Child Sexualization in Media

Child Sexualization in Media

American Psychological Association classifies sexualization as the act of objectifying an individual as an object for sex through exploiting their physical attributes and looks (Dewar). Therefore talking of child sexualization means using children for these actions. These acts should never occur to a child or even to an adult individual. Nevertheless, modern society seems to have widely accepted these acts. Most channels get used with the most proficient one being the media using various programs such as movies and even songs. The paper studies the use of media in child sexualization and its implications to the children and society.

Mainly girls become the most sexualized children, but also the boys in modern society are becoming more significantly involved in the act due to the diverse sexualities in the community. Most of the girls admire the beautiful adults they see in the movie and dream of becoming beauty pageants (Bartlett). For instance, girls get to believe that through their use of the body, they can manipulate men and get what they want. They get involved in these events without knowing the implications and understanding the meanings of these occasions, which the adults ascribe to them. Yet, the innocent young children are not, however, adults (Silverberg). Most of the magazines, videos, and even TV presenters present pictures of beautiful young women. For instance, 8 and 9 years old girls got involved in the “Single Ladies (Put a ring on it)” at Los Angeles national dance competition. They do so without knowing the immense complications and challenges these experiences expose them to and to those watching them.

Psychologist Orenstein suggests that these experiences contribute to children’s life confusion when they grow. But though not all become confused, these experiences make society what it is currently. Just as the incarcerated get defined by violence and poverty and the victims of sexual abuse get characterized by a phobia of the other sex and inability to enjoy their sex life (Silverberg). The sexualization dooms us to a society defined by objectifying females for their appearances and sexiness. According to Gunter, the issue is significantly taking control of the community and dictating how we associate with one another. The way we relate to different sexes has changed as a result of the sexualization. Media, more than any other platform, tends to worsen the situation due to their connectivity and availability (Gunter). Media channels due to technology have become easily accessible and easy to use by the young ones with no limitation or parental control.

Kiss explains in her blog, as a result of exposure to these experiences makes children feel like grown-ups. They find that flirting and sex a common and a second thing. The resulting exposure to the overly sexualized images in the magazines and scenes full of sex in movies to children makes sex a common element of the society and acceptable to children in the community. Children get more driven to curiosity, and so they want to experience what they saw by either wearing or even practicing the act. Through media sexualization, children and especially the girls become aware of the shallow expectations of their gender, and they get obliged to follow the settings.

These acts affect adolescent girl’s development. In society, most girls without boyfriends regard themselves as an outcast and reduce low esteem as well as males without girlfriends. More common than ever, young adolescents brag about their sexual involvement among their colleagues in colleges and high schools (Bartlett). The effect tends to increase the number of sexually transmitted diseases among the youths in our society. These impact the interactions of young people. Through the media, the young generation tends to believe that a girl and a boy to associate them automatically result in sexual activity. Research carried out that more youths get involved in sexual activities more while at their adolescent’s stages than adults. These statistical findings warrant a more dynamic approach to the problem or the moral aspects of society become diminished and extinct.

Astonishing as it may seem, the sexualization problem has caused problems with the self-esteem of the young ones. Most girls struggle to become like the models they see in the media by making up their faces with makeup to look more appealing and beautiful. They also adopt a more fashion style advocated for by various celebrities (Zurbriggen and Roberts). Sexual harassment from peers and older ones has increased from the ideas and values posed by the media and the conflicting opinions of the involvement of the feminists. However, a more concerning trend, the LGBTs should make the society to rethink the effects of child sexualization in the media.

Most of the sexual orientation changes result in low self-esteem and interpersonal interaction views and problems. All these arise from the issue of the ideologies and objectivities of the sex. Thus various young sexes prefer their opposite sex due to the safe aspect attached to it from their thoughts. Also, the sexualization in the media increases the growth of the LGBTs through their portrayal of the issue as morally acceptable in the community (Dewar). The problems of intermarriages have brought worldwide debate questioning the morality and ethicality of the vice. However, even as the debate continues to intensify the society needs to relook where the issues started arising and ask why these problems around relationships have increased.

Nevertheless, the issue of child sexualization in the media has opened up more talks about the topic of sex in many families. More families, especially those in urban settings, have become free to speak about these issues with their children. Contrary to previous year’s sex topics among the traditional family was a matter only for the adults. More and more involvement of the parents in guiding their curious children resolves to decrease cases of trying to self-experience about these issues. But these topics should take a cautious approach to avert the problem of giving more concern to one sex, leaving the other out of the question.

However, while getting more concerned with girl sexualization, we forget about the male sexualization. Male children’s sexualization has severe implications in society and relationships as the media portrays the girls as objects for sex. Make them that they need to look pretty for the boys and become more attractive by showing off most of their body parts by indecent wearing to catch the attention of men. We forget that this teaches boys that women are just objects for sex (Bragg). Consequently, it creates the mentality in boys that they need to dominate the girls. As a result, it leads to the many unhealthy relationships in society, increasing the number of single mothers. The nation currently experiences many domestic related cases and sexual assaults, including rapes involving females and defiling the minors of both sexes.

Also, a more fearing trend in the society of the increased sexual violence tends to dominate due to the effects of sexualization. These ideas fed to the generations on sex’s expectations tend to result in conflicting ideologies from the two sides. Women through the full spread movement of anti-sexualization called feminism tend to empower the girls in doing whatever they want. Through this, they forget to change the ideologies passed to the males. As a result of the resistance of sexualization, more gender violence gets involved in the society between the males and the females.

Notably, the profound impacts of sexualization arise as a result of the culture and stereotypes on the functions of sexes in society. Through media popularizing these cultures and stereotypes through the use of commercialized advertisements, TV, films, music videos, and also through the goods consumed leaves, our children susceptible to these ideas. These ideas put out a message on the expectations and the values of the ideal of each sex. Women get more often rewarded through their physical attributes, while men meant to believe that the physical characteristic is what matters. These stereotypes move from generation to generation with every sex trying to emulate what they see and learn from the media about their roles and expectations.

In society, the involvement of the celebrity and the high figures viewed as role models should contribute to reducing the effects of sexualization by avoiding negativity messages in what they do. Through this, the young generation should get educated on what is best for them at various ages and what is not appropriate for their age. Also, involving young children in these contents must become outlawed and laws enforced and enacted to prevent and deter anyone from committing sexual crimes or harassing other sexes.

Nevertheless, the feminist campaign results in resistance from males. Therefore this approach should consider involving males. Empowering females to allow leaves the males vulnerable to these ideologies and feel neglected to make their reaction and absorption of these ideas so rapid. Men feel insecure by these empowerments and as a result, resolve to retaliatory measures to regain their stereotypical society status.

Sex education introduction and continuation not only in schools but also at homes can help resolve the issues from the sexualization. Adults, as well as children, require sex education to understand the various things they should do in front of the child and also how they should engage their child in these topical issues. The issue of child sexualization in media may seem like a small concern, but when the results of its impact become visible to all that when the understanding of their effects hit most of us. However, we should acknowledge the fact that the matter has taken root in society and instead of struggling to change the culture, which is confusing. We should concentrate on minimizing the effects and becoming more open in our conversations on sex to our children. Instead of focusing on ways to abolish the act since it would become a futile expedition, we should, however, regulate the content our kids get exposed to from these activities that objectify sex having an open mind discussion to the reality of things