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Problems of peer pressure
Problems of peer pressure
Problems of peer pressure
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Childhood is a severe stage, and when a child is exposed to alot6 of external pressure, he/she will be prone to mental challenges. All the young people who take part in beauty contest struggle with a lot of premature stress. The act of dressing like adults exposes them to pressures of the grown-ups. The ones who participate in the beauty contest full time may be enduring failures and criticism from their peers. All the above exhaustions plus continued awareness of their external body appearance may deter much the development of the child. Exposure to compete overstretched disappointment and sexuality of a kid at an early age leads to adverse negative effects on the growing young child. Exposing the child to competition at tender age exposes them to improver development, both socially, physically and emotionally (Cartwright 1105-1107). …show more content…
Lack of the active play and interaction with their friends’ results to slow development socially and other challenges connected to his/her social life. A good example is in the television program “Toddlers and Tiaras “where the competitive forces are displayed in girls’ behavior and attitude. Some of the girls are cranky and irritable while the rest deal with the competition stress challenge in an unusual manner. Young people get confused once they are engulfed by envy and jealous and this acts as a barrier in their closeness with parents, siblings and even their friends. All the young people undergoing hell of stress and unusual situations like the ones who participate in beauty contests prematurely come to learn about their talents and weaknesses (Wonderlich, et al.
In “Toddlers In Tiaras” Skip Hollandsworth purpose is to get readers to understand that pageants are teaching young girls to young women that the sexualization of their looks are their main value, leaving a negative effect on contestants physically. He believes parents are usually the main reason why young girls join the pageants to begin with so, he targets parents as the audience of his essay. To get readers to understand his point of view and to persuade them to agree with him he displays evidences from reliable sources using ethos, pathos and logos throughout the article.
Is it acceptable for toddler girls under the age of six to dress and act the way a twenty-six year old women would dress and act, just to participate in child beauty pageants? Young girls dressed in revealing clothing, being caked in make-up, getting fake tans, wearing fake eyelashes, teeth, hair, and nails, or even performing extremely mature routines are a few reasons pertaining to why it is unacceptable for toddlers to be in the modeling industry. Beauty pageants are very popular in the United States, and are growing rapidly (A Beauty Pageant Ban). Toddlers and Tiaras is a popular television show promoting children in beauty pageants causing contestant entries to rise. It’s estimated in the United States alone each year 250,000 children compete in child pageants of that, over 100,000 are girls under the age of twelve (Rapport). Out of the 250,000 participants in these beauty pageants, studies have shown that approximately half of these children are unhappy with their body and wish to go on a diet to fix their self image (Rapport). Youth pageants are clearly causing children to only focus on physical appearance and not the true beauty of the child's personality. Consequently, the negative effects on a toddler’s life, safety, mental, and physical health over power the benefits of toddlers participating in the beauty pageants.
One professional psychologist and registered dietician has warned that competing in the beauty pageants may lead young girls to feel that the approval and love of their parents is based solely on their looks and whether they win a crown at the pageant or not. Losing in a pageant category may generate lower feelings of self-worth in young children who do not know how to properly cope with loss at such a young age. Additionally, there are countless examples of women who as children participated in beauty pageants and began stressing at a young age while attempting to maintain an impossible ideal of perfection. Many of the young girls who cannot keep up a perfect look will begin to feel body shame, depression and may even develop an eating disorder. In fact, one study was done on approximately 130 females who had participated in beauty pageants.
Look at child beauty pageants. Notice that the girl’s childhood is filled with sparkly dresses and makeup. They are trying to grow up to fast and if they continue on this path they could turn out like a “special” celebrity. These kid’s faces have foundation, fake eyelashes with mascara, and bright lipstick. On top of that they are wearing clothes that aren’t appropriate for kids. If they continue to act the way they do now the next generation of girls to be total brats. Some psychology experts believe that these pageants are teaching children to act and dress about ten years above their age. Therefor child beauty pageants should be banned.
Paisley Dickey walks on to the stage to strut on the runway in her costume. Everything natural about her beauty is removed by wearing a bright yellow wig, fake eyelashes, a fake tan, fake nails, and fake teeth. Wearing a white cut-off shirt, a short, tight blue skirt, and knee high leather boots, she is dressed as the prostitute Julia Roberts portrays in the movie Pretty Woman. Paisley sounds like she is a 22-year-old stripper, but unfortunately she is a three-year-old girl who participates in child beauty pageants. Her performance became controversial and it spread all throughout the news. Her mother, Wendy Dickey, who has already stated that she is living vicariously through her daughter, was being criticized for sexualizing her daughter.
“Toddlers and Tiaras” is a television show originally aired on TLC, capturing the preparations and day of activates for a glitz pageants. Participants in these pageants are usually girls ranging in age from months old to teens.
Goldstein, Richard. "What are the Risks?" Beauty Pageants and its Effect on Children. 6 Dec. 2010. 5 Feb. 2014
Child beauty pageants began in the 1960s, but the modern glitz pageants first garnered public attention in 1995 with Painted Babies, a documentary that followed two 5-year-old glitz contestants and their families. The 1996 death of JonBenet Ramsey introduced the world to tot beauty queens and 2001 brought the documentary Living Dolls. Toddlers and Tiaras launched in 2009 . "high-glitz" pageants like the ones featured on Toddlers & Tiaras is a potential source in child body impairment, low self esteem, and pressures children to grow up too fast. The pint-size stars on that TV show are often pumped with sugar as they pile on fake hair, heavy makeup, and even false teeth before taking the stage. Many kids wear revealing outfits that critics say
" In the end, children’s beauty pageants are essentially harmful to both young girls safety and minds. It may not happen to some, but most of the young girls that compete in beauty pageants seem to have a bit of an attitude towards their parents and other people who will not cooperate with them.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Competition produces anxiety, which can interfere with learning and disassociates with one’s own body. It is not instinctual because it is taught and it damages people and creates stress in their life. Competition teaches people to give their worst while they only focus on what their fellow mate is doing. I agree with Rubin that “competition limits people’s ability to lead happy and satisfying lives”, for I am assured that competition is destructive to children’s self-esteem, it interferes with learning, sabotages relationships, and isn’t necessary to have a good time.... ...
Many young girls are forced to wear preposterous outfits and enormous amounts of makeup that deny them of their innocence at a young age. Beauty contests are meant more for adult women who are mature enough to understand all that’s going on and can handle losing competitions to the other contestants. Children should not be able to compete in pageants because of the harmful effects on self-confidence and character. Some people think they are good and some do not agree that they are good. (Leo, 2014)
26% of children in pageants have a diagnosed eating disorder” (Walker). However Walker suggest that the worst part is, “like in the scenario earlier, parents are the ones causing the eating disorders because they try to have their children maintain a certain fitness level; 30% of girls between 2-12 years old in pageants have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety, compare that with the 11% that aren’t in pageants that have been diagnosed, a couple of factors that lead into this depression could be losing multiple competitions consecutively, being forced to do things they don’t want to, or even from abuse or parental neglect”(Walker). Elizabeth Day, wrote an article in the Observer, about a story of a young girl, her name is amber and is only seven years old that love Miley Cyrus. Always she sleeps with her posters and loves music and watching videos on YouTube, dancing. Amber had a certificate for taking part in the Mini Miss UK competition years ago, and she is an aspiring for the child competition for beauty. She explained that her mom influence also for her to participate in the beauty concur. Sally is 36 years old, young mom of two kids Amber and her younger brother, she replays that amber always like to be in the front of the camera and into, she likes dancing and acting since she was three years, and the pageant was a new experience for her, something new that she wanted to try. The journalist asks Sally if this pageant and beauty concurs influence and affects Amber childhood to grow fast, she answer that she did not see any negative effect because she not allowed her daughter to wear mascara or other things, she let her daughter be natural because is a child (Day 1-3). Like in this example for Amber, that she like to dance and acting, is not meant that she have to participate in this competition
Today there are many new extracurricular activities that occupy a lot of young Americans minds. One trending activity is beauty pageants. It is more common in children where the ages may vary between eight months and even older. The trending debate is whether or not beauty contest serve any purpose in society. While many Americans feel as though pageants are helpful to a child’s self esteem, many feel that the effects of the contest have a very harsh effect on child development by devaluing a child. Researchers have found that beauty contests are effective for women to help make platforms for their careers and also create new jobs for women to create like mentoring children.
Statistics show that 6% of girls in beauty pageants record having suffered from long-term depression, 9 out of 10 girls in pageants ages 14-16 admitted to feeling suicidal tendencies or depression, and it is largely caused by the desire to be thin. (Facts/Statistics-Child Beauty Pageants) The question is, is this a proper place for young girls where they are encouraged to act and look as mature as adults? “These pageants force kids to grow up too quickly. The pint-size stars pile on fake hair, heavy makeup, and even false teeth before taking the stage. Many kids wear revealing clothing that critics say aren’t age appropriate.” (Anastasia, Laura) Pageant participants range from ages six months to sixteen years, depending on what competition section they are a part of, and participate in categories of swimsuits, talent, evening wear, and themed costumes. Most girls at these young ages wear overalls and pigtails rather than slinky ensembles and fake hair that overwhelms their features. Not many young girls have the opportunity to dress up in fancy clothes and flaunt what they can do, but there are other pains that come with such moments that can be uncomfortable and confusing to these children, yet to look good they are compelled to grin and bear it. “Four-year-old Karley stands in her
Pageants have a way of exploiting children by changing their looks and attitudes to make them more adult like and entertaining; dressing children in bikinis or provocative costumes just to be judged by how well they wear it and how pretty they are is demeaning and cruel. Children should not be taught that looks are everything and you get everything you want in life because when they're older it will be harder for them to accept reality. Imitating the fashion and looks of an adult is not how a child should grow up. A parent should want their child to grow up knowing that they are naturally beautiful and their personality and smarts can get them far in life rather than beauty beats brains, correct?