Icebergs of Attitude
With arms crossed and heads leaning at an angle of skepticism, the room full of adolescents indicated that they weren't going to easily accept anything from an organization called the National Institute on Media and the Family. I was at Carondelet Catholic School in Minneapolis, MN, for four MediaWise presentations. The first was with the middle school. As I watched the students slump in their seats and roll their eyes, my mind wandered to the image of an iceberg, remembering that the tip of the iceberg is a warning of danger under the surface. Adolescents can sometimes present what appear to be icebergs of attitude. Then I recalled Dr. David Walsh saying, "Adolescence is not a problem to be solved, it's an experience to be lived."

Thawing of the Ice
The presentation began with adolescent brain research - the flame of curiosity was lit and they began to ask insightful, thoughtful and creative questions. Little evidence of an "Imagination Deficit" here - these kids were critical thinkers, not willing to accept just anything an adult tells them. As they realized I would not tell them to throw away their TVs and iPods, their body language changed; the iceberg of attitude began to melt. Our time together went by quickly. Soon our hour was up, and I had to move on.

Unforgettable Adolescents
As the day continued with other grades and an evening parent presentation, I kept thinking of the middle school. It seemed that our session was incomplete. It was a relief when the teachers approached me after the parent program with similar thoughts. We decided on another session the following day, this time examining the "jolts and tricks" used by advertisers to influence us. The students became enthusiastic and inspired. Icebergs no more, they seemed like rivers, ready to flow with new knowledge into this wonderful "information age" we live in.

Next time you navigate close to an "iceberg" of adolescent attitude, remember: under the surface there is often a wonderful young person wanting to understand his or her world. At Carondolet the future is in good hands with these MediaWise kids!

That’s the news from the road,

Michael Mann, Institute Speaker
National Institute on Media and the Family