Mean Girl Crisis

 

MEAN GIRL CRISIS

What ever happened to the days when our parents used to dress us in anything, regardless if they matched or not? Where did that time go when girls could easily sit outside on the porch and play dolls or play school and be satisfied? Slowly over time  those days have disappeared.  It is clear that the priorities and norms for American adolescent females have changed. Due to our constantly adjusting and changing society, the expectations, standards, and behavior of our young girls have reached an overly aggressive state. In simpler terms, these young girls will try anything and everything to fit in. The source of the problem lies within the upbringing of these girls, in the media, and lastly maturity. The consequences are aggressive because of peer pressure, the bullying, and the lowering of standards can lead to severe things such as violence, depression and eventually death. The possibility of returning to the “good ole days” is negative. We cannot go back in the past but we can alter the future to make it better for our young women.

First, the behavior and the personalities of these girls does begin from their lives at home. It is a fact that, “instability in the family environment causes acute stress to a child and may challenge a  child’s sense of security and their ability to cope with later life challenges.” (Adam, Lindsay, Landsdale 2002 pg. 792-805) This means that if a home does not contain a stable parenting system such as a two parent home consisting of a mother and father, highly alert and active in that child’s life, then that child is prone to grow up doing mischievous acts and bound to get in to serious trouble. Another problem with life at home for adolescent girls could be that they were raised by young parents. Being raised by fairly young parents may have an effect on the thinking patterns and behaviors of these girls. “Each year about 1 million teenagers in the united States approximately 10% of all 15-19 year-old women will become pregnant, 13% are intended” (Turner 2011). Is it possible to properly raise adolescent girl if you are still an adolescent yourself? These girls will strive for attention from their parents and if they do not receive the proper amount that they want, they will look to another source.

The media has become a huge problem. The movies, the music, the television, even billboards, have been another culprit in the “mean girl” epidemic. Every day there are things streamed that appear to be the “o.K’ thing to do for  these young women, but in reality it is poisoning their minds. For example, for music, the media has presented itself in the form of music videos. In these music videos women will wear revealing clothing and gyrate their bodies in inappropriately. For instance, in the video “Tip Drill” by hip hop artist, Nelly, the women are degraded. They are wearing close to nothing. All of their body parts hanging freely. This video was allowed to be broadcasted on television for everyone to see. Unfortunately, everyone including children, and adolescence were able to watch this video. Despite the negativity it portrays, girls still assume this is the right thing to do. They assume that this is the right way. That by exposing themselves, they will acquire the attention they crave.  Another example is the television programing has changed. A decade ago, television was very family friendly. Every show that associated with youth and teenagers had a lesson behind them and encouraged positive behaviors. For example there was television shows like: Boy meets world, Even Stevens, All That, Doug, Clarissa Explains it All, and many more that were entertaining but also had a positive purpose. Now we have shows like Teen mom, 16 and Pregnant, the real world, and Bad Girls Club. These shows assure females that’s it perfectly fine to be pregnant at a young age, or act completely unacceptable in public. This contributes to the attitudes and behaviors of these young girls because they will base their logic on the appearance of these people on the shows because they are “cool”. “Television contributes to the psychosocial sex roles development by influencing adolescents’ understanding of their own gender identity through portrayals of their respective sexes acting in a larger society” (Turner 2011) This is true because girls  are guilty of following or imitating different people on television. In some cases their idols may not be positive. These idols may be smoking, drunk, and exposed on the daily. “Miley Cyrus… ‘pole-dancing’ at the 2009 teen choice awards..” (Lamb, Graling, Wheeler, 2013) Miley Cyrus, was supposed to be a the type of female that girls could look up to. She was on Disney channel for a few years, on Hannah Montana, a show dedicated to the entertainment of children. Shortly after leaving the show, she received a lot of negative vibes and commentary for her performance at the Teen Choice Awards. As a potential idol for young girls, her gyrating and moving her body on a pole was completely unacceptable. Girls considered that to be the right thing to do. Although her intentions were just for entertainment, she effected the psychological mindset of these young women negatively.

Peer pressure and bullying have become an issue as well. “Girls’ perception of their peers’ body dissatisfaction predicted their own level of body dissatisfaction on dieting” (Dohnt and Tiggerman). This is a problem because when a person constantly receives the criticism of being called fat or ugly for so long, they will soon begin to believe it. These people will begin taking desperate measures to reach the standards of others. Sometimes this may mean damaging their body physically.  By doing rigorous diets or other unhealthy things to their bodies as a means of trying to impress their peers, these girls are becoming victims to careless unjust things. Peer pressure is defined as the pressure from one’s peers to behave in a manner similar or acceptable to them.  With that peer pressure and negative encouragement bullying is not far behind.

Bullying is taking someone’s differences and turning them into weaknesses. The bullying committed by these girls is so severe that it eventually leads to stress and depression. The bullying and verbal violence can push people completely over the edge. “Affiliation-related proactive aggressiveness was a more powerful factor for girls.”(Roland and Idsoe 2001 p 446-462) Girls are consciously guilty of taking the bullying to another level. Unlike boys and their more physical nature, girls tend to attack the mentality of their victims. “Middle School children perceived popularity�"agentic goals on bullying” (Caravita and Cillessen 2012 p. 376-395). If another person sits alone, dresses differently, or does not possess the natural physical aspects of what assumed to be beautiful then they are the primary targets. Girls use the approach of verbal bullying to torment their victims. Words of hate like ugly, stupid, fat, skinny, even verbal obscenities can be used as more than insults but as bullets. Unfortunately, “verbal bullying is a very common type of bullying that almost everyone is guilty of at some point in time. (bully statistics 2009) So, that means everyone can play both sides, the predator and the prey. The bullying is not only within the walls of school but with the internet as well.

Social Media websites have struck a new epidemic among adolescents. The internet can be used as a way to attack the victims  where they are most vulnerable. “1 out of 3 young people have experienced cyber-threats online”(Bully Statistics 2009).The female species will look to other resources as a way to vent or let off negative vibes. Websites like facebook and twitter allow them to do ust that. However, when bullying escalates to these websites they no longer feel safe. What happens to people who feel like they no longer hide from anyone? What do they do when the pressure is too much to handle and they give up?

Suicide will be their answer. “Suicide rates have increased among females 21.1% since 2007” (CDC 2010). That number is still on the rise. As the bullying and the abuse continues the victims voices are slowly silencing for good. Many adults who witness it, by pass it, and consider it as a method of growth and development. They are wrong. They are just as guilty. These young people are crying out for help and wishing that someone will hear their cries for help against this enemy.

As our society is changing daily, it should be our duty to ensure that it is safe and pleasant for our youth. The goal is trying to raise young successful women. There was a time when our choices were limited and there was a time when we had to fight for equality and respect. Why should we turn our backs on that and continue to allow this destruction of innocence to continue? As said before, there was a time when childhood was something to be embraced with a smile. If we leave this issue alone, pretty soon our little girls will become women at age 9 in the United States and that just cannot be done.

 

References

Bully Statistics (2009). Bully Statistics Female Bullying. Retrieved April 23 2012. Website:

Caravita, S. Cillessen, A.H. (2012). Agentic of Communal? Associations between interpersonal goals, popularity, and bullying in Middle School Children and Early Adolescence. Social Development 21(2), 376-395

CDC (2010). National Suicide Statistics At a Glance. Retrieved April 23 2012. Website: prevention/suicide/statistics/trends04.html

Emma, K. Adam and P. Lindsay Chase Lansdale. Developmental  Psychology (2002) Vol 38, No. 5, 792-805.

Roland, E. Idsoe, T. (2001). Aggression and bullying. Aggressive Behavior, 27(6), 446-462

Turner, J. (2011). Sex and the spectacle of music videos : An examination of the Portrayal of Race and Sexuality in Music Videos. Sex Roles, Volume 64, Issue 3-4

Lamb, S. Graling, K. Wheeler. E (2013). “Pole-arized discourse: An Analysis of Responses to Miley Cyrus’ Teen Choice Awards Pole Dance. Retrieved April 24, 2013, Website: .