a brat. Or rather for Bratz – the giant-headed, almond-eyed, scantily dressed dolls that have been giving Barbie a scare for the last few years. One of the toy success stories of the last decade, the Bratz juggernaut now shows signs of slowing down: first, a $100 million judgment against the dolls' manufacturer, MGA Entertainment, which ruled that the original designer first drew them while still under contract at Mattel; then a successful campaign by parents to keep Bratz books out of the Scholastic catalogue, which places books in thousands of schools across North America; and, most painfully, reports that stores have cut shelf space for Bratz by as much as 50 per cent.

Body Image, Resources, Stereotyping

Outcome Chart - Nova Scotia - English Language Arts Grade 6

Overall Expectations: Listening and Speaking

  • Learners will communicate effectively and clearly respecting cultural contexts.

Specific Expectations:

  • Consider others’ responses and offer thoughtful opinions supported with evidence.

Multimedia 12

Aesthetic Expression

Overall Expectations:

Graduates will be able to respond with critical awareness to various forms of the arts and be able to express themselves through the arts

Specific Expectations:

Students will be expected to

Outcome Chart - Manitoba - Human Ecology 8

Clothing and Textiles

Overall Expectations:

GLO 2.2: Develop understanding of culture within clothing/textiles.

Specific Expectations:

5.2.2.1 Identify factors that influence clothing/ textile choices (e.g., family, peers, media, culture, role, environment, religious, social, ethical, economics).

Help! Someone shared a photo of me without my consent! – Tip Sheet

  1. You can start by asking the person who shared it to take it down or stop sharing it. Kids report that this works more often than not!
  2. Ask the service or platform where it was shared to take it down. If you’re under 18, they may be required by law to take it down, and most also have a policy of taking down any photos that were shared without the subject’s permission.

    Cell Phones and Texting, Cyberbullying, Digital Citizenship, Gender Representation, Sexting, Sexual Exploitation, Social Networking

Outcome Chart - Alberta - Art 9

This outcome chart contains media-related learning outcomes from the Alberta, Art Grade 9 curriculum, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site.

New Brunswick - Visual Arts 12

Strand: Create

Big Idea: Exploration and Technique

Skill Descriptor:

Select and experiment with materials and techniques to support decisions about art making practice.    

Achievement Indicators:

Consistently and independently apply elements of art and principles of design through artwork created.

Independently choose media for expressing personal creative ideas.

Manipulate media in unique ways to express creative ideas.

New Brunswick - Visual Arts 3

Strand: Create

Big Idea: Application and Product

Skill Descriptor:

Create and present expressive work in visual arts for a range of audiences and purposes using a variety of art media including technology.   

Achievement Indicators:

Create representations of a variety of subjects with a focus on careful observation

Create art for a variety of reasons, including responses to music and literature

New Brunswick - English Language Arts 5

Strand: Interactions

Big Idea: Expression

Skill Descriptor:

Express and discuss thoughts, feelings, experiences, ideas, and opinions, and consider those of their peers.

Achievement Indicators:

Describe their thoughts and emotions, personal experiences, and the experiences of others with details

Use descriptive language to express personal ideas and wonderings

Use complete sentences and/or full thoughts to make a point

Sending sexts

Since sexting – and, in particular, our concerns about it – are regularly portrayed as a largely female phenomenon, it may be surprising that data from MediaSmarts’ study Non-Consensual Sharing of Sexts: Behaviours and Attitudes of Canadian Youth study show boys and girls being about equally likely to send sexts of themselves.[i]

Sexting