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BOO-BOOS, GERMS & PAP SMEARS:
Health Tips for Your Family
Girls Harmed by Media, Advertisers Gone Wild
Between Movies, Ads, Video Games and the Web, Today's Girls Aren't Getting a Healthy View of Womanhood
by Kathy Sena
The proliferation of sexualized images of girls and young women in advertising, merchandising and media is harmful to girls' self-image and healthy development, according to a report by the American Psychological Association (APA).
The APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls studied published research on the content and effects of television, music videos, music lyrics, magazines, movies, video games and the Internet. They also examined recent advertising campaigns and merchandising of products aimed toward girls. "Sexualization" was defined as occurring when a person's value comes only from her/his sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics, and when a person is sexually objectified, e.g., made into a thing for another's sexual use.
"The consequences of the sexualization of girls in media today are very real and are likely to be a negative influence on girls' healthy development," says Eileen L. Zurbriggen, Ph.D., chair of the APA Task Force. She says the research shows that this sexualization affects girls and young women in a variety of ways:
- Emotional Consequences: Researchers believe sexualization undermines a person's confidence in and comfort with her own body, leading to emotional and self-image problems such as shame and anxiety.
- Mental and Physical Health: Research links sexualization with three of the most common mental-health problems diagnosed in girls and women: eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression.
- Sexual Development: Research suggests that the sexualization of girls has negative consequences on girls' ability to develop a healthy sexual self-image.
The APA report calls on parents, school officials and health professionals to be alert for the potential impact of sexualization on girls and young women. Schools should teach media-literacy skills to all students and should include information on the negative effects of the sexualization of girls in media-literacy and sex-education classes.
"As a society, we need to replace all of these sexualized images with ones showing girls in positive settings; ones that show the uniqueness and competence of girls," says Zurbriggen. "The goal should be to deliver messages to all adolescents - boys and girls -that lead to healthy sexual development."
Kathy Sena is an award-winning health and parenting writer and the mother of a 12-year-old son.
Visit her website at KathySena.com
and check out her blog, Parent Talk Today, at
ParentTalkToday.com.
*The opinions stated aren't necessarily those of MommaSaid or its principals. Seek professional advice before beginning any health program.
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