A Girl's Life

Gr 7 Up—Researcher/author Rachel Simmons discusses the challenges facing young women as they grow to adulthood in the 21st century. To gather information, Simmons interviews parents, psychologists, teachers, social workers, and teens about what it means to be an adolescent girl in today's world and what messages girls receive from media and society. The core of the video consists of Simmons's interviews with four teenage girls in which she closely examines issues of body image, academics, cyber bullying, and violence. While the target audience is actually the parents of teenage girls, the production should also appeal to teens and serve as a springboard for discussion about issues such as the messages they receive about relationships and their bodies from music, television, and magazines. The stories shared by the girls are especially poignant and the issues addressed are important. A great resource for middle and high school guidance counselors.—Janet Hilbun, University of North Texas, Denton, TX