The Sexualization Of Female Youth

Beauty pageants have long been criticized for being shallow, idealistic, and detrimental to self-esteem. Despite such allegations, child pageantry has been gaining in popularity in recent years. In these pageants girls are dressed up in frilly dresses, mountains of makeup, and perform a little dance featuring hip shakes and shimmies, often not by their own choice. This rather extreme example demonstrates the prominence of sexualization of children today. Women have been viewed as objects simply for sexual desire for all of history. They are objectified even starting early in childhood, as young girls were, and in some cultures still are, highly sought after goods. While mature looks and sexy clothing used to be reserved for adult women, more and more young girls are interested in obtaining the same older features. Girls are being unfairly sexualized from an increasingly young age.

In the quest to look beautiful just like the heroines in the Disney princesses' franchise, many girls indulge themselves in the products that made for the grown-ups. Hanes proves this with a statistic from the marketing group, NPD Fashionworld, who reported that a total of 1.6 million dollars is spent annually on thong underwear for children between 7-12 years (510). These facts do not even begin to cover what is really happening to young girls nowadays. In addition, young girls are engaging themselves with the makeup at a young age that may be harmful to them because they are chemicals. Young children who feel that they are fat and want to become slender may even go to the extent of starving themselves to obtain the body shape and size that they want. There have even been cases where parents have allowed or encouraged their children to undergo the surgeries and other procedures to "enhance" their beauty. As a result, these girls end up getting the health problems and depression. Hanes supports this fact with the statistics from an APA research, which linked stress, depression, health problems, and eating disorders to sexualization

Perceptions of a Girl in Childlike vs. Sexualizing Clothing” written by the authors Kaitlin Graff, Sarah K. Murnen, and Linda Smolak, they do a study on how girls are perceived in societies eyes when dressed in a more sexual manner. In the study there are pictures of a fifth-grade girl dressed in either childlike clothing or super sexualized clothing. A group of diverse students are presented with three different types of pictures and they define whether the girl is average or above average in her achievements. Concluding in their study it presents that wearing more sexualized clothes do affect how they are looked upon and they don’t regard their achievements throughout life. In the study it states, “sexualization of women in advertisements increased significantly in the U.S. between 1983 and 2003” (Graff, Murnen, & Smolak 765) proving that sexualized advertisements have drastically been impacting societies ideal

In the American culture today, women are becoming more sexualized at a younger age due to the influences of the corporate media. Corporate media and society form the perfect idealistic body that women should have and is constantly being promoted making younger girls start to compare themselves to them at a young age. Certain shows and movies, such as Disney, influence young children and teenagers through their characters as to how a woman is supposed to be accepted. The way the corporate media and society make this body image they want women to have starts in a very early stage in a woman's life without them knowing. There are these childhood movies, such as Disney, Barbie and Ken dolls, programs such as Netflix, teen

Now-a-days, you can’t find appropriate clothing for your children because all stores are selling short-shorts and crop tops for 12-year-olds. This issue is contradicting; girls are being sexualized by being told not to wear clothes that show their skin, yet the only clothes that are currently being sold are clothes that only sexualize girls even more by showing too much skin that doesn’t fit their age group. Orenstein also argues that, “ For today’s girls, sexy appearance has been firmly conflated with strong womanhood.” Meaning, instead of having a princess birthday party at the park, preschoolers are now having mani-pedi spa birthday parties; or how the Elementary school cheer dance routine is more provocative; or when 9-year-olds are taught “all the ticks of beauty.” In our defence, when society depicts young women as sexual objects, they make young girls think that their beauty is more important than their brains(hence the reason why you can easily mistake a 13-year-old for a

The article discussion the importance of beauty to make Conrad in today’s society. Growing up as a teenager, American girls get exposed cosmetic treatments. Any surgery can be dangerous and cause fatal deaths. Statistics proves teenager are more likely to receive nose jobs and breast implants before turning 21 of age. Sandra Boodman confirmed that girls tends to compare themselves to models image not knowing its plastic work. This article also outlines the safety guidelines of plastic surgery. This website provide me with great information and statistics that is helpful. I chose this article because it is a common topic growing up as a teenager.

There is a huge controversy in whether or not young girls are sexualized in the media. I absolutely agree that young girls and women are sexualized, us women are shown as sex objects and the world thinks its right. As a community, we should not let the media provoke women in the way they do. It disgusting on how they show women in tiny bathing suits. When did beauty ever become on what’s on the outside of a human being, beauty is on the inside; what’s in the heart. The media has set crazy standards for young girls and everyone is to blind to realize.

For as long as media has been around, women have been sexualized in order to sell products. It’s a known fact by brands and consumers alike: sex sells. No one can deny this fact, it’s everywhere. Turn on your radio, you’ll hear songs describing women as nothing more than pieces of meat, objects to look at. Turn on your televison and you’ll see advertisements for inherentlyunsexual products like beer or a burger, but it will accompanied by a half naked woman. Walk into any convenience store, and you will find half a dozen magazine with airbrushed models in bikinis, some of these models so young that they cannot even drive. At what age does it become okay to start sexualizing women, or is it never okay? Some would say the age of legality, which is eighteen, but young Hollywood starlets such as Kylie Jenner and Ariel Winter were victims of the media’s obsession with sexualization before they even turned sixteen. It is an understatement to say that the media has gone too far in many instances. It’s as if as soon as girls reach the age of puberty, they fair game to the media as objects of scrutiny and sexualization. It has gone from bad to worse. The way the media sexualizes women, especially famous teenage girls, is wrong and has

With the media becoming the main source from which the current society gets their daily information concerning products, news stories, and entertainment, it is wise to think critically about the messages they are conveying to us. These corporations spend large sums of money every day in order to grasp our attention. The question as to whether or not they have their customer’s best interest in mind arises and leaves the public no answer but to look to the advertisements they have produced. Consider the pistachio industry using a woman with a whip to grasp the viewers’ attention. In reality, is a provocative image what it takes to sell us a simple bag of pistachios? With advertising decisions like these come negative consequences such as the

“They look like prostiTots!” Christi Lukasiak, famous mother on Dance Moms, exclaims as her 8 year old daughter struts across the room in her bright blue bra. Lukasiak, and the other eccentric moms of the hit TV show, dress their daughters every week in little bikini sets and have them dance on television for thousands of viewers. The moms, like many others in the media, recognize that girls in skimpy clothing sells. But this sexualization of kids is very dangerous. Studies have shown that girls as young as six believe their value comes from how sexy they are. And where else do they learn this than from the hundreds of advertisements, TV shows, and movies featuring girls their age in proactive attire (Davis). The impact of this sexualization

The sexualization of women and girls surround Americans and is damaging to females as well as to American society. Females receive the sexualized messages regarding their appearance and how they should act via the media, retailers, and American society’s acceptance of these behaviors. As a mother, Girl Scout Leader, and school paraprofessional I cannot help but to question are these messages inflicting psychological damage on girls? Whom can I hold accountable for sexualizing female youth? What can I do to prevent sexualization from affecting all of the young girls in my life? The sexualization of girls is unacceptable because it is degrading to females, can cause serious life-long psychological damage and sexist attitudes, and may lead to violence against women and girls.

Starting at only two years of age, contestants of these child beauty pageants are being over sexualized. They are oftentimes made to wear tight and revealing dresses, to flaunt something they have not yet developed. Spray tans, hair extensions, fake nails and eyelashes, “sexy” outfits and bathing suits. These girls are even sometimes made to wear fake teeth, because what used to be “innocent and adorable” about the gaps in a child’s teeth from losing them, is no longer pretty enough in the eyes of the judge. In July 2012, Knox College in Galesburg, III. conducted an experiment on girls ages 6 to 9. In the experiment they showed the girls two different dolls, one was dressed in tight and revealing clothing while the other was dressed in a modest but popular looking outfit. The researchers asked the girls which

The sexualization of the black female body continues with the white European interest of Josephine Baker. Looking to find fame, Baker became a popular performer in Paris. In Phyllis Roses’s biography, Jazz Cleopatra: Josephine Baker In Her Time , Baker’s dance routine concentrated on her butt. She controlled it as if it was an instrument apart from herself that she could shake. She wasn't ashamed of her body. However, her success as an entertainer was highlighted by the exposure of her body. The notion of the black female as animalistic was also exploited in both of their careers. Baartman’s body was used as an exhibit during life and even after her death. Her natural built was seen as “abnormal”, “because it differentiated from the “normal”

“Will the sexualization of women in advertising campaigns affect the young generation of 21st century”

On the contrary, they are encouraged by the “drop two-sizes” and the “7-day detox plan” headlines on the fashion magazines that intrude every grocery store check-out lane. We no longer think it is unorthodox that in 2012 alone, teenagers underwent over 236,000 cosmetic surgeries (American Society of Plastic Surgeons). Instead, teenage girls who wear brassieres size 30A or do not have protruding cheekbones are seen as defective beings, and if they do not spend their first paycheck—or their parents’ savings— attempting to replicate the so-called-perfect-image, will remain physically—and socially—inferior to the women the media considers beautiful.