December
7, 2013
The
Sexualization of Early Childhood
My reaction to the ideas
shared in this reading is I am in agreement with the views presented. Children are being exposed to sexual and
graphic depicts very early on from every forum of media to the exclusion of
emotional bonds, feelings, and repercussions.
Children “learn to associate physical appearance and buying the right
products not only with being sexy but also with being successful as a person. Such lessons will shape their gender
identity, sexual attitudes, and values and their capacity for relationships…” (Levin
& Kilbourne, 2009, p 2).
Providing examples of
children’s exposure to a sexualized environment is not very difficult as in our
society children are inundated with sexuality explicit media
representations. I don’t watch much television
so I am unfamiliar with a lot of the commercials and advertising aimed at
children, but my granddaughters were interested in the Bratz dolls which I
thought were inappropriate, so I engaged them in a conversation about the dolls
and why they liked them and why do they wear very little clothes and fishnet
hose. Other incidents include children
singing songs and dancing inappropriately at school. I have seen very young children talk about
someone being attractive using unsuitable terminology. I have heard a young boy call girls
unbecoming language and this was by a child less than three years old—when this
was addressed the parents said he has a teenage brother that listens to rap
music. Mainstream media often portray
women and even very young girls as sexual objects and physical attractiveness
as the source of their value.
Media frequently depicts
those with physical beauty as the good characters and those considered
unattractive as less desirable individuals associating physical characteristics
with moral attributes. These portrayals
can destroy a child’s self-image when they do not match the stereotypical ideal
of beauty and body type. With the
preoccupation of appearance and being thin it can lead to unhealthy lifestyles
and eating habits and there is also major gender stereotyping that limits a
child’s choices. The American
Psychological Association (2007) research report supports that “sexualization
has negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning,
physical and mental health, sexuality, and attitudes and beliefs” (p. 2).
I think it is vital to
discuss with children the importance of having other interests that does not focus
on appearance and that people should not be limited to what is popular. I would
stress other points of interests such as sports or hobbies. It is important to talk to children about
morals, ethics, and appropriate behaviors in concrete ways they can
understand—listening with open and honest communication to children is vital to
counteracting the negative effects of media. I would also limit the exposure to
inappropriate media and help children understand the motives of advertising and
strive to instill critical thinking skills concerning the adverse images they
are witnessing. This week’s resources on
the sexualization of early childhood have stressed the lasting impact that these
detrimental influences can have on a child’s development as their sense of self
is still being developed. It has also
brought an awareness of being an advocate for children in regard to this topic
and working to ensure that all media are respectful of children with realistic
and healthy representations.
References
American Psychological
Association. (2007). Report of the APA task
force on the sexualization of girls. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report-summary.pdf
Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne,
J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and
what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books.
Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf
Hi Drue,
ReplyDeleteI like the point you made about making sure that media provide healthy representations of children. There are so many negative influences that impact the lives of our children. One way that we can ensure that children aren't exposed to inappropriate images is by limiting what they see.