My last post discussed how social media has taken away some of the intimacy of proposing so today I wanted to talk about how social media is making a difference in a good way! Talking about a girls menstrual cycle. Eeewww…. Yep! Feel free to close the window now if you don’t want to read about it.
As most of you know that I am working on creating programs for children and adults on sex education. We still live in a society that is afraid to talk about puberty and sex. That saying the word penis causes giggles or shock and the word vagina has its own nicknames but the actual word isn’t spoken. Frankly, those body parts are no different from a hand or a foot. The difference is that these body parts are hidden and private, aka private parts.
All girls get them, but why is it that we are too afraid to talk about it? I have been blessed to be able to start using my teaching theories and techniques (aka all about education and not making anything scary) with a teen who just got her period. I started talking to her before she got her period, when she just started the wonderful roller coaster of puberty. How girls of that age could be defined by either having theirs or not, and if you didn’t have yours yet – you felt like you were missing out on something “cool”. But then the day came – she got period and now she wants it to disappear (along with most of the women population) BAHAHAHA. I mean, who really wants to deal with painful cramps, having to buy expensive products only to flush them down the toilet (literally), the embarrassing moments caused by bleed throughs, and lets not forget about the visible-to-all – the physical changing in breast size.
I found this commercial and absolutely fell I’m love with it. Yes, it is an advertisement but it is real. Kotex has tried to be real with their U by Kotex line by poking fun of other feminine product commercials but this one puts them to shame. (However after doing some research Kotex does have a YouTube video talking about “myths”. It is a shame I didn’t know about it until googling for the commercial). I doubt it will ever be seen on TV but I hope one day our society can get there. What I like best about this is it makes a joke of all the crap that teens go through when getting their period but helps give a “solution” or the feeling of something out there to make it better and easier to deal with.
My favorite line “It’s like Christmas for your vagina!”
Then there is this commercial. One – it looks like a college PSA as the girls seem as enthusiastic as the bracelet looks (no hard feelings). I have mixed feelings on this product. They are aiming at college girls which I find odd as the majority of college girls are using some form of hormonal contraceptive. However I do think this would be good with younger teens 11-16 years of age that aren’t using a hormone to regulate their period. It could make them more aware of their cycle and could be good for those adults using the “rhythm method”.
All in all, I am thankful for these companies making these videos as it is one step forward. One step in making my education program a reality and actually thinking it might be more accepted in society and less taboo. So thank you YouTube for helping make my life just a little easier. And two these two companies, I give you a round of applause and look forward to the next company that pushes the envelope just a little further.