By: Alison
Have you noticed the gender stereotyping that often accompanies Internet safety messages? Somehow, in the interest of keeping kids safe online and teaching them about respect, responsibility and dignity in their digital communication, every single outdated and offensive stereotype about girls and young women gets used. There’s almost always the gossiping mean-girl persona, whose minions cackle deviously after hatching and implementing diabolical plans. Then there is the competition and/or jealousy over a guy that is portrayed as the “cause” of the online abuse, followed by comments about the body shape or size of the target and her perceived sexual exploits.
As someone who has worked with girls her entire career and happens to be a girl herself, I am really tired of these messages that are offensive, one-dimensional and lacking in any sort of educational or prevention-message value. Where are the resources, PSAs and videos that serve as learning tools about the varied roles girls actually play in these situations?
I’m happy to report that I have found one such resource – the Adina’s Deck series!!! Adina’s Deck is an award-winning DVD series about the fictional detective club, “Adina’s Deck” – a group of (female) friends who help solve challenges in their lives and at their school. The protagonists in these films are smart, computer-savvy, kind, thoughtful, and articulate — meaning, they are like real girls!!!!
There are three films in the series:
Episode 1: Skye’s Cyber Bullying Mystery
Adina’s Deck works together to figure out who’s been cyber bullying Skye, the most popular girl in the 8th grade.
Episode 2: The Case of the Online Crush
Adina’s Deck learns of a mysterious problem with a potential online predator.
Episode 3: The Case of the Plagiarized Paper
In this classic “who-done-it,” Adina’s Deck tries to figure out who plagiarized their paper in Mr. B’s class.
Be sure to log on to adinasdeck.com to learn more and purchase the films. Use code CI4G when you check out to help support our work at Critical Issues for Girls.