Dr. Rebecca Hains
Author, professor and speaker | Children's media culture, media literacy, and media criticism
Archives
Barbie is 60. And she’s reinventing herself.
Mattel’s changes to an iconic doll reflect evolving demographics.
Read MoreKids’ products and gender: What’s on the packaging?
Preschoolers can be quick to notice gendered illustrations on products. If a package has a picture of a boy on it, that item must be for boys; if it has a picture of a girl on it, it must be…
Read MoreMedia literacy for preschoolers, pt. 4: Tips and resources
This week, I’ve been writing about how parents can help their preschoolers become media literate. [See: Part 1: how media work, Part 2: media content, Part 3: media creation.] For my wrap-up post in this series, I’d like to share…
Read MoreMedia literacy for preschoolers, pt. 2: Thinking critically about media content
As I began discussing yesterday, young children can become media literate with their parents’ help. In today’s media-saturated world, raising media literate children is an increasingly important goal. Our kids need to (1) understand how the media work, (2) be…
Read MoreBoy teeth, girl teeth, and the gendering of ungendered things
My three-year-old son had a check-up with his pediatric dentist yesterday. The dentist is a friendly fellow who is good with kids, and we like his practice a lot. Shortly after a dental hygienist cleaned my son’s teeth, the dentist approached…
Read MoreFor Father’s Day, shared experiences make the best gifts
When it comes to selecting great gifts for kids, it’s important to gift experiences, not just toys. After all, studies show that experiences make people happier than objects do: Objects break, become outdated, or pale in comparison to superior items, and the…
Read MoreTurn off your television! Screen-Free Week starts Monday.
Have you heard of “screen time”? It’s a term describing the time we spend in front of screens, large and small, consuming media on a daily basis. Television. Computers. Video games. iPhones. iPads. Many screens compete for our attention, and…
Read MoreTalking about toys: Taking child’s play seriously
On occasion, people ask me why I bother taking children’s toys so seriously. “They’re just toys, after all!” Yes, toys are just toys–but they’re so much more than that, too. Toys are a central part of children’s play, and to…
Read MoreOrder my book, Growing Up With Girl Power, today!
I’m delighted that my book, Growing Up With Girl Power: Girlhood On Screen and in Everyday Life, is now available from my publisher, Peter Lang Press! Won’t you buy a copy? You can order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or…
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Dr. Rebecca Hains 
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