Our Young Girls Are Going Wild, But at What Consequences?
Pastor Dale Morgan
Our Young Girls Are Going Wild, But at What Consequences?*
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Fox News Net
“Role models” like amateur porn star Paris Hilton and her
underwear-challenged cohorts Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan are
prompting more and more young girls to “go wild,” but with negative
consequences.
Mental health experts say more and more youngsters are being influenced
by the “sexualization of girls,” a term coined in a report released
earlier this year by the American Psychological Association.
The research analyzed the content and effects of virtually every form of
media, including television, music videos, music lyrics, magazines,
movies, video games and the Internet. It also examined recent
advertising campaigns and merchandising of products aimed toward girls.
What they found was a sort of “Girls Gone Wild” effect in which young
girls are succumbing to the pressure of sexualization by posting nude
pictures of themselves on the Internet, allowing boyfriends to
photograph them in the nude and making their own amateur porn videos.
“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,” said Eileen L. Zurbriggen, PhD, chairwoman of the APA Task
Force and associate professor of psychology at the University of
California, Santa Cruz, earlier this year in reference to the report.
As a result of an over-sexed society, young girls are reaping the
following mental health issues:
Cognitive and Emotional Consequences: Sexualization and objectification
undermine 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 or depressed mood.
Sexual Development: Research suggests that the sexualization of girls
has negative consequences on girls’ ability to develop a healthy sexual
self-image.
“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,” said Zurbriggen. “The goal should be to
deliver messages to all adolescents—boys and girls—that lead to healthy
sexual development.”