Do you base your style on what celebrities are wearing? Do you stay up-to-date on your news through social media? Do you do your own research on the news that is relayed to you through media outlets?
If you answered yes to a majority of these questions, it proves how much of an influence social media has on your life. The media, whether traditional or progressive, has the power to deeply influence a society for better, but mostly for worse. In actuality, the issues all spring from the lack of inquisition within people. We live in a society where oftentimes people prefer the simple things in life and barely read past the headline of a story.
Oftentimes, people believe minority groups are solely based on ethnicity, but gender also plays a role. As children, we mimic the actions that we see, therefore growing up being exposed to what the media believes to be "ideal" influences how women grow to feel about themselves. In today’s print media, including magazines such as Seventeen — which targets young teenage girls — features many unrealistic images with photoshopped images of models. On behalf of the company, this action is acceptable in view of the fact that it’s making their product more marketable and appealing to the eye.
Now, how many of you grew up wanting to be barbie?
According to the book “Barbie” by Sara Pendergast, the average American girl between the ages of 3 to 11 owns 10 Barbie dolls. If the traditional Barbie doll was real, she would be 5’9”, weigh 120 pounds and her body fat percentage would be so low that she would not be able to menstruate. Wanting to be like barbie is more than just a "phase" because most children grow up with this perception that it oftentimes is a self-conscious thought. Children toys are to allow children to practice roles they will practice as adults. Hence why parent’s oftentimes buy their daughters housekeeping kits, doll houses, etc, to equip them with these traits. But the Barbie doll seems to do more harm than good.
I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world. Life in plastic, it's fantastic.You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere. — I'm a blond bimbo girl, in a fantasy world,
Dress me up, make it tight, I'm your dolly. — Make me walk, make me talk, do whatever you please, I can act like a star, I can beg on my knees.
"Barbie Girl" is a song from the 90s that stirred up controversy between the singer, and the actual Barbie production company, Mattel. This is a perfect depiction of how women are shown within the media. As women, we can we can not complain about how society sees us as weak, when we do so to ourselves.
The solution is simple, but we must be willing. Parents be cautious because your childrens' toys are more than just a toy.
