Sexualization of Youth in Mass Media Sexualization of youth is a major problem that society faces today, especially for those who have young children. Mass media plays a very important role in the way that youth are sexualized in today’s world. Many people do not know what or how youth are sexualized so young, let alone know what sexualization is. What is sexualization? How do today’s youth become sexualized? What influence does mass media play in the process of sexualization? How does this process really affect today’s youth? Are there any other factors that influence our youth to progress into the process of sexualization?
What is sexualization?
Sexualization is defined as making something sexual in character or quality, or to become aware …show more content…
That is an easy question. Media, television, music videos, magazines, billboards, there are so many other ways that youth are sexualized. Take young girls; say about five years old, playing dress up and wanting to put on make-up. Then they are playing Barbie’s, or even with the Bratz dolls, both of which are very hyper-sexual. The dolls have clothes that are extremely racy and provocative. Magazines and T.V commercials have women that are extremely thin, perfect bodies, not one imperfection, and many times these people are also dressed provocatively. To media women are sex icons. Even more today young kids have access to the internet and they watch music videos, but even worse than that, they are exposed to pornography. Not only does this affect young girls, but, it really affects young boys. Boys are shown that women will not tell them “No”, that women enjoy rough sex, and even the women in pornography videos are perfect. This leads young boys into learning their perceptions on what the perfect girl should look like and act like. When women are objectified in this manner it makes them look like they are “made into a thing for another’s sexual use (PhD, …show more content…
I say this because I have an 11 year old daughter and a 10 year old daughter, both of which are very beautiful girls. I have seen the changes they have gone through and I have seen the impact first hand on the impact of sexual images and young girls. Honestly, it is quite scary. It is something that I said that I would not have to worry about when I had my girls. As the years went on, I realized that no matter how hard I tried, the media had more of an influence in some ways, than I ever have, although it has not completely taken over my girls
What is sexualization?
Sexualization is defined as making something sexual in character or quality, or to become aware …show more content…
That is an easy question. Media, television, music videos, magazines, billboards, there are so many other ways that youth are sexualized. Take young girls; say about five years old, playing dress up and wanting to put on make-up. Then they are playing Barbie’s, or even with the Bratz dolls, both of which are very hyper-sexual. The dolls have clothes that are extremely racy and provocative. Magazines and T.V commercials have women that are extremely thin, perfect bodies, not one imperfection, and many times these people are also dressed provocatively. To media women are sex icons. Even more today young kids have access to the internet and they watch music videos, but even worse than that, they are exposed to pornography. Not only does this affect young girls, but, it really affects young boys. Boys are shown that women will not tell them “No”, that women enjoy rough sex, and even the women in pornography videos are perfect. This leads young boys into learning their perceptions on what the perfect girl should look like and act like. When women are objectified in this manner it makes them look like they are “made into a thing for another’s sexual use (PhD, …show more content…
I say this because I have an 11 year old daughter and a 10 year old daughter, both of which are very beautiful girls. I have seen the changes they have gone through and I have seen the impact first hand on the impact of sexual images and young girls. Honestly, it is quite scary. It is something that I said that I would not have to worry about when I had my girls. As the years went on, I realized that no matter how hard I tried, the media had more of an influence in some ways, than I ever have, although it has not completely taken over my girls