It’s a really exciting time to be young, and I don’t mean by being a young adult. In 2016, we are becoming more open to whom we are, and what we really want to be. Gender shaming, and stereotyping is slowly becoming a thing of the past.
The most exciting thing that is going to really lead this new generation of young people is innovative new ideas, like this new magazine that was brought to my attention by a good friend of mine. Its called Kazoo, and it’s a magazine for young girls, that isn’t based on looks, and this unobtainable perfection our society craves. It's about promoting other self confidences in girls besides their outward appearances. In 2016 and in following years to come, girls will get more and more credit for their brains, and not their boobs. The Author and magazine editor Erin Bried got this idea just by going to a book store with her daughter. They wanted something to read together, and all books were focused on beauty, dolls and princesses, nothing that inspired to be more than that. This magazine plans to focus on many topics, from good manners to crushes on boy bands, and statistics for girls to know what they are up against. Like in the STEM fields, 75% of girls are interested in engineering, but only 11% study it. This magazine wants to inspire girls to be the wild, fierce strong creatures they should be.
This dream magazine is right now just a hope waiting to happen. It is a kick starter, waiting to hit their $150,000 goal. If I wasn’t broke, I would be donating left and right, because I know that this would have been something I would have totally benefitted from as a young girl. My life would be so different if I wasn’t raised to be stressing about what size pants I wear, and how different I was from the other girls. That I liked to do things boys liked to do, like skateboard, and roll around in the sand at the beach. To be promoted to worry more about my brain, and what I could accomplish one day, like running for president. To be learning new things that could spark my interest, new skills, to test my intelligence and engage with new cultures and read about other girls going through the same things I was.
I think about growing up with my mom, and my sisters. What it was like for her to have to encourage us girls to do these new things, to join clubs that interested us, or to play sports. To feed our brains what we needed. There are so many more options now for these young girls to not be scared of who they are and what they want. When I was young, and you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I wanted to work at Sea World, and to work with the whales and dolphins. I wanted to be a Marine Biologist, or be Gwen Stefani. I wanted to study and work with the animals, and be the lead singer of a rock band, and I think that if there was any sort of influence and social support, I maybe would have done that as I got older. That if I had a different role models besides my Barbie Dolls and American Girl Dolls. There weren’t many women in the world making an example for girls to be marine biologists, or study other things, that almost seemed out of the ordinary for 25 years ago. The lack of social example and environment shapes who are today, whether it is bad or good. Women were baking cakes, and taking care of babies, and working part time. Not creating Harvard studies, and breaking down social walls like they are now.
With all these transgender issues, and gender role walls being broken down and dissected. It really has made a path for everyone to grow. For the judgment to slowly become obsolete, and open the doors to be whatever we want to be. Author and psychologist, Steve Buddulph, in 1997 wrote about life for young boys and girls. He said that girls were perfect prey for advertisers because they are “socially aware” and more tuned into the world around them.” This developing the issue at age 10 or 11 to not worry about what they were doing that day, but more along the lines of what they should look like that day. Today, growing up technology really plays the devil’s advocate in this day in age, because you have to cut in through the social media frenzy, and in between the texts, phone calls and the TV. This is why a girl’s magazine, like kazoo, would be the perfect outlet to almost stop the frenzy in its tracks.
When, and If I ever have a daughter, I hope a publication like this exists. I want my daughter to be inspired to be loud, creative and messy. That science is fun, or building robots or submarines can take her somewhere if she wants it too. The knowledge, and excitement for new and exciting things that can be celebrated.
