Why Real Women Do Not Dance in Circles on Their Period

Whether we are watching television, walking to school, listening to the news, or out for the day -- we cannot escape the countless media advertisements which get in our way.  An average of 25 600 ads are viewed by children and youth over the course of one year, with 87% of popular websites carrying some form of advertising (Moses, 2014).  With these staggering statistics in mind, it is crucial that we as future educators recognize the impact these advertisements can have on children and youth.

http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/02/6-stats-influence-business-networking.html

Media literacy can be defined as "the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media" (L. Lane, personal communications, March 9 2016).  When youth and adults analyze media messages, they are better able to understand the implicit messages that are unconsciously said to us.

As a young child, I can specifically remember the video on the North American house hippo.  If you have not seen the video, feel free to watch the advertisement below; try not to believe it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLG2JP0P5JE

It was not for many years after did I realize that this was a fake animal and a phone advertisement.  I was left so disappointed!  The way the director staged the shots, the camera angles, the information given to the audience, what child wouldn't want to own a house hippo?  I couldn't believe it wasn't true.

The advertisement tricked me, and may have tricked you too!  That is why being media literate is so important.  Within media literacy, audiences need to learn how to read critically, question what they are watching/hearing, and recognizing the fault hidden in the advertisements (Bal, Grewal, Mills, & Ottley, 2015).

Another video which came to mind is one created by UbyKotex.  This is a feminine hygiene product company which uses satire to poke fun at other similar companies.  In the video, the narrator points out how other companies unrealistically portray women who are on their period.  Often times, real women are not dancing in circles, wearing white spandex, or jumping on their couches when they are on their period.  This is a great idea which exemplifies how audiences can begin critically analyzing other tv ads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpypeLL1dAs

Since I have been tricked by countless advertisements, it worries me as a future parent and educator.  Media is becoming an impossible monster to escape, and I worry to what extent people will take in order to sell their products.  As a future educator, I plan on teaching my students how to be media literate.  To implement this, I would teach students to routinely ask the kinds of questions that will help them think critically about the information presented in the media.  By showing videos, YouTube clips, or radio advertisements, I want my students students to have the exposure and practice of dissecting negative messages.  Together, we need to have the capacity and strength to set our future generation up for success, and create media-literate beings.

References

Bal, A., Grewal, D., Mills, A., Ottley, G. (2015). Engaging students with social media. Journal of Marketing Education 37(3), 190-203

Moses, L. (2014, March 11). A look at kid's exposure to ads: Children see a lot of marketing messages, regardless of platform. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/look-kids-exposure-ads-156191