Green Parent Chicago

Selfie Boom: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Competing with our children’s digital world can be a challenge, especially when you would like them to experience the environment and the many ways they can sustain it. It’s hard enough to get them to look up from their device but when they are taking selfies, this might be the right time to capture their attention. With the ‘selfie boom’ in full swing (the word was added to the Oxford Dictionary in 2013), what more reason to entice your child to take as many as possible while camping, recycling, hiking, composting, fishing and basically enjoying all nature has to offer.

An Opportunity

It’s easy to shun the onslaught of technology that seems to have turned our society into the ‘heads down tribe.’ Gone are the days when children would hop on their bikes early Saturday morning and not be seen until lunch and then again at dinner. Now it’s all about expensive digital devices to entertain, communicate and solve everyday challenges.

However, when you step back from such electronic confusion there may very well be rare opportunities to be had. Embracing technology rather than pushing it away could allow you to show your child how our environment is faring through it all. Using a wide variety of available tools, online and off, you may be able to incorporate tips and advice to teach your kid how important environmentalism really is.

The Selfie and You

Believe it or not selfies have been around for a long time. The first one was taken in 1839 by an amateur chemist and photographer named Robert Cornelius. Then, about 166 years later, MySpace became the first platform popularly used for displaying selfies. Finally, in 2010 Apple rolled out the iPhone 4 with a front facing camera and people have been mugging into the lens ever since.

Maybe you have no interest in photographing yourself, or tried stepping into the selfie craze with little excitement--or maybe you do it all the time--but the cold hard fact is that selfies are here to stay and today’s kids are at the top of the selfie food chain. Therefore, it may be time to explore selfies as a way to connect or reconnect with your digitally savvy child.

An Environmental Connection

If you watch the news you will most likely be bombarded with a slew of negative, depressing stories involving almost everything including the environment. Yet, some things are improving throughout our planet. The ozone layer has a better outlook; electric carmaker Tesla has announced a new factory in Nevada offering jobs and a future of clean energy infrastructure change; and more corporations are bringing green choices to demanding consumers.

So by using your available digital tools to embrace this positive change it can be an excellent way to bring your child on board. Facebook (48% of selfies are reported to be shared here), Twitter, Instagram and a laundry list of other social media and/or photo sharing and storing sites offer a variety of ways to lure your child into your love for the environment.

Tune In and Turn On

If you aren’t on any social media (or the like) platforms chances are you are continually spiraling further away from an extremely important part of your child’s world. Whether they are plugged in to the gills, roll on one device or do not have any home digital connection whatsoever it is nearly impossible for them to ignore what’s out there.

Practically every aspect of electronic communication will inevitably demand their attention, either in the home or outside the home such as school, friends, gaming, extracurricular activities, commerce and eventually their career. By joining social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and getting their permission to friend, follow or be followed by them has the potential for a whole new relationship to emerge. Add in the sharing of selfies and the environment and it could be a real win-win.

Post the Most

Once you get yourself plugged in alongside your kid then the real fun will begin. Rather than hear them grumble that you want to go on another hike or volunteer for a highway cleanup, present it as a selfie opportunity and encourage them to bring their device.

Take a bunch of selfies alone and especially with them for posting. You can navigate how selfies become a major part of your environmental passion which will hopefully spark a similar love in your child.

Get clever and find ways to share selfies with each other and the world, if you’re so inclined. Take NASA for instance: back in April of 2014 the space organization celebrated Earth Day with a ‘Global Selfie Event’. Check out your favorite environmentalist organizations and see if they too accept selfie posts. Before long your kid will hopefully look forward to your excursions as well as all to be seen and commented on afterward.

As long as your child is safe, selfies can be a positive bonding experience. Making the selfie a positive thing will show your child that you are not only with the times but interested in something that makes them happy.

-Amy Williams is a freelance writer and mother of two in Southern California. She hopes to use her experience as a mother to help other parents understand their teens.

EarthTalk: A Kid's Life--Marketing Messages and Sales Pitches

Dear EarthTalk: Are all the commercial messages kids are bombarded with today having any noticeable negative effects? And if so what can a concerned parent like me do to limit my own kids’ exposure to so much advertising and marketing? -- Jason Baldino, Somerset, NJ

No doubt, marketers are hard at work targeting our children with their messages and creating young demand for their products. Companies in the U.S. today spend some $17 billion yearly advertising to children, a 150-fold increase from just a few decades ago. Some cash-strapped school districts have even started selling ads on and sometimes in their school buses as a way to bolster sagging education budgets. To be an American kid today is to be bombarded with marketing messages and sales pitches. It’s no wonder that, given the amount of advertising and marketing they endure, young people in our society are experiencing record levels of obesity and problems with credit card debt.

According to the non-profit Center for a New American Dream (CNAD), a leading proponent for more ecologically sustainable and community-oriented lifestyles in the United States, this incessant marketing is turning our children “into little consumers, alienating them from nature, getting them used to unhealthy diets filled with junk foods, and making them want ever more stuff.” The group points to several disturbing studies, such as one that showed how U.S. children could recognize more Pokemon characters than common wildlife species, while another found that the average American kid is exposed to more than 25,000 television ads spanning some 10,700 minutes over the course of just one year.

The result of all this aggressive marketing to kids is not just excessive materialism and obesity, but also a host of other problems including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, eating disorders, increased violence, and family stress. “Economically, societally and ecologically,” CNAD reports, “this is unsustainable and not the best path for children.”

Against this backdrop of media and marketing saturation, what can be done to help steer our kids in a more healthy direction? Given that shielding American kids from these messages would be nearly impossible, the next best thing is teaching them how to parse through the different come-ons and solicitations they are exposed to these days at nearly every turn. CNAD’s free, downloadable 32-page booklet “Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture” offers loads of useful information on how to limit kids’ exposure to commercial influences that come via the television, computer or mail slot, and replacing those lost hours with new opportunities for more beneficial activities. Examples abound: playing board or card games, going on a walk or hike, riding bikes, and much more. The booklet also elaborates on how to limit or rid commercial influences in schools and other places where kids spend time away from home.

Another great resource for parents and teachers looking to reduce commercial influences on kids is the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a coalition of more than two dozen other groups started by consumer advocate and author Susan Linn. The coalition advocates for the adoption of government policies that limit corporate marketers’ access to kids and works to mobilize parents, educators and health care providers to stop the commercial exploitation of children. Teachers love the coalition’s free downloadable Guide to Commercial-Free Book Fairs while concerned parents can download the Guide to Commercial-Free Holidays in order to help themselves and their kids resist the hype.

CONTACTS: Center for a New American Dream, www.newdream.org; Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, www.commercialfreechildhood.org.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

-photo credit: iStockPhoto

Future Food: Chicago Chefs Premiere New Series on Planet Green

"Future Food" debuted Tuesday on the Planet Green network and follows chefs Homaru Cantu and Ben Roche as they set out on weekly quests to create dishes in new ways using innovative and advanced technology in the kitchen of their Fulton Market restaurant MOTO.

A recent screening event at MOTO unveiled the Chicago-based series featuring the "molecular gastronomists" who meld science with haute cuisine.

 

The restaurant regularly features edible menus, made from various grains. On this occasion the menu tasted like a very well seasoned corn tortilla with a food based print.

One of the tastes of the night (below) was a s''mores bomb, with a liquid graham cracker center covered in chocolate with a marshmallow wick.

 

Cantu and Roche (above) chef and executive pastry chef respectively, are likable enough both on-screen and off, which adds to the appeal of the show, with no over-sized egos apparent and good friendly chemistry.

A youthful kitchen staff keeps the show's vibe hip. The first episode shows the pair embarking on a mission to somehow address the problem of overfishing by creating dishes that taste like fish, but have no fish in them.

This premise sounded like a green start, and left me wondering if the two might try vegan versions of fish-tasting foods molded into traditional seafood dishes. But as the episode wears on, we see the chefs create a mock tuna dish from chicken. Mock scallops made from tofu and mock sushi made from watermelon both fail taste tests by shoppers (who presumably know their seafood) at Mitsuwa Marketplace, the Japanese super mall and market in Arlington Heights.

During the kitchen tour portion of the evening, a member of the kitchen staff (below) prepared a vegan "cigar" for a member of Oprah Winfrey's staff with edible ashes served in an ashtray. The standard version being passed consisted of pulled pork wrapped in an edible paper, which I found myself reaching for a second and third serving of earlier in the night.

 

Using an array of vacuum equipment, liquid nitrogen and other items (beakers, test tubes and pipettes) more commonly found in high school science labs than restaurant kitchens, Cantu and Roche create stylistically appealing and tasty dishes in disguise.

While there is no doubt Cantu and Roche have an inventive and appealing range of ideas for food, there was little talk, in the first episode at least, of how MOTO deals with kitchen waste, or whether the restaurant makes a consistent effort to incorporate local, seasonal or organic ingredients in their dishes, though the show is based on the idea that the chefs will attempt to tackle environmental food issues.

Later episodes appear to touch on sustainability a bit more, with discussion of Cantu's experiments in food packaging and cooking with weeds. Pairing actions like these with the fun and fast paced missions would give the show more staying power and less reliance on novelty.

-Christine

"A Taste of Fooditude" Debuts New Chicago Cooking Show for Kids

Fooditude, a new food-focused show for kids age 8 to 12 based in Chicago, will debut with a fundraising screening and party tonight for parents and kids.

The event, "A Taste of Fooditude" takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Architectural Artifacts on 4325 N. Ravenswood Ave. Producers and creators Jodi Balis, Cerry O'Tolski and Elise Jaffe hope the new show is well received locally as it features local kid chefs cooking and learning about food and nutrition, as well as guest appearances and visits with local chefs and business owners involved in sustainable living and healthy food production.

Balis is a dietitian and currently Nutrition Director at The Capital Area Food Bank in Washington D.C. Jaffe and O'Tolski are producers with a background in children's television. Balis said she, O'Tolski and Jaffe hope to foster kids' knowledge of cooking and nutrition, growing food, environmental stewardship, culture and history through each of the show's episodes. 

"We want to bring this holistic awareness about food," she said.

The three began shooting segments last spring. They are now hoping to raise awareness of the program and create a pilot to pitch locally. Balis feels confident that Chicago is the best location for this type of children's program to succeed.

"There is such an amazing energy rallying around this," Balis said.

Tonight's event will feature 9 local chefs who will each take an adult spin on a favorite kid’s food. Kid chefs will assist them. There will also be live music, a silent auction and a presentation of Fooditude's mission video. Tickets may be pre-purchased online and are $40 per adult and $25 per child. Tickets at the door are $45 per adult and $30 per child.

-photo: Fooditude

What If You Could Only See Good Ads Online?

As regular readers of Green Parent Chicago know, we support a less commercialized childhood, favor a return to the outdoors and often feature discussion on pervasive marketing tactics invading our everyday life and destroying our connection to the natural world.

At Green Parent Chicago,we made the decision to only feature businesses that offer ethical alternatives to the multitude of products filling our homes and the earth's landfills with waste, products that support efforts to help level the playing field for workers and the environment.

Recently, DoGood Headquarters contacted us about their new DoGooder browser plug-in that helps people take positive action. We were naturally excited by the prospect of it.

Founded by Faisal M. Sethi and based in Ottawa, the company's free plug-in lets web users turn their browsing into donations that support green initiatives and social change. Sethi says the company plans to donate 50 percent of profits to charitable organizations.

I installed the plug in on my own browser and have been using it for the past week.

Here is how it works:

When a web page loads, any of the standard advertising on that page is hidden by the DoGooder plug-in with calls for philanthropic action, health and wellness ideas and thoughtful green related initiatives. (See an example in the image above.)

There's always the option on any web page to view the original ads by right-clicking and selecting "show original ads", selecting "allow website to ignore DoGood" or by just temporarily disabling the plug-in during a browser session. A number at the bottom of your browser logs how many "good" things you've seen while online.

What's the experience like? For starters, instead of viewing glaring flash ads for the latest ABC primetime cop drama (I don't even own a TV) or the newest Walmart holiday sale, I was greeted by positive words that offered inspiration, action and information on solutions. Quite easily, I had been given back more control over my browsing experience. Several questions soon popped into my mind, so  I posed them to Sethi about DoGood and his company's mission:

How do you earn money to donate? I am assuming you sell advertising space with DoGood. Which in turn is donated to charities?

Sethi: "We earn money based on ads, yes, but ads we hope actually have some social value. Eventually, we will be integrating more Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability advertising, more charitable causes, more green oriented companies, et al. From revenue generated from said ads, we will give back 50% of our profits to causes and charities."

The number on the bottom of my browser (Goodie Points), is that mostly for my own satisfaction? The number of Good things I have seen. Does it correlate to any of your statistics or data on use of the plug in?

Sethi: Yes, the number at the bottom right is there to make you "feel good", but it also does correlate on some level to the amount of funds an individual is generating for revenue back to causes. The more Goodie Points you see, the more money you as an individual are raising. We are working on integrating a system that is more definitive, that is, you have donated "x" amount by surfing the web today, and together, all DoGooder have donated "x" amount.

How is feedback? Positive? What's the most negative assumption you've heard about the DoGooder?

Sethi: "Overwhelmingly positive. It has been outstanding. Not only do end users have control over what, when, and where they see online advertising, people are generally excited about being able to give back to causes without changing a single thing about their daily routines.

I have gotten some really interesting feedback from a few parents that also view the DoGooder has a way to educate their kids, and keep them away from all of the generic, and often offensive online advertising prevalent on the internet. 

The most negative thing we have encountered thus far is the notion that we block ads, and thus, are effecting general publishers bottom lines. I've replied to this fallacy a few times over, so if you have questions, kindly read our Publishers Note on our web site. We aren't in the business of shafting people, we are in the business of doing good."

Though the DoGooder is still in beta, the company boasts that they've had over 1500 downloads so far. If the plug-in becomes widely popular, here's hoping DoGood Headquarters will provide a transparent way for users to monitor where profits are being donated to and an updated list of organizations receiving funds.

For more information, or to download and try the DoGooder plug-in visit: http://dogoodhq.com/

-Christine

Turn Off Your TV and Turn On Your Imagination

TV Turn Off Week is a twice yearly week long voluntary respite from television watching, an activity that in some American homes consumes "more than 151 hours of television per month -- an "all-time" high -- up from more than 145 hours during the same period the previous year," according to a recent Nielsen company report. The increased amount of tv-watching among Americans is attributed to better recording devices, the availability of more cable channels, and increased viewing of streaming internet video.

Each year, organizations and families counter this time spent watching by participating in TV Turn Off Week. Once in the spring and again in the fall, organizers and proponents of reduced screen time hope that by showing people the wide assortment of non-screen related activities available at their disposal, they will begin to break their habits of excess tv viewing. 

This year, TV Turn Off Week will be held from September 20 to 26.

What will you do with your time? What will your kids do? How will you keep them from uttering the words: "I'm bored."

First, understand that boredom should be a welcome addition to a child's life, especially if a child is already leading a busy life filled with school, homework, extracurricular activities, sports and clubs. Boredom can lead to quiet reflective time to daydream, make up games, write stories, poems, keep a journal or diary, listen to music, play music, play outdoor, bike ride, or visit with friends or family.

For adults, a tv-free week is a great time to consider doing something you always said you would do with the extra hours. Time to organize an area of your house that needs it, scrapbook those old photos, you've been meaning to get to, go on a date with your spouse or partner, schedule in an extra workout, take up a new hobby or cook a new meal from scratch. 

You'll surely save time and here's the bonus: you'll save energy from less electricity usage, too.

Find a wealth of TV free activities for kids and grown-ups to stir your imagination here.

**Don't forget to check Green Parent Chicago's Upcoming Events calendar for more tv-free, fun things to do around town that week and all throughout the month.**

-photo credit: flickr, STV033

Does This Disturb You? Docu Screening Explores Effects of Commercialism on Kids

"Consuming Kids", a new documentary by the Media Education Foundation is described as "an eye-opening account of the pervasive and pernicious effects of children’s advertising on the health and well-being of kids."

The film explores the increasingly pervasive ways corporations attempt to access the daily habits of American children hoping to shape them into lifelong consumers.

Hear what some reviewers of the film had to say:

"An outstanding film with an urgent message, Consuming Kids is remarkably researched and elegantly executed. It leaves no room for doubt that relentless marketing to children is hurting their mental and physical health. Turning a child's sandbox, filled with so much imaginative potential, into a shopping mall is a crime. It is not what children consume, but what they are directed to think and feel about themselves and their world that is really at stake."
- Chyng Sun, Ph.D. | Creator of Mickey Mouse Monopoly

"Like never before, children today are plagued by a variety of ills, from violence to hyper-sexualization to obesity to rampant materialism. Consuming Kids connects these dots, showing how these problems all relate back to corporate marketers preying on our children for profit. Watching this movie will open the eyes of everyone who cares about children to the disturbing new realities of our consumer culture."
- Tim Kasser | Associate Professor of Psychology at Knox College | Author of The High Price of Materialism

A free screening of "Consuming Kids" will be held Sunday at the Oak Park Public Library at 2:30 p.m. Organizers request those attending to RSVP as space is limited. Several other upcoming screenings in the area are listed here for those unable to attend Sunday's screening.

Bob the Builder Goes Green for New Show, Green Parent Chicago Reader's Discount

Bob the Builder, the popular television show character, is headed to Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 7 for two performances at 2 and 5 p.m. at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St.

"Bob the Builder Live! Spud's Big Mess" will be the character's first touring stage show in the U.S. in five years. Starring Bob, his business partner Wendy, machine-team members Scoop, Dizzy, Lofty and Scrambler and other favorite friends from Sunflower Valley scarecrow Spud, Farmer Pickles and Mayor Bentley.

According to the show's producers, Bob and his team build the first-ever recycling center and wind farm in Sunflower Valley. It isn’t long before some items go missing and a few of Bob’s friends mysteriously disappear. Faced with a mountain of garbage, they must figure out who is responsible for the mess and work together to fix it, while dealing with Spud’s antics.

The 90-minute show features ten original songs and sees the characters embark on an adventure that promotes positive messages of caring for the environment, recycling, teamwork, cooperation and, the importance of a can-do spirit. Several lessons are incorporated into the storyline for kids and good reminders for grown-ups:

Encouraging habits such as taking care of the earth and everything that lives on it; understanding what it means to recycle and reuse; identifying and defining a recycling center and how to find one while understanding its importance; and defining trash and recycling. In addition, show materials will include special recycling tips and eco-themed activities for kids.

All venues where the live show is performing will be encouraged to use recycling containers and include information about how to attend the show by using public transportation on their website.

Special Offer for Green Parent Chicago Readers!: 50% off tickets for the 5 p.m. show on Saturday Feb. 7, Use code: 2BOBBOGO (use in promotions and special offers box)

Regular ticket prices for Bob the Builder Live! Spud’s Big Mess range from $30 to $40. The Chicago performance schedule is Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2 and 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at The Chicago Theatre Box Office, 175 N. State St, or online through Ticketmaster or by calling 312-559-1212.

Groups of 10 or more may purchase tickets by phone 877-4-GRP-TIX (877-447-7849), email info@grouptix.net or at www.grouptix.net.

Worldwide Day of Play Events Around City and Suburbs Begin Saturday

Worldwide Day of Play events will take place at the end of September and early October around Chicago and the suburbs.

The celebration, a creation of Nickelodeon kids networks, has run annually since 2003 and is part of Nickelodeon's "Let's Just Play" program to fight childhood obesity.

For 3 hours on Saturday, Nickelodeon, Nick.com, Nick Toons and Nick GAS will go dark with no programming to promote active play and healthy living.

Around Chicago, partners in the Worldwide Day of Play event include The Morton Arboretum, The Conservation Foundation, the Chicago Bears, the Plainfield Park District and Village of Romeoville Parks and Recreation Department.

In addition to regularly scheduled hours for play and exploration of the grounds, The Morton Arboretum will debut their Fall Color Festival Saturday. The annual festival includes a drop-in program called "Pumpkin Play" in the children's garden where kids can decorate a pumpkin (available for purchase) and learn about pumpkin seeds. There will also be a scarecrow trail, taffy apples, bratwurst, chicken and roasted corn for sale Theatre-Hike presentation of "Dracula".

The Naperville-based Conservation Foundation will hold their event Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m at McDonald Farm and Dickson-Murst Farms with family games and nature exploration. The cost is $15 per family for members, $18 per family for non-members. 

In the city, Chicago Bears safety Kevin Payne will appear Saturday at the Cotter Boys & Girls Club of Chicago and lead children through five station-based activities, one of which is a flag football station.

The Plainfield Park District and Village of Romeoville Parks and Recreation Department will host their joint event on Oct. 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Four Seasons Park located on Lockport St. just west of I-55 in Plainfield. The morning will include outdoor activities, including playground games, sports, races, an inflatable play area, a nature scavenger hunt, crafts, Fun Olympics, Play Zone activities sponsored by Edward Hospital and Health Services and giveaways. All activities are free and registration is not required.