Disney shows and what they tell our tweens....

After watching Disney channel, Nick and other childrens shows (including tween shows) for the last 11 years or so, I can honestly say that marketing to each age group has gotten progressively worse as the children have gotten older.    These days, the shows are actually more marketing than even the commercials.   For example, watching a Hannah Montana episode provides not just a fun story line but also plenty of opportunities to see the newest clothes, boots and accessories.  Unfortunately for the parents, those items will be on sale next week or next month for your daughter.   And she will want them!

Phineas and Ferb is a fun little animated show that teaches logic and science in a fast paced, fun way.  But the teen girl in there has the typical attitude which rubs off on many children who watch too much.  Nick is presenting the idea that watching out for younger siblings is a pain that cramps a teen girls style.  Never mind that in most families, sharing responsibilities is still an important part of life.  Oh and she likes to tattle on Phineas which is annoying and presents the image that if you can get someone in trouble, you can perhaps get out of your responsibilities.

Wizards of Waverly place deals with a family of wizards and their antics.  But the main female character, Alex, played by Selena Gomez is another tween idol who provides a "role" model for clothing, accessories, music, etc.  Her behavior on and off screen is watched by the girls and the boys and emulated by the girls. 

For the boys the behavior exhibited by Gomez, Cyrus, and other role models becomes the expected of the girls they know in real life.  This puts these girls in difficult positions because they see the actresses doing things in fictional settings while the boys want the same things in reality.  For young tweens of either gender, it is difficult to know how to handle such situations, especially once they are in the middle of it.

While the story lines of most shows for tweens are fun, there are often subtle things that tweens pick up on.  Each parent must decide for themselves what and if they want their tweens watching shows or not.