I took my Girl Scout troop (4th and 5th graders) to a winter camp this past weekend. I was the leader who stayed up until the last girls were ready to go to bed, so I was alone with 4 of them when, with great enthusiasm, they jumped into a project of drawing pictures of "dumb people from TV" and making a big collage. It was fairly artistic, and I was thrilled that they were working together since this came right on the heels of my moderating a dispute, but I felt funny about their focus on "dumb" people they "hate". Pop stars like Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers, TV characters for young children like the Teletubbies, Republican politicians, and Bratz dolls were discussed in highly derogatory terms and drawn in distorted ways. They seemed to be trying to outdo one another in their hatred for these people: "I can't STAND her; she makes me GAG!" Nobody they know personally was put on their list, but there was some talk along the lines of, "My sister thinks Sarah Palin is pretty!" and "[Girl who was already asleep] likes to play with Bratz; can you believe it?!"
Now, I don't care for any of these people on their list--except for Mister Rogers, and I remember that when I was around 7 I suddenly couldn't stand his slow talking, and it wasn't until I was a babysitting teen that I could see what was likeable about him again--and in a way I was pleased to hear their critical thinking and aesthetic standards. On the other hand, it kind of worries me to hear them bash ANYONE like that and put down other kids' preferences.
I've heard 3 of these same girls have a similar conversation before, when I was driving them to an event. Over and over again, one of them would ask, "Do you like..." and name a TV show aimed at younger kids, and then all of them would rave about how much they "hate" it and how "dumb" it is, and then they'd move on to another show. I remember doing this at their age (and sometimes professing strong feelings against shows I actually felt nostalgic fondness for) and it seemed to function as a way of proving that you're not babyish and you have things in common with the group.
What do you think? Is this kind of thing silly but harmless, so I should leave it alone? or is it hurtful and nasty, and I should intervene--how?
Now, I don't care for any of these people on their list--except for Mister Rogers, and I remember that when I was around 7 I suddenly couldn't stand his slow talking, and it wasn't until I was a babysitting teen that I could see what was likeable about him again--and in a way I was pleased to hear their critical thinking and aesthetic standards. On the other hand, it kind of worries me to hear them bash ANYONE like that and put down other kids' preferences.
I've heard 3 of these same girls have a similar conversation before, when I was driving them to an event. Over and over again, one of them would ask, "Do you like..." and name a TV show aimed at younger kids, and then all of them would rave about how much they "hate" it and how "dumb" it is, and then they'd move on to another show. I remember doing this at their age (and sometimes professing strong feelings against shows I actually felt nostalgic fondness for) and it seemed to function as a way of proving that you're not babyish and you have things in common with the group.
What do you think? Is this kind of thing silly but harmless, so I should leave it alone? or is it hurtful and nasty, and I should intervene--how?
) and Republican politicians are aimed at adults! I mean, they were dissing Bratz in particular, not dolls overall; some of them brought dolls to camp to sleep with. So there's got to be more to it than feeling older.
