Prue DeAraugo
RyanaDoes the media sexualise young girls?
May 23rd 2008 01:53
When my husband and I went to the birthday party of a friends seven year old daughter, I was shocked at the number of girls running around in tight pants and crop tops. I felt I must have been turning into my mother when I started thinking I would never let my daughter dress like that. Now that I have a daughter of my own I worry about the pressure on young girls to look sexy at a time of their life when they should be racing around the neighbourhood on their bikes.
Children and teenagers have always had self-esteem issues and anxieties about whether they conform, but today’s children seem to be under more stress than previous generations. I think it is getting harder for kids. Society sexualises children especially girls from a much younger age. The most popular girls magazines Total Girl and Dolly include articles such as ‘Sex, How to Do it and How to Get More of it’, and ‘Losing your Virginity’. They teach girls how to dance proactively, and offer tips on how to be more like Paris Hilton. The target market for these magazines are girls aged 14 – 17 years however nearly 20% of girls aged 6-11 years also read these magazines according to the Roy Morgan readership survey. In my opinion ‘Sex, How to Do it and How to Get More of it’ is not an appropriate article for 14 -17 year olds never mind 6 – 11 year olds. Its not just the magazines either, look at some of the catalogues advertising girls clothes. Advertisers and marketers encourage pre pubescent girls to take on a sexy poses in marketing materials. Not to mention internet games that encourage girls to be “Become the hottest, coolest most famous bimbo ever”.
Researcher Dr Emma Rush believes this sexualisation puts young children particularly girls at risk in three ways. It distracts them from the usual childhood pursuits and games that build to a healthier foundation for adulthood. It leads to an onset of body image problems among much younger children. The third risk that they may become targets of sexual predation if advertising messages show that it is ok to see these young girls as sexually interesting.
I worry how society is changing. Do not get me wrong when I was a teenager I felt those same pressures. But when I was 7 – 11 I was far more interested in pursuits such as climbing trees and seeing if I could win an arm wrestle with a boy to worry about sexy clothes.
What do you think? Is the sexualisation of girls starting younger nowadays?
Children and teenagers have always had self-esteem issues and anxieties about whether they conform, but today’s children seem to be under more stress than previous generations. I think it is getting harder for kids. Society sexualises children especially girls from a much younger age. The most popular girls magazines Total Girl and Dolly include articles such as ‘Sex, How to Do it and How to Get More of it’, and ‘Losing your Virginity’. They teach girls how to dance proactively, and offer tips on how to be more like Paris Hilton. The target market for these magazines are girls aged 14 – 17 years however nearly 20% of girls aged 6-11 years also read these magazines according to the Roy Morgan readership survey. In my opinion ‘Sex, How to Do it and How to Get More of it’ is not an appropriate article for 14 -17 year olds never mind 6 – 11 year olds. Its not just the magazines either, look at some of the catalogues advertising girls clothes. Advertisers and marketers encourage pre pubescent girls to take on a sexy poses in marketing materials. Not to mention internet games that encourage girls to be “Become the hottest, coolest most famous bimbo ever”.
Researcher Dr Emma Rush believes this sexualisation puts young children particularly girls at risk in three ways. It distracts them from the usual childhood pursuits and games that build to a healthier foundation for adulthood. It leads to an onset of body image problems among much younger children. The third risk that they may become targets of sexual predation if advertising messages show that it is ok to see these young girls as sexually interesting.
I worry how society is changing. Do not get me wrong when I was a teenager I felt those same pressures. But when I was 7 – 11 I was far more interested in pursuits such as climbing trees and seeing if I could win an arm wrestle with a boy to worry about sexy clothes.
What do you think? Is the sexualisation of girls starting younger nowadays?
games such as my bimbo add to the pressure
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Comment by Jarrah
Back to the Eighties
Seriously though, people need to stop blaming the media and start blaming themselves.
Those girls were running around in clothes their parents bought them.
Comment by Market Newbie
Gizmo Peek
Stock Market Punk
Maybe the problem lies in the interpretation of those responsibilities which, once in a while, is obscured by the need to increase profits.
Comment by Sara Dobson
My Turn
Thanks for your comments. I agree that parents do need to take responsibility after all they buy the clothes. On the other hand it is hard to tell a girl that is constantly teased for not conforming that she can't have something. My mother used the excuse "Its better to be an individual" . But it didn't feel like that when I was 10! (Get those violins out).
Hi MN
Does the media shape society or does society shape the media. Maybe a bit of both perhaps? I guess they are a business after all and if people weren't buying what the magazines with those sorts of stories in them they would find something else to write.
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Yep, the pressure is massive, the risks worse. But I think rather than cryptic mum messages such as - "you'll get a reputation" (which only leads to, "what kind of reputation?" and geez man I think I was 20 when I finally figured out what she meant) its better to talk about sex in the household openly and without shame or fear. No cloaks and daggers, just say yep, its natural, your hormones are raging. Its normal to want to experiment and you have to someday, all I can do is try and point you away from that boy who was flirting with your best friend...
Usually, kids as young as 7 will 'experiment' in some way, and we consider it abhorrent and break it up when we find it, but should we? Would experimentation at that age prevent sexual disfunction later on? Is our confusion over sex all because as a species, we arent playing it out properly? Animals experiment as soon as able even if they cant fall pregnant, and despite our big brains, we really are still animals when it comes to sex.
I dont claim to have the answers to my own questions, Im just trying to look at the issue from a different angle.
Comment by Whitney
The Female View
Pet Advice
Tech Stripe
Alternative Look
My boyfriend's little sister is 12, and she's 1) ditsy and 2) well-developed. Her mother refuses to believe that she would talk to boys much less go out with one. She's going to be pregnant before she's 14 b/c she doesn't know or understand the concept of sex = baby and she'll anything b/s she's a nice kid who's a lot ditsy. What doesn't help the situation is the attire.
Young girls who see magazines like you've mentioned, and the women in the magazines where tight and skimpy clothing, and today's average parent just doesn't pay enough attention. Young girls don't have the right role models to look up to because everyone is dressing provocatively.
Kleonaptra, I agree that open sexuality in the home is a great way to raise children, but sometimes it can create problems. My boyfriend has a very open family in which he and his grandmother sit down over a cigarette and talk about sex, to include oral sex. He began experimenting at age 6, even though he didn't know what he was doing, which progressed into a very long line sleeping around. I, on the other hand, was raised sheltered, and sex scenes were quickly fast forwarded through or the channel changed. To this day my father still does this. My upbringing has caused me to be very shy and self-contained in regards to sexually behaviors; something that is very hard for me to change even though I know the cause and how to change the problem. I would like to have seen a nice in-between way of child rearing where sex is more open in the home, but not so much that it allows the children to have nearly whorish behaviors.
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
yeah, thats what I mean. I was raised Catholic so sex was just taboo, you dont talk about it at all. Then I was launched into public high school....I knew nothing. Sheep amoung wolves. It was a disaster.
So yeah, it would be nice to strike some kind of medium....It always amazes me that we think we're so 'civilized'!
I have that problem too! By the way, love your posting pic!
This is a great discussion topic Sara. Thanks.
Comment by Sara Dobson
My Turn
Thanks for your comments. I agree there needs to be a balance. I wasn't a cathlic but my nobody wanted to discuss sexi in our house either, but in the end you still experiment. You don't want to discuss intimate details with parents but I did wish I could have asked more questions. Although not sure about sitting down with my grandmother over a cigarette.