DECEMBER 2024

From the World of Conscious Language

Note: The authors' viewpoints are not necessarily shared by CSG.

DESIGN + IMAGES

Strabismus in Animation: Study Highlights Harmful Stereotypes in Children’s Films

“Strabismus, a misalignment of the eyes that is most often diagnosed in pediatric patients, does not impact an individual’s personality or intelligence, but a study has found that animated movies often tend to use the condition to signify a clumsy, dopey or villainous character.” Read >

ETHNICITY, NATIONALITY + RACE

How Black Culture Is Erased by Terms Like “Gen Alpha Slang”

“Some [young white children] pick up terms from the black community online and incorporate them into their discourse without understanding where these terms and phrases come from. As a result, many misuse these terms or inappropriately apply them.” Read >

GENDER, SEX + SEXUALITY

It’s Time to Take Back Gossip

“If Woman A does something shady to Woman B, Woman B should be free to speak about it without being dismissed as a ‘gossip.’” Read >

EMPOWERMENT

The Right (and Wrong) Things to Say to a Grieving Friend

“Don’t say anything that starts with ‘at least.’ That includes ‘at least they’re in a better place’ or ‘at least they are no longer suffering.’ When you start with ‘at least,’ you are minimizing your friend’s experience and, crucially, imposing a viewpoint that may not ring true.” Read >

CLIMATE + ENVIRONMENT

9 Local Story Ideas From the 2024 Lancet Countdown Report on Climate Change and Health

“Climate change is often framed as a global crisis, but its impacts are local, and this is where journalists play a critical role.” Read >

GENDER, SEX + SEXUALITY

Let’s Talk About “Joyfriend” Love & the Perks of Having a “Second Queer Adolescence”

Joyfriend is “a term used to describe a nonbinary person in a romantic relationship.” Read >

S P O N S O R

DIVERSITY + EQUITY

The Real Cost of Business Abandoning Inclusion

“When marketers shy away from inclusion, they’re leaving dollars on the table.” Read >

AGE

Carlisle MP Urges Change in Child Sexual Abuse Terminology

“These images are not ‘pornography.’ They are evidence of a crime and evidence of abuse.”—Julie Minns, Member of Parliament, Carlisle. Read >

ABILITY + DISABILITY

Colleges Must Revise Millions of Web Pages. It Will Be “Painful.”

“Some 21 percent of higher-ed students report having a disability, including visual, hearing, cognitive, and manual-dexterity impairments. Every day, many come across images and videos they can’t see, documents that their screen readers can’t interpret, audio they can’t hear, and sites that they can’t navigate effectively without a computer mouse.” Read >

SCIENCE > NAMING

A Blind Beetle Named Hitler? The Case for Changing Offensive Names of Animals and Plants, and How It Can Be Done

“The debate over renaming species names that have ethical issues is not simply about words. It is about ensuring that science remains relevant in a changing world.” Read >

LAW

Was It Really an “Accident”? Let’s Use the Right Word—It Matters More Than You Think

“‘Accident’ implies that no one is to blame, which can mislead juries in cases where negligence is at issue.” Read > 

ETHNICITY, NATIONALITY + RACE

Leave the N-word Out of the Schoolroom

“Non-Black Americans must understand the difference between a Black person using [the N-word] in a song and a teacher saying it in the classroom.” Read > 

GENDER, SEX + SEXUALITY

A Nonbinary Gender?

“The most common way to modify the gender marker in Spanish is to exchange the suffixes o or a for an e.” Read >

APPEARANCE

“Black Don’t Crack” Is Stressing Me Out

“In some ways, ‘black don’t crack’ is about more than just the outward appearance. It feels like another way black women aren’t allowed to be fully human.” Visit Appearance >

AGE

Child Exploitation and Abuse: An Appropriate Language Guide

“It’s important to remember that children can never consent to their own abuse.”

Visit Age >

From the Archives

Young People and Ageist Language

“Avoiding double standards in ageist language doesn’t mean treating children like adults, but it does mean treating children like individuals.” Read >

In Case You Missed It

In the November 2024 newsletter…

• A Simple Exercise to Help You Check Your Biases
• Asking Eric: Is Calling Our Senior Engagement “Cute” Ageism?
• What “High-Functioning Autism” Means (and Why You Shouldn’t Call It That)

Read >

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