The popularity of social networking sites has made the Internet a virtual public meeting area for all ages. By means of email, instant messaging, chat rooms and text messaging, gossip has found a design to be spread not only locally but also globally. How does this affect tweens-a demographic made up of kids between the ages of eight and thirteen?
The media has always addressed this universal say. Currently, "Gossip Girl": a series of young-adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar (now the subject of a teen soap opera of the same name on the CW television network) focuses on how technology is broken-down to spread gossip and rumors among its main characters- young, rich, private school students who are members of unusual York's elite social circle. Though the TV series as well as the books deny is not good for kids, it has a big fan evil made up of tween girls. They are most likely drawn to Gossip Girl because of its trendy storyline but also because some can identify with being the subject of Internet gossip.
Today, instead of being the subject of a malicious imprint passed around in class, a twelve-year-old girl may learn that someone has posted hateful comments about her appearance or erroneous rumors about her sexual conduct on the Internet where thousands of people could read it. Sounds hard to maintain. But this happens more often than you would deem. Has the media done anything to relieve tweens cope with this immoral influence?
This phenomenon has led to B*tween Productions Inc., creating a series of books starring the Beacon Street Girls (BSG) -five friends (Katani, Avery, Charlotte, Isabel and Maeve) who narrate the average tween-with the purpose of providing definite media influences and role models for this impressionable age group. The BSG books were written with the consultation of experts on girls, adolescence, children's issues and development.
One of the books in this approved series focuses on the negative effects of cyber bullying while providing guidance for kids on the Internet. In the book "honest Kidding" the Beacon Street Girls learn about gossip, no-jokes zones and how the Internet can be dilapidated to spread rumors, spoil friendships and contribute to injure feelings. The book also includes a list of fun and sterling sites for kids including its enjoy interactive website (www.beaconstreetgirls.com), which features a pleasant social networking place and online club.
With the tween years being a important time in a child's development, gossip and cyber bullying can be especially hard hitting at this emotionally sensitive time. While the adult themed "Gossip Girl" glamorizes it, the Beacon Street Girls abet children to ogle the divisive finish it can have. The media would do well to follow the example of B*tween productions and provide distinct resources to attend parents educate themselves and their tween on how to combat this threat.