It is shocking to hear children of these ages say such things. I teach in a fifth grade class, and I have been shocked by some of the things that they say and do. These children have no filters on their mouths, they are allowed to watch and play movies and games that are way more mature than they are, and the way these children are dressing is very inappropriate. Children growing up today are bombarded from a very early age with graphic messages about sex and sexiness in the media and popular cultures (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).
Three examples that I feel illustrate the exposure of young children to a highly sexualized environment are marketing provocative clothing geared for young girls, lyrics of music, and television shows. Fueled by influential media and an overly provocative clothing market, today's young females are rocketing into adult behaviors at young ages, and multiple risks are along for the ride (Hawkes, n.d.). I have seen girls that have developed anorexia because they want to maintain that “thin, skinny” look and be able to fit in those clothes that girls find as “popular” yet are very inappropriate and do not leave a whole lot for the imagination. I heard about a parent that went to Pac Sun and purchased all the T-shirts that were being sold that were inappropriate so that other children would not buy them. I would like to see parents stand up and make a statement to their children that we are not going to have that “provocative clothing”, “explicit music” and we are going to preview what is being watched in our homes, then maybe these marketing companies might get the hint. As parents and educators, I feel that it is our job to educate our children to show respect to themselves as well as demanding respect from others. We as a society have sexualized our children and have taken away their childhood. We are essentially forcing them to act and dress as small adults when they are just children. I will definitely be more aware of what is going on and being discussed among the children in my classroom. I will also throw my “two cents” in on what these children see and play at home. I think that hearing concerns from someone other than the parent can be a good thing.
References
Hawkes, K. (n.d.). Media and clothing market influence on adolescent girls: Warnings for parents.
Retrieved from http://foreverfamilies.byu.edu
Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and
what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved
from: http://dianelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf
Hi Amy,
ReplyDeleteYour post is so true. Children are exposed to inappropriate things at such an early age. I am sure you hear and see a lot out of fifth graders. They are lucky to have you as a role model in the lives. Thanks for sharing.
Amy
I completely agree with your examples of clothing, music, and television. Marketers have found that sex really sells, and that notion has trickled down into children's marketing. Your picture perfectly illustrates how horribly awry our children's material items have gone. Thanks for your post.
ReplyDeleteMedia has a huge impact on how children and young teens see themselves. I remember my sociology teacher telling me one time that she wished her mother had never bought her the magazine "Seventeen", because she felt that she was not able to fit into the "stereotypical mold" that society had created for her. As a young teen, she already felt lost within her environment. I cannot imagine what younger girls are feeling but do not have the words to express themselves. You have some great insight this week!
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