Girl Scouts Makes a Difference! Healthy Media for Youth Act

October 12, 2010

Girl Scouts of the USA, along with the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, and The Creative Coalition, believe every child deserves to live in an environment that fosters confidence and character. We recognize that as children's media use continues to increase, all youth would benefit from experiencing healthy and positive messages about girls and women. "Watch What You Watch"

www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/advocacy/watchwhatyouwatch/default.asp

Girl Scouts of the USA hope to build awareness about the need to pay attention not to just what kids watch, but how they watch it. Now more than ever, tools such as media literacy, public education and career exploration can be invaluable to young people. "Watch What You Watch"has many resources and tools that girls, parents, communities, and the media industry can use to help young people encounter and use media content that inspires, empowers, and engages.

The most exciting of all this is Senate introduces Healthy Media for Youth Act (S.3852) Contact your Senators today to ask for their support!

Girl Scouts of USA media findings:

Nearly 90% of girls say the media places a lot of pressure on teenage girls to be thin
Only 46% of girls think that the fashion industry does a good job of representing people of all races and ethnicities
55% of teenage girls admit they diet to lose weight and 37% know a girl with an eating disorder (Girls & Body Image, 2010)

Girl Scouts of the USA took action to fix these problems and to help girls and young women see themselves in a new and stronger light by working closely with Congresswomen Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to introduce the Healthy Media for Youth Act (H.R. 4925) in the US House of Representatives. Recently, Senator Kay Hagan introduced (S. 3852) in the US Senate. This bill supports media literacy programs and youth empowerment groups, like the Girl Scouts, and encourages healthy, balanced, and positive images of girls and women in media.

Please become a cosponsor of the Healthy Media for Youth Act (S.3852) Ask your Senators to be a Voice for Girls and support S. 3852! To be a VOICE FOR GIRLS,
Click on http://girlscouts4girls.org/girlscouts/issues/alert/?alertid=17969591
to send an email to be heard!

Thanks for making a difference. Thanks for taking the time to learn how YOU can help those you love, "love the skin they are in".