As Christmas is fast approaching, girls and boys are loading their Christmas lists with endless toys of all types. For young girls, Barbies are more than likely an object of choice.

But if I were you, I would think twice about buying your daughters Barbies.

Now, I am not reprimanding or bashing parents that buy their children Barbies because I had Barbies growing up as a young girl, and I can not remember feeling uncomfortable with my body throughout the time I would play with them. But now, as I am older and face more challenges than ever with the media and the constant pressure to aim to be flawless, I see how not having them could have been beneficial to my health in the long run.

Children are taught at a young age that thinness is everything, not only from the images shown in the media, but in the bodies of their favorite toys, like Barbies, as well. Without even realizing it young girls are told to aspire to be like a doll, physically flawless.

For the longest time Barbies were only sold in the form of tall, stick-thin Caucasian girls. Now, dolls of varying races and ethnicities are available for purchase, though the body type has only begun to shift. Another great change that has been made to the Barbie world is the career specific dolls that are available. From professional skateboarder to soccer player to nurse, there is sure to be a Barbie that would be the perfect addition to every young girl’s toy collection.

The message used to be that Barbie needed Ken, the flawless male doll, to compliment her and make her happy, pushing the point that all girls need a boy, which encourages young girls to place their happiness in the hands of male attention. Recently, Barbie has released commercials inspiring young girls to be anything that they desire to be. They send a positive message to the youth, showing them that nothing is impossible. And while this is a step in the right direction, society is still being set back by Barbie dolls because they encourage unrealistic expectations for young girls in regards to body image.

The plastic figure has long, slender legs that do not meet at the thigh, which is not something many women can achieve in a healthy manner. In the article “Barbie Lead Designer Blames Moms, Not Doll’s Crazy Proportions, for Girls’ Body Issues,” Laura Stampler references a study conducted in 2006 which states “that Barbies and similar toys ‘may damage girls’ body image, which would contribute to an increased risk of disordered eating and weight cycle.’” I think this is especially important to young girls today because of the expedited advancements in technology they face. Their mind is constantly being filled with women of unrealistic, airbrushed standards that encompass every media platform, leaving the common woman to feel negative about herself physically.

There are people fighting to make a change to this unrealistic portrayal of women in the media such as the SPARK Movement and various petitions, but changes in the media can only be made gradually. It is up to parents to refrain from buying their young girls dolls that they will begin to compare themselves to, never quite matching up to the standards.