The popularity of social networking sites has made the Internet a virtual public meeting place for all ages. Through email, instant messaging, chat rooms and text messaging, gossip has found a way to spread not only locally but also globally. How does this affect tweens, a demographic made up of children between the ages of eight and thirteen?
The media have always dealt with this universal problem. Currently, “Gossip Girl” – A Young Adult Novel Series 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 used to spread gossip and rumors among its main characters: young, wealthy, private school students who are members of New York’s elite social circle. Although the TV series and the content of the books are not suitable for children, it has a large fan base made up of teenage girls. They are most likely drawn to Gossip Girl because of its fashion history, but also because some may relate to being the subject of internet gossip.
Today, instead of being the subject of a malicious note spread in class, a twelve-year-old girl may learn that someone has posted hateful comments about her appearance or false rumors about her sexual behavior on the Internet, where thousands of people could read. that. It sounds hard to believe. But this happens more often than you think. Has the media done anything to help tweens cope with this damaging influence?
This phenomenon has led B * tween Productions Inc. to create a series of books starring Beacon Street Girls (BSG), five friends (Katani, Avery, Charlotte, Isabel and Maeve) representing the average preteen, with the purpose of providing positive media influences and role models for this impressionable age group. The BSG books were written in consultation with experts on girls, adolescence, childhood issues, and development.
One of the books in this popular series focuses on the negative effects of cyberbullying while providing guidance to children on the Internet. In the book “Just Kidding,” the Beacon Street Girls learn about gossip, no-joke zones, and how the Internet can be used to spread rumors, spoil friendships, and help hurt feelings. The book also includes a list of fun and safe sites for kids, including its own interactive website (www.beaconstreetgirls.com), which includes a secure social networking site and an online club.
Since the teen years are a critical time in a child’s development, gossip and cyberbullying can be especially harsh at this emotionally sensitive time. While the adult theme “Gossip Girl” beautifies her, the Beacon Street Girls help children see the divisive effect it can have. The media would do well to follow the lead of the B * tween productions and provide positive resources to help parents educate themselves and their tweens on how to combat this threat.