Week 6 Blog Assignment- 8 August, 2020
The authors of the book 'So sexy so soon' Diane Levin and Jean Kilbourne expressed how children are exposed to contents that exploit their childhood. Bearing in mind that they are exposed to materials in the media, toys, commercials which sexualises them and impede their healthy sexual development. From the review of the book, the authors concluded that all types of media are not beneficial to children since they capture the attention of children in a negative way (Levin and Kilbourne, 2009).
The way children are sexualised can be seen in their clothing. There are children sizes to styles that are meant for adults such as pairs of shorts that are really short, tops that reveal their belly buttons, etc. Another example is the sale of makeup products that re marketed as child safe even though it is clear that the use of makeup would make them appear older. Lastly, children see the attention that is now placed on physical features and appearance which makes them feel self-conscious about theirs.
These exposures affect children's development because they become desensitised to what is considered normal for children because most times, the media sensationalise products in a manner that it because acceptable. For teenagers, they learn about sex education from the media which means they get false information that could affect them in adulthood (Levin and Kilbourne, 2009).
Parents and teachers should establish a line of communication with children so that discussions can be had in relation to sexual messages seen in the media. From reading about sexualization of children, I think it is a problem that needs to be addressed by everyone including parents, teachers, regulatory bodies and marketers of products for children. The fight for commercial free childhood should be realised and there should be policies that regulate how things are exposed to children. Furthermore, there should be parental control placed on their electronic devices and also advert-free applications can be used in order to avoid any form of exposure.
Reference
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://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf
I do worry about clothing and its impact on their self esteem. If a child starts to think the only way for them to be valued is based on their physical features and "attractiveness," they wont be able to see self worth in other areas such as intelligence, creativity, wisdom, etc. They'll start to value more material means to make them feel loved and accepted, and I worry it will cause long term issues where they'll never be satisfied unless they get external validation.
ReplyDeleteAt a young age I do not agree with a child or children listening watching or having any kind of dealing with sexual content. I know as the teacher it is not my place to tell a parent what to do and what not to do with their child but I can make suggestion whether they choose to follow them or not.
ReplyDeleteSexualization had a very big influence in the world and has caused a lot of negative things to happen to children (ex. kidnapping, raping). Children are concerned about how they look and how others look to them. Your blog is great.
ReplyDeleteYes, and I dislike when children dress in clothing that appears to be for a grown up or when they are wearing make-up at a young age.Some parents allow and force their children to do those things because they want them to grow up and pretend to be a big girl.Children sometimes think that long hair, short shorts, and make up is normal and it's what will make them beautiful. L. Myricks
ReplyDelete