Can Barbie fight gender stereotypes?

"Math is hard!"

Barbie has long been viewed as the perfect example of a gender stereotyped toy for girls. She has been criticized for her unrealistic body image, focus on fashion and restricted range of interests and career options. Mattel has recently been losing money on Barbie. Here's a recent attempt by Mattel to revamp Barbie's image. Thoughts?

You can be anything

Gender stereotypes and halloween costumes

A Halloween Gender Binary

Introducing Sesame Street's new Autistic Character, Julia.

In an attempt to de-stigmatize autism spectrum disorders, Sesame Street has introduced a preschool girl character living with autism named Julia. It is particularly noteworthy that they chose a girl as this character given that girls are significantly less likely to be diagnosed with ASDs (not necessarily less like to have them).

Here is an article with more information:

Big Bird the Corporate Sell Out? Et tu National Geographic?

Sesame Street will no longer air first run programming for children on PBS.  Why we should care. 

National Geographic shifts to "for profit status" in a partnership with Fox. 

Don't sleep with your phone on!

New research shows that the lights from tablets and smartphones may disrupt sleep by interfering with hormones in children.

Read about it here! 

New study finds that black and hispanic children are disproportionately targeted by unhealthy, high-calorie, food advertising.

Marketing to black and hispanic youth

Parasocial break ups and sadness explained!

Here's an interesting interview from a sociologist about parasocial relationships and parasocial "breakups."

Here's a pic from one of my favorite shows that really left me hanging:

http://www.fromthegrapevine.com/arts/why-you-get-sad-when-your-favorite-tv-show-goes-air