The so-called tween years are starting as early as six.
Experts said that by age six, girls needed branded clothes, at seven they wanted styled hair, by eight they were beginning diets, at nine they were styling their hair and by early teens were engaging in sex or sending sexually explicit text messages.
I’m trying to avoid the standard rant here as we’ve heard of this before from books like So Sexy So Soon. There are so many factors at play. Commercialization of childhood, consumerism, yes. But also a culture that worries incessantly about socialisation of children, even at the age of one or two and herds them off into daycare for hours that aren’t legal for many teachers. As I recently told a friend–I wouldn’t personally worry about the socialisation thing: Plenty of time for my child to succumb to peer pressure and pick up smoking/drugs/horrifying sexual ethics later.
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If you’re looking for someone to blame, I’d go for toy manufacturers and advertisers. They’ve been trying for years to milk more money from children, and determined that sexualisation is an effective way to achieve that aim.
I expect it to get worse though, due to another factor – the increased use of broadcast media and online communication. For millenia children have been shielded from sex by a powerful social tabboo that causes adults to fall silent in their presence, but television has no such judgement, and it’s impossible to determine someone’s age on the internet. This’ll mean that the information children are exposed to (on all topics, not just sex) is going to become much more similar to that which adults are exposed to.
Who are these “experts”?
My kids can’t tell the difference between a brand name or a downscale piece.
Styling hair at age seven? Who does that?
And girls were depressed about their popularity when *I* was in elementary school. This is nothing new.
I’m just not buying it.
“Experts said that by age six, girls needed branded clothes, at seven they wanted styled hair, by eight they were beginning diets, at nine they were styling their hair and by early teens were engaging in sex or sending sexually explicit text messages.”
I would say this is the standard recipe for an out of control child that has caretakers afraid to offend them instead of real parents that know that freedom of choice does not exist if you want good and responsible children. There are to many these days that are afraid to be parents they want to be their kids best friend. You can be their best friend after they grow into adults. When they are small a benevolent dictatorship works best.
Yes, sexuality in the media influences teen sexual behavior- I can’t even just say sexually suggestive anymore: There’s actual sex scenes on tv now- Have you seen the New Stargate Universe series: Ist episode. Many people are upset cause a high number of children were watching
We need to help make tighter restrictions on what can be shown on tv- there’s little that is truly so called family friendly any more.
Would some of you be interested in writing som posts here in the comment section in reference to parental content and abortion in general- I am one of the few prolife posters writing there and I could use some help.
Thanks☺
http://www.care2.com/causes/womens-rights/blog/compassion-in-the-face-of-parental-consent/
Hi Michelle, I posted a short note there under the screen name SfBf (Sarah B was taken). Very few people seem interested in discussing the actual law; it’s mostly just name-calling and generalizations.
I think your arguments are well-made, well-supported and clear but unfortunately people like Sarah D there will simply continue to dismiss whatever facts and figures you come up with because they just don’t like them. I admire you for trying, though!
“Have you seen the New Stargate Universe series: Ist episode. Many people are upset cause a high number of children were watching”
I really don’t care about the children who might see it, but I am annoyed for an unrelated reason: That scene was completly pointless. It has no importance to either plot or character development. It’s only purpose was just to give the audience something to stare at.
In it’s defence, at least the scene was short.
I notice the cast so far doesn’t include Seven – it needs a female character who serves primarily as sex appeal and fuel for the viewers’ fantasies. I am guessing they’ll be picking this one up on a later planet, to go for the ‘alien’ appeal… or the ‘she’s so weird, I can even imagine her accepting me’ appeal.
Hmm… a group of people traveling across the universe, stopping at planets on their way to meet the locals, have an adventure, and continue on to the next system? This seems very voyagery to me.
You can blame toy manufacturers but really, who buys that junk? I won’t buy my daughters pole dancing dolls or whatever wonderful thing comes next. If anyone else bought them they’d expect to be in the doghouse and the toy to be in the garbage where it belongs. Parents have to take some responsibility and stop blaming external things, however big a tide it is to fight. Nuts to letting it all wash in.
I’m sure it gets harder the older kids get (mine are 6 and 4), but a lot my kids’ peers have been watching that junk for years already and they all have Hannah Montana everything. My 6-year-old recognizes Sarah Palin, George Washington and Obummer more readily than HM, for which I’m pretty happy.
Of course, up until this year we’ve been homeschooling so it’s been a little easier to shield them from the crap that’s out there. I’ll get back to you after a year of public school. 😉
So we’re up to blameing manufacturers, advertisers, parents… and I’d throw in a few TV studios, for making tween TV that glorifies shallow consumerism. Blame is getting spread thin.
Something interesting to note: We *need* pointless materialism, wasteful turnover of fashion and needless consumption. It’s what drives the economy now. If not for people buying junk they don’t need, there would be a far more serious unemployment problem.