The Negative Effects of Barbie Dolls on Young Girls

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Children need to have good role models to look up to. A good role model includes being ambitious and doing good deeds. Most little girls look up to the doll named Barbie. The doll has played a very important roll in many childhoods. She was introduced in the 50’s and manufactured by Mattel. Barbie is an up beat character and is always up to date on the latest trends. She has long blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes that go with her perfect makeup, and is tied all together by her medium tanned curvacious body. Barbie is portrayed as being the girl that everyone wants to be or at least be around. Barbie has a boyfriend named Ken and a little sister named Skipper. Over the years many dolls have been introduced as Barbie’s friends as well as several different ethnicities, cultures, religions, disabilities, and even mythical dolls such as mermaids. She first started out as a fashion designer and as time has gone by the doll is now marketed as having all types of careers from being a barista all the way to being a doctor. The doll typically comes with an extra outfit and accessories. Mattel even sells dream houses and many different cars for Barbie. She has a book club that sends books out monthly and here recently started coming out with straight to DVD movies. I get a Barbie magazine every month that sells designer Barbies that are based of celebrities and movie characters. The last magazine I got I was surprised to see a Barbie with tattoos and her own motorcycle. Her job is to promote happiness, success, and inspire little girls all over the world. All of these things sound like a perfectly reasonable children’s toy so why are some countries banning the doll?
Barbie has been banned in a few countries for her revealin...

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...elves. I will gladly let them have Barbie dolls but only if I see that they are mentally fit to have them. In the future, maybe the media will see the impact it is having on our youth and change for the better. I don’t see that happening anytime soon but I will do all I can to keep my children from being confused about who they are.

Works Cited

"The Negative Effects of Barbie on Young Girls and the Long Term Results." Divine Caroline. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. .

"The Barbie Effect." Teen Ink. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. .

"Bleeding Blue & White." Bleeding Blue White. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. .

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