A
new law took effect in Israel on January 1st that models need to
have a body-mass index of at least 18.5.
They call it the “Photoshop Law” as it also demands that if
photoshopping is used on an image, it must be noted on the bottom of the
photo. The purpose of this law is to
prevent models from losing too much weight and endangering their health. More importantly, this law protects those who
view these models and are therefore influenced to emulate them. This law was
initiated by Israeli fashion photographer Adi Barkhan who was inspired to make
a change after he lost his friend Hila Elmaliah, a model, to an eating disorder. A research study published in Pediatrics
noted that about “two thirds of
American girls in the fifth to 12th grades say that magazine pictures influence
their image of an ideal body; about half of girls in those grades said the
magazine images made them want to lose weight.”
This past week we begin our series of Adolescent Life Workshops
with our seventh graders. The girls’
workshop focuses on the impact of the media on body image. What are the messages that the media sends to
girls about body image? Today’s children are more and more dissatisfied with
their bodies, from as young as the age of five.
The media clearly has an impact on this trend. As Common Sense Media states, “Unrealistic,
sexualized, and stereotypical images and messages about bodies and gender are
rampant on the media your kid consumes.”
If our children are exposed to these unrealistic body types, they come
to believe that they are ideal. 87% of female
television characters aged 10 to 17 are below average in weight.
In
my workshop with the seventh graders, we
speak of the unrealistic images to which we are exposed daily. We discuss the photoshopping done on every ad
they see. We focus on the
over-sexualized images they see daily in the culture around them. Most importantly, we discuss the definition of
“true beauty.”
With the advent of social media, now
our teens are not only comparing themselves to celebrities, but also to their
peers. Young girls are constantly posting pictures of
themselves for the world to see and comment on. “In Youtube videos, innocent girls are asking
Internet audiences to tell them if they are pretty or ugly. They are rating each other on Instagram. They bare themselves and beg for feedback on formspring.me. They edit their selfies and drink in advice
about how to improve their online image.”
Teens are turning to the Internet for body image validation. The Internet is like a “super-peer.” Research has just begun to ascertain the negative
impact this criticism and judgment have on a young girl’s body image. “In a world where the feedback is constant,
often negative, frequently public and interactive, it can’t be good.” (Note,
that this all affects boys as well as girls, although my focus is girls in
today’s article).
I
eagerly rushed to get this article out before the Super Bowl as an article I
read on Common Sense Media urged me to do so. (I have quoted Common Sense Media
before. Just a reminder, it is a great
resource if you want to see if a movie, book, tv. show is appropriate for your
child, as it provides detailed ratings of violence, sexual content etc.). The Super Bowl is another example of how the
media affects our children. In their
video “Three things to talk to kids about before watching the Super Bowl” they highlight
important discussions to have with your child regarding body image, stereotypes
and sexism and even violence before watching the game. Please take the time to watch the few minute
video before the game at :
Additionally,
Caroline Knorr writes an article at https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/thanks-carls-jr-for-making-it-easy-to-talk-about-super-bowl-sexism
where she discussed the sexism and impact even the commercials our children
watch during the Super Bowl have on them.
Her points are essential as we note that 80% of ten year old girls have
been on a diet. What messages are they
getting? Please take the time to read
this very quick article before the game, as it highlights some recommendations
for parents at the end.
I know many of you are saying to
yourselves, “Why can’t she just relax and enjoy the game?” Okay, I’ll try, but I’ll be able to relax a
bit more if I know we are helping our children withstand the dangerous impact
the media can have on them.
Advisory Update:
Sixth Grade: Our sixth graders began
their Time Management unit as they were introduced to how time management can
help them avoid procrastination and handle their workloads.
Seventh Grade: Seventh graders focused on
the situation with Hamas in Gaza to better understand how they can make an
impact. They also had their first lesson
in the Adolescent Life Workshops series where the boys focused on physiological
development and the girls on body image.
Eighth Grade: Eighth graders
continued their unit on honesty in school.
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