Photo Credit: George Arriola

There are very few television shows that can stand up to the age-split test in our house. Avatar – The Last Airbender, on Nickelodeon, is one can hold a six-year-old and a thirteen-year-old spellbound (with parents glancing in from the background). So it’s very good news that the live-action movie being developed by Paramount Pictures and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is scheduled to be released this summer.

An interesting controversy has developed around this movie that, to me, demonstrates both the wide appeal of this story, as well as the power of the fan and social media. A group of adult fans of the show were outraged when the movie’s cast was announced and all four main characters were cast as Caucasians. In the casting sheets, these four characters were specified to be Caucasian, while the extras were specified as ”any ethnicity except Caucasian.” (In addition, extra candidates were asked to appear in their native garb.) Fans mobilized under the banner “Aang Ain’t White” to bring to light how this trend in movie casting. The group initiated a letter-writing and media campaign and had some success: the part of Zuko was recast with Dev Patel, star of Slumdog Millionaire. (It should be noted that in most of the movie Zuko is an enemy.) You can read a complete chronicle this effort and an analysis of fan activism by the brilliant Henry Jenkins here.

This controversy would be great conversation fodder for a family. How do kids see race? What have they noticed the Eastern culture in Avatar – The Last Airbender? Would it seem strange to them to see Caucasian actors for these characters? What other movies are cast with kids of color?

Finally, good news for fans: Paramount describes the movie as “the opening chapter in Aang’s struggle to survive.” Which can only mean one thing: sequel.

Photo credit: Jonas B

The middle school crowd is crazy for YouTube. I mean, if you don’t know who Fred is, you haven’t been paying attention! My son has jumped on the bandwagon, and is a frequent video poster and viewer. (The Flip camera he received for Christmas a couple of years ago gathered dust — literally — for more than a year before it became indispensable about six months ago.) His activity is focused on creating videos — mostly “instructional” but sometimes just opinions — about his hobbies (primarily fishing and street hockey). Once he posts a video, he becomes intent on the number of views each day and the number of subscribers to his channel.  A classic carrot-and-stick learner, he gets driven by and motivated by the numbers (which are in the thousands, by the way). He’s learned some classic blogger lessons, among them:

• Word choice in the title is crucial
• Comments can range from great pats on the back, to downright insulting, to “huh?”
• Other users provide extremely helpful tips on how to increase subscriber numbers
• Reciprocality reigns (you subscribe to me, and I’ll subscribe to you)

I’m glad he’s learning social media in an organic way. It’s a mainstream part of any business these days. (If you’re over 40 and have looked for a job lately, you can really appreciate this — as well as the concerted effort it takes to catch up to what youth do so naturally.) I try not to dismiss YouTube as a worthwhile activity, as long as I’m pretty sure he’s safe. Could it be the lemonaid stand of this generation?

Photo credit: banspy

I had always wondered how otherwise-savvy kids get duped into rendezvousing with people they meet online (sometimes to tragic end).  But I recently learned that most predators will communicate with a child for three to six months before suggesting an in-person meeting. Over such an extended period, they are able to build a rapport and a credible story about who are (but really aren’t). They know the latest music and interests of children. They listen empathetically. Only very gradually do they interject any sexually explicit chat.

I found this European site, chatdanger.com, interesting and helpful (and more balanced than its name suggests). It’s divided into sections for cell phones, chat, email, messenger and games. For each it offers a real example of how a child was put in danger, as well as concrete tips/perspectives for kids and parents. For example, think your child doesn’t go to “chat rooms”? Well, many online gaming sites are actually chat rooms in disguise. And many have voice chat. There’s lots of valuable information here–check it out.

photo credit: moriza

A survey released in December by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 4% of teens ages 12-17 who own a cell phone say they have sent sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to someone else via text messaging, a practice also known as “sexting”; 15% say they have received such images of someone they know via text message.

“Teens explained to us how sexually suggestive images have become a form of relationship currency,” said Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research Specialist and author of the report. “These images are shared as a part of or instead of sexual activity, or as a way of starting or maintaining a relationship with a significant other. And they are also passed along to friends for their entertainment value, as a joke or for fun.”