The emotional well-being of girls in a celebrity culture

Six out of ten girls think they would be happier if they were thinner and 81% of women strongly agree that “the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women can never achieve”. It is interesting to chart how the ‘accepted’ female form has developed over the last century; Marylin Monroe was a classic 1950’s pin-up and reflected the average shape and weight of women at the time (approx 60kg / 9.5 stone). In the 1970’s and 1980’s we saw the ‘ideal’ woman as tall, thin, with highly toned muscle and an average weight of 56kg / 8.4 stone. The ‘ideal weight’ of celebrities continued to fall, until we are now faced with the unnatural combination of narrow hips and large breasts with ‘optimum’ weights hitting 45.5.kg / 7.1 stone. It is no wonder that girls from a very young age are struggling with self-image and self-esteem.

The world of celebrity culture will continue to evolve of its own volition, but the most important thing that schools and parents must do, is to bridge the gap between real life and that of the media. I was surprised at the strength of reaction of 14 to 16 year old girls to the short film ‘Evolution’ which shows how a ‘real girl’ is transformed for a photo shoot. They were shocked at the amount of airbrushing and other ‘tricks of the trade’ that were employed during the process. It was then possible to get the girls to look with fresh eyes at advertising and other images in the magazines that they read. They were able to begin to get a sense that what they were seeing was not necessarily ‘real’.

What can we do to support girls through this turbulent time? Encouraging and developing self-esteem, along with educating them about how the media portrays images of celebrities, is the key to ensuring girls have a realistic understanding of what is ‘normal’. It is becoming increasingly difficult to do this as celebrities themselves are targeted by the media for being ‘too thin’ and then a few months later ‘too fat’. A BBC survey revealed that more than half of 12 to 16 year old girls feel that their body image either stops them from getting a boyfriend, or that they cannot relax in a relationship. It is helpful for girls to know that boys suffer a similar range of anxieties as they progress through adolescence; male celebrities are presenting highly toned torsos as the perfect male body. It is important to focus on other attributes that are equally important when girls interact both with their peers and adults. Finding a range of strong role models will also help girls to develop high self-esteem. One way to do this is to encourage girls to think of successful women in areas where they themselves have interests and talents.

I asked the girls in my school who their role models are and overwhelmingly the majority cited their mothers as key inspirational figures in their lives. This is even more reason to ensure that girls have the self-confidence to keep the media pressure in perspective now before they themselves become mothers.

Other examples:
“Anne Frank for holding onto her optimism and faith”

“Jane Tomlinson who, despite being diagnosed with terminal cancer, participated in a series of athletic challenges; she did the London Marathon three times, the London Triathlon twice, the New York Marathon and cycled across the USA and Europe. She raised £1.85 million pounds for charity. She is proof that you can achieve anything you want and nothing is impossible even if you have huge obstacles in your way”.

“I heard Shirin Ebadi the 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate, speak last year at the PeaceJam youth weekend and she is truly inspirational woman. I greatly admire her determination to convey the importance of women’s rights in Iran, despite facing opposition from the Iranian government. She is able to persevere in this struggle, despite facing threats (including the removal of her Nobel Prize medal) and constant arrests. She has overcome the fear that many human rights activists face in Iran and her courage is astounding. She is a Muslim and I admire the influence this has had on her life because she is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in”.

“Emma Thompson as she has managed to combine both acting and writing in her life and is highly acclaimed for both”.

Giving girls a sense of their own purpose and worth will go a long way to helping them develop their own sense of identity and the confidence to be comfortable in their own skin.