Hey, do you know the singer Viki Gabor? Viki is born in 2007 and looks like a mature woman. Well, maybe you have ever asked yourself why this is so. Why were there no such friends in your school days, and why do you see such girls all the time now?
“She squints her heavily made-up eyes and poses on a bed, lying on leopard-coloured sheets. Her deep-necked golden dress matches the color perfectly with sky-high high heels. He strokes the bunny with a hand with blood-red nails. You're probably thinking what a strange quote this is... But it's a description of one of the sessions for Vogue magazine from years ago, which featured almost 6-year-old girls styled as adult women. And even though this situation took place a long time ago, nothing has changed in this aspect.
The theme of sexualization in the media covers a wide range of content and behavior. It is also widely available on the Internet. You may be familiar with tics in which teenagers look more like adult women than people their own age. This is due to the fact that there are strong trends in social media that quickly find followers. These trends mean that more and more people want to, for example, look a certain way or own an item that has become viral on the Internet. These may be, for example, clothes, accessories, makeup trends or hairstyles. There's nothing shocking about it, but on the other hand - is it a positive trend? In this episode we will try to answer this question.
It cannot be denied that pop culture has a significant impact on the phenomenon of girls aging. One of the films that well illustrates this problem is the 2020 production "Cuties", which tells the story of eleven-year-old Amy trying to break away from a dysfunctional family.
The heroine joins the school dance team and thus discovers her blossoming femininity. Yes, you didn't hear me wrong. The film connects an 11-year-old girl with emerging femininity. Of course, the production received a lot of attention and aroused much controversy. One of the articles bluntly criticizes the film, calling it cliched and vulgar. As we read:
“Cuties lacked everything except vulgar scenes (…). Instead of a sensible, pedagogical proposal, we got a cliched picture dripping with vulgar scenes involving children (one has to wonder whether the actresses themselves, as well as their parents, were aware of what was going to happen on the film set). This is not how children should be portrayed in cinematography.
Of course, "Cuties" is an extreme example of what children can watch on the Internet, but it is difficult for parents to have 100% control over the content their children consume. Even if the guardian tries to control it, it may turn out that the child will still be exposed to this type of production, e.g. when visiting a friend.
However, are there any less blatant examples in pop culture of portraying girls as adult women? Of course. This includes: all kinds of series intended for children and teenagers. Let's look at the example of "Schools for the Elite" produced by Netflix. The series tells the story of students of an elite school in Spain. The girls there are more like adult women than teenagers - they prove it with their mature makeup and bold behavior.
Unfortunately, this way of presenting teenagers may perpetuate negative stereotypes about women. In this type of production, much attention is paid to their appearance or relationships with men, and one may get the impression that these are the elements that define a female character.
I will now read a fragment of the review of "School for the Elite", published on the website vibez.pl":
(…) The world of teen drama hasn't seen such a twisted (and perverse) plot for a long time. This brings us to what is most seductive in the series. Seeing a world of people absolutely liberated and willing to try anything (at least once). Sweet debauchery that may or may not have negative consequences.”
So we see that "School for the Elite" is even called perverse, and the characters of the series are characterized as liberated. It is worth remembering that this production is watched by many young people whose worldview is still developing. And by looking at the characters' behavior or appearance, they may say that they want to be like that too - look more mature and behave that way.
Series like "Schools for the Elite" are productions that attract young people who are just discovering aspects of their lives such as their own identity, sexuality and self-esteem. However, the purpose of such films or series is not to explain and educate viewers. The creators only care about raising a relevant or controversial topic and packaging it in an expressive way - and this is the perfect way to make a lot of money. After all, nothing sells better than controversy in TV series (including those intended for teenagers). And when young people observe certain harmful patterns that they encounter in films or TV series, they may encourage them to imitate them in real life. After all, young people need identification, and in times of crisis they often choose role models that are not good for them.
One of the most serious effects of growing up in a culture of widespread sexualization is causing young girls to develop complexes. In today's world, we do not talk about corporeality in a natural and delicate way, because corporeality is a modern product, aggressively sold in the media and pop culture.
The girls watch adult women taking on roles older than themselves. And because of this, young viewers can easily believe that maybe this is what they should look like at their age - like adult women. The problem is that this is only an idealized version of reality, prepared specifically for greater viewership or clicks, which translates into greater profit.
The issue of romantic relationships in teenage years is no different. Note that the theme of infatuation or relationship is an essential element of productions intended for young people. And this, in turn, affects teenagers who may wonder why I am lonely and can't find my other half. Nowadays, we can observe a harmful belief among young people, fueled by the media and culture, that every teenager should be in some kind of relationship. And if someone can't find a boyfriend or girlfriend, they may be at risk of stigmatization.
Nowadays, we can see the huge professionalization of the beauty sector. For several years now, we have had extensive access to makeup tutorials, e.g. on YouTube, and the necessary cosmetic products are available both online and in stationary stores. Today, not only drugstores offer specialized cosmetics. They can also be found in stores such as H&M, Sinsay, and Primark. Prices start from a few zlotys - so virtually anyone can afford to buy cosmetic products. And it must be admitted that this wide availability of cosmetics is a response to demand, shaped primarily by social media. How many times have you heard that someone around you feels better with makeup even though they also look great naturally? Well, nowadays the beauty sector and the fashion for beautification have developed so much that many people do not like their natural version and cannot imagine leaving home without makeup.
So let's ask ourselves what other aspects make girls start their adventure with makeup at such an early age and want to look like adult women?
It is difficult to deny that nowadays we are dealing with a huge emanation of sexuality, mainly due to the mass media. Celebrities tell us how to look, what treatments to use and how to apply makeup to look like them. The influence of mass media means that many women try to fit into the template, i.e. certain standards of beauty, and young, unaware girls observe this and draw patterns from their surroundings. And a large part of the reality observed by the youngest is mainly social media, such as TikTok or Instagram.
Miss children's pageants, which are a real sensation in the United States, are a clear illustration of the sexualization of girls. You may be familiar with the image of young participants who transform from children into miniature versions of adult women for the purposes of the competition. Mandatory elements of the image of a little miss are: a styled hairstyle, strong, often even grotesque makeup, painted nails, an evening dress and high heels. For the purposes of Miss competitions, little girls are taught not only a specific, feminine appearance, but also provocative behavior that is supposed to arouse desire among the audience.
What do experts think about this? Social psychologist Janusz Czapiński points out that:
“Without a doubt, such competitions are not good. Rewarding people for what they look like, rather than who they are, causes irreparable damage to children's psyche. "Unfortunately, this is reflected in adult life," because such girls may have problems with acceptance in their teenage years. It is also impossible not to mention that this type of competitions reinforces children's belief that beauty brings prestige in the form of recognition, money and education, and this, in turn, may develop a demanding attitude in the participants.
But let's get back to Polish realities. You probably know Wiki Gabor or Roksana Wegiel, who gained popularity thanks to their participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. We met them as teenage girls with natural appearance, but now their appearance does not differ from mature stars, even though the girls are still teenagers.
Of course, these examples show that show business has its own rules, and young artists are expected to have a specific image that will arouse the audience's interest. However, on the other hand, it should be borne in mind that this trend may constitute a negative social role model for young girls, especially since young singers operate on social media. Wiki has gathered 750,000 followers on Instagram, Roksana has almost 1.5 million of them. So we can see that the influence of teenage artists on young people can be really significant and many people can follow their example in the context of building an adult image.
As is widely known, not everyone manages to become a singer or a celebrity. However, each of us is able to improve our career. Visit niewiem.pl and download your copy of the e-book How to get your dream job and get the profession you have always dreamed of.
I will now read the comments regarding the appearance of sixteen-year-old Wiki Gabor:
“A girl who pretends to be a woman over 30, and someone turns her into a money-making machine. What do these parents have in their heads to hurt their own child like this?”
“She's less than 15, but with all the makeup and everything she looks like she's at least 25,”
or: “But he's still a child. What is this world coming to?”
These comments show that the public notices the problem of artificially aging the teenage singer, and some people find it difficult to accept such an image. On the other hand, the saying "in the past, teenagers did not wear make-up and did not care about their appearance as much as they do now" is unfair because we are comparing the past, when there was no widespread access to professional cosmetics, and modern times, in which we have unlimited access to beauty world – both for products and makeup tutorials. It should be remembered that in the past girls did not have access to cosmetics that could make their look look professional.
Another reason for the discussed phenomenon is the universalization of appearance and greater freedom in self-expression - now both a 40-year-old and a 15-year-old can go out in holey pants and a T-shirt, and no one pays attention to it. Modern teenagers also bypass the "ugly duckling" stage - they do not go through the process of painting their hair with cheap dye or using cosmetics borrowed from their mother. Thanks to universal access to makeup knowledge and appearance inspiration, they know almost immediately how to look feminine and mature.
When talking about building an image using clothing, it is also worth mentioning clothes that shape the figure. Ever since such clothing appeared, women (including young girls) began to use it willingly. You don't have to look far for examples. Recently, Skims, an American clothing brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian, has become a real sensation. Skims clothing is advertised as shaping and emphasizing shapes. The brand's popularity proves that it is still fashionable to use clothes that emphasize shapes and include, for example, push-ups, because with this type of clothes you can look more mature than your age suggests.
It is impossible not to mention that young girls' desire to age their appearance is also caused by social pressure. It results from how boys treat girls around them. For example, they judge which of their friends looks better and more mature. The more attractive a girl is, the more attention she gets, and boys even compete for her affections. However, girls who develop slower and do not look mature enough may feel inferior and try to figure out what they can change to make boys pay attention to them. They then realize that good looks also go hand in hand with sexual success, and girls who have had such experiences yet may feel pressure and wonder what is wrong with them. It is worth recalling here that puberty is not a competition, and it is an individual matter for everyone. So there is no point in rushing and trying to prove to others that you are adult enough to do certain things, because there will be time for everything.
There are many reasons why the phenomenon of aging in young girls has become so widespread. Pop culture is to blame for this (such as the previously mentioned TV series for young people, or toxic music, which conveys harmful patterns such as casual sex, treating women as objects or money as the primary value). The mass media, in particular the Internet, are also to blame. Lots of social media accounts like Instagram and TikTok convey certain patterns. What does it look like on Instagram? Lots of people share photos there in certain poses, revealing and exposing certain parts of the body, and on TikTok, content in which half-dressed teenagers dance to the rhythm of a song is highly clickable. The reach of this content shows that such sexually emanating materials sell well and get a lot of reactions. Even promoters of a healthy lifestyle tend to recommend exercises that emphasize specific parts of the body.
One of the more clear examples are some YouTube channels, which in theory are supposed to share a healthy lifestyle with others, but as you can guess, not all content posted online is completely neutral. On YouTube, you can also easily find sexualized content created by teenagers. E.g. a video titled “BUTCH TRAINING AT HOME 30 MIN | No equipment *Round buttocks*.” At this point, a question should be asked whether the creation of such content by such young people can remain without consequences? As you probably guessed, probably not. Both for the creators and for its young audience, because these types of videos add another brick to the already very common sexualization on the Internet.
Nowadays, children grow up in a highly sexualized world - they observe people in the media exuding their sexuality, which makes them want to imitate idols. However, such regular exposure to this type of messages may lead to a situation in which the child acquires a certain value system and in the future will evaluate the value of others based on appearance.
Therefore, it is important that young girls do not construct their own identity solely based on what they see in the media or pop culture. Appearance should not dominate other aspects, such as personal development or broadening one's horizons.
Nowadays, we notice enormous social pressure that makes young people try to accelerate their development. However, children should have the opportunity to shape their identity in a natural way. Protecting children's healthy development also includes the sphere of appearance, which is why it is so important that we, as a society, support the process of growing up, allowing children to be children.
Sources:
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6. A scandalous photo session of 6-year-olds in Vogue. There are consequences (online), access: https://kobieta.dziennik.pl/moda-na-topie/artykuly/317884,skandaliczna-sesja-6-latka-w-vogue-sa-prezente.html, [access date: 13/05/2024].
7. The effects of sexualization of women in pop culture. Negative impact on young recipients (online), access: https://www.ofeminin.pl/lifestyle/kultura/nagosc-i-brutalnosc-te-seriale-promuja-negacyjne-stereotypy-o-kobietach/8rb2h5z, [date of access : 13/05/2024].
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