I don’t envy girls growing up today. Considering I came from the era of “Three’s Company” and record ratings for the Miss America pageant, that’s saying something.
But we weren’t constant consumers of media like today’s youth, surrounded every moment by ads of airbrushed women and over-sexualized video games and TV shows. Sure, we saw women objectified in the 1970s, but there was also a strong undercurrent of ambition and discovery. The news reported on the fight for ERA, and women were breaking barriers: Barbara Walters was on the evening news, Indira Gandhi was India’s Prime Minister, and Sally Ride was training to be an astronaut. We were told we could have it all: career, independence, self-worth and motherhood. What no one mentioned was that having it all would make everyone so damn tired.
Maybe that’s why self-esteem is shaky for young women these days. They didn’t see the fight, the incredible, inspiring spark of women accomplishing something unbelievable every day. They grew up in a world of 24-hour television and a corporate need to fill those airwaves with anything as long as it makes money, and cell phones and Internet sending them messages day and night. Today’s media is a lot like the smelly, weird guy on the train: overwhelming and difficult to escape.
They see news reports on public places banning breastfeeding, then change the channel to a dating show where bikinis are practically bursting with boobage. It’s a tough way to grow up, and I’m not surprised that studies are finding girls, both Caucasian and African-American, are taking a hit in the confidence department because of what they see on television. The rate of depressive episodes triples in girls ages 12-15, and the risk of depression in girls is substantially higher than the rate for boys.
What can we do? It’s naïve to think we can go back to the days of three TV channels and no cell phones (although it would be nice) but we can boost the signal of self-worth in everyday conversation, in the way we conduct ourselves. We can kick the weird train guy in the nuts (or give him a sandwich and change seats, depends on your outlook) by holding up the accomplishments of women and girls for everyone to see. We can point out that every size is beautiful, but brains are simply gorgeous. We can get some sleep, so tomorrow we can kick-start the revolution for the next generation and show them what they can become. We can show them that having it all works best when you have the space to be yourself first.
Beth Bartlett is a freelance writer and humorist. Her work has appeared in such publications as Writer’s Digest, mental_floss, Country Extra, Meetings South and American Profile, and she’s a contributing writer at the humor site An Army of Ermas. She indulges her pseudo-psychic snarky side at Wisecrack Zodiac, and shows her nerdy colors at Pure Geek and Geek Girl Universe.
“What no one mentioned was that having it all would make everyone so damn tired.”
I love this statement. We are bombarded with a lot of nonsense – but there’s so much that we’re not consuming information critically.
Of course not! They’re too busy learning how to be awesome from you.
Totally agree with you! That is why my children don’t watch TV shows.