TELEVISIONS SEXULIZATION &

ADULTIFICATION OF 8-TO-10
YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

MOLLY GEARAN
MAY 8, 2017
COM 460-A
PROFESSOR BARAN
 Sexualization and adultification are common themes in media today. According to the

American Psychological Association, Sexualization occurs when a persons value comes only

from his or her sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics a person is

held to a standard that equates physical attractiveness with being sexy; a person is sexually

objectified that is, made into a thing for others sexual use, rather than seen as a person with

the capacity for independent action and decision making; and/or sexuality is inappropriately

imposed upon a person (Zurbriggen, 2007). The sexualization of children often results in the

adultification of children, which involves the stripping of a childs innocence and pushing him or

her to grow up too quickly. These themes of sexualization and adultification are prominent in all

forms of media and despite the social media craze within the last decade, television remains one

of the most popular and widely used forms of media available to young people. According to The

Common Sense Census: Media Use By Tweens and Teens, Among tweens [8-to-12-year-olds],

the top activity is watching TV: Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) say they watch every day (by

comparison, 24 percent watch online videos and 27 percent play mobile games every day)

(Rideout, 2015).

The images of half-naked models posing in suggestive positions to sell products or

promote television shows are impossible to avoid no matter what age you may be. These

inappropriate images bombard and target everyone, particularly young people. According to the

Kaiser Family Foundation, 8-to-18- year-olds are watching 4 hours and 29 minutes of television

per day (Rideout, 2010). This means children and teens are constantly seeing sexualized and

adultified images, which teach them disturbing and unrealistic definitions of beautiful and

sexy and that sex is always the goal. Children are learning these behaviors at younger and

younger ages. 8-to-10-year-old children are watching 3 hours and 41 minutes of television

1
content per day, but by the time they are 11-to-14-years-old they will consume 5 hours and 3

minutes of television content per day (Rideout, 2010). The vast amount of sexualized and

adultified television content children consume will be detrimental to their cognitive, emotional,

mental, physical, and sexual health.

This paper will focus on the 8-to-10-year-old demographic because they are entering a

critical developmental stage. Research shows that Between 8-10 years old, children learn to

mentally combine, separate, order, and transform objects and actions. They learn to conserve

mass and area, with many also learning to conserve volume. Their ability to apply logic and

reason increases, as does their ability to focus attention. They can consider multiple perspectives

and apply various thought-out strategies. And while they continue to struggle with understanding

abstract or hypothetical concepts, children this age can apply mental operations to concrete

problems, objects, and events (Anthony, 2017).

One may question who is allowing such sexualized and adultified content that can be so

detrimental for young minds to be broadcasted on television. This would be the owners of the 6

major companies that control 90% of media content in the United States. These companies

comprise: Comcast, News Corp, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, and CBS (Lutz, 2012). The

owners of these 6 companies are all wealthy, straight, Caucasian men. This small population

controls the narratives adults and children see daily. According to Social Responsibility Theory,

these companies with massive amounts of control over our society should have some sort of

responsibility or duty to protect the greater good of the people and promote products that do not

harm us. This theory allows free press without any censorship but at the same time the content

of the press should be discussed in public panel and media should accept any obligation from

public interference or professional self-regulations or both. The theory lies between both

2
authoritarian theory and libertarian theory because it gives total media freedom in one hand but

the external controls in other hand (Communication Theory, 2017). This theory has not been

adopted by these 6 major companies. These owners are not concerned with the messages their

shows are giving off. They are only concerned with making as much profit as possible,

regardless of the circumstances. Thus, we continue to see highly sexualized content because sex

sells.

In many other industrialized countries, there are strict regulations in regards to childrens

television and advertising to children. For example, Canadas Broadcast Code for Advertising to

Children highlights its expectations regarding jurisdiction; factual presentation; product

prohibitions; avoiding undue pressure; scheduling; promotion by program characters, advertiser-

generated characters, and personal endorsements; price and purchase terms; comparison claims;

safety; social values; substantiation required; assessment; and code administration. A few

requirements that differ or are more specific than American regulations include: Children's

advertising must not encourage or portray a range of values that are inconsistent with the moral,

ethical or legal standards of contemporary Canadian society; Children's advertising must not

imply that possession or use of a product makes the owner superior or that without it the child

will be open to ridicule or contempt. This prohibition does not apply to true statements regarding

educational or health benefits; Children's advertising must not directly urge children to purchase

or urge them to ask their parents to make inquiries or purchases; Direct response techniques that

invite the audience to purchase products or services by mail or telephone are prohibited in

children's advertising; and Puppets, persons and characters (including cartoon characters) well-

known to children and/or featured on children's programs must not be used to endorse or

3
personally promote products, premiums or services (The Broadcast Code for Advertising to

Children - The Code, 2017).

In New Zealand, the idea of social responsibility is repeated several times within its

guidelines regarding advertising to children. The countrys Code for Advertising to Children

highlights that Advertisements should be prepared with and observe a high standard of social

responsibility[and] Advertisements should not by implication, omission, ambiguity or

exaggerated claim mislead or deceive or be likely to mislead or deceive children, abuse their

trust or exploit their lack of knowledge or without reason play on fear. More specifically, in

regards to sexualization and adultification, it mentions Advertisements should not include

sexual imagery and should not state or imply that children are sexual beings and /or that

ownership or enjoyment of a product will enhance their sexuality Advertisements should not

include images that are degrading to any individual or group (Code for Advertising to Children,

2017).

Countries such as Canada and New Zealand take childrens television content and

advertising seriously, as does most other industrialized nations. In fact, in 1990 The United

Nations Conventions of the Rights of a Child came into force after expressed need for guidelines

concerning the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children. In this

human rights treaty, the basic fundamental rights of a child are listed as well as laws against

child labor and slavery. In addition to these rights, it also makes recommendations for mass

media content. In Article 17 it states that each country should encourage mass media to

disseminate information and material of social and cultural benefit to the child and in accordance

with the spirit of article 29. The treaty follows up in Article 29 by stating education of the

child shall be directed to the development of respect for the childs parents, his or her own

4
cultural identity, language and values...preparation for responsible life in a free society, in the

spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes and friendship (Convention on the

Rights of the Child, 1990). The United States did help write this treaty but never adopted the

entire document. The U.S. is the only member of the United Nations that is not party to it. If the

U.S. did ratify this treaty, it could be held responsible in the United Nations Court for not

restricting the content reaching children today and for not reprimanding the companies

responsible for the content.

When it comes to the United States regulation on childrens television content and

advertising, the Federal Communications Commission states, Cable operators can transmit no

more than 10.5 minutes of commercial matter per hour during children's programming on

weekends, and no more than 12 minutes of commercial matter per hour on weekdays (FCC,

2015). However, companies have found their way around these regulations by advertising during

the television programs with product placement. This tactic involves companies placing their

product in television shows in hopes of catching viewers interest. The problem with product

placement on childrens television shows is that children are not able to cognitively process the

idea that they are being targeted. According to development expert Dr. Michelle Anthony,

Childrens cognitive development affects their ability to critically process cultural

messagesVery young children are highly susceptible to marketing they have difficulty

distinguishing between commercial and regular programming on TV, and only after they are

approximately 8 years old can they recognize that the purpose of advertisements is to persuade

them to want to purchase something (Anthony, 2017).

Due to lack of regulation in media, we not only see women being sexualized and

objectified on almost every channel, but also young girls. A 2010 study on teen female

5
sexualization in prime-time TV showed that it is common for underage girls to act as grown

women on screen. The study found that The presence of an underage female was associated

with higher amounts of sexualizing depictions compared to the onscreen appearance of an adult

female. Though an older female character is more likely to have sexualizing dialogue in the

scene, a younger female character is more likely portrayed in sexualizing behaviors

onscreenOut of all the sexualized scenes depicting underage or young adult female characters,

86% of those female characters were presented as only being of high school age. This feeds into

the idea that sex sells, but young sex sells even better. This study also highlights that we are

living in a pornified and pedophilic world. This study found that one or several instances of

implied nudity and/or sexual gestures (e.g. suggestive dancing, erotic kissing, erotic touching

and/or implied intercourse) were in every onscreen scene that contained sexualized depictions of

underage girls (Parents TV Council, 2010).

Dr. Jim Taylor argues in a Huffington Post article that parents have the power to save

their children from being sexualized and adultified by not feeding into the media saturated

culture. He explained, A recent study found that girls as young as six years old wanted to be

like dolls who were dressed in a sexy way compared to dolls who were dressed stylishly, but

covered up. These young girls associated being sexy with being the way they wanted to look,

being popular in school, and who they wanted to play with. Another finding of the study was the

girls who spent a lot of time with media and who had mothers who were overly invested in their

own appearance were more likely to identify with the sexily clad dollsThe bad news is that

mothers can actually cause their young daughters to buy into this early equalization, potentially

causing them to develop attitudes about their sexuality that can have serious long-term

consequences on how they view themselves and their future sexual behavior (Taylor, 2012). A

6
prime example of mothers who enable their daughters and feed into this superficial culture would

be TLCs Toddlers & Tiaras. This is an American reality show that follows the lives of child

beauty pageant contestants and their families. This show aired from 2008 to 2013 and received

much scrutiny for dressing children extremely provocatively. These young children are filmed

while their parents dress them up with hair extensions, fake eyelashes, fake teeth, caked on

make-up, spray tans, and stripper outfits. Its anything goes. Were going to see everything from

the Gerber baby to Lady Gaga- and everything in between, said a pageant judge. The children

are encouraged by their parents, usually their mothers, to strut on the runway and do everything

it takes to win. Toddlers & Tiara star, Daisey Mae, was once asked, What does it take to win it

all? She replied, Facial beauty is the most important thing, in life and in pageantsIf you

think your kid is ugly or sumpin, you might not want to do pageants because youre not going to

win or anything (Furlong, 2012). Mothers are often featured on the show pushing their

daughters to dress and act inappropriately. One mother expressed how much she loved her

childs fishnet stockings and her daughter replied, Yeah, but theyre not appropriate.

Regardless of what the child thought, the mother insisted that she wear the stockings. Another

mother stated that, Weve had some negative feedback about her dancing and her outfit was

inappropriate, but we go to win. On Toddlers & Tiaras, the mothers act as their daughters

agents instead of their actual mothers, who are supposed to be role models and steer their

daughters away from being sexualized, adultified, and objectified. Instead of adopting natural

motherly tendencies, these pageant moms have remarks such as, I chose Marilyn Monroe for

Emmas [her daughter] themed outfit because she was a sex symbol and I just thought that would

work great with Emmas personality (Furlong, 2012).

7
 On top of the obvious fact that this show is extremely demeaning to young girls, it is also

the epitome of a pedophiles dream. For example, 4-year-old Toddlers & Tiaras star Maddy

Jackson wore a hot pink catsuit, complete with fake C-cup breasts and padded buttocks [and]

channeled her best Dolly Parton in one episode. "I want to show the judges how beautiful I am,

Maddy said on the show. When she wears the fake boobs and the fake butt it's just like an added

extra bonus and it's really funny when she comes out on stage and everybody thinks it's

hysterical, her mother Lindsay said. This is extremely dangerous messaging to be sending the

world about young girls. Diane Levin, author of So Sexy So Soon: The Next Sexualized

Childhood and How Parents Can Protect Their Kids, told ABC News that The girls' dolled-up

looks could blur the boundaries for people who are having trouble controlling their pedophilia

predispositionWhile a 4-year-old wearing fake breasts is an extreme version of this type of

objectification, this sexiness begins to normalize the expectation of little girls' appearances

(Conley, 2011).

It is important to keep in mind that this TLC show was viewed by a very wide age range

of people. According to the Nielsen Report, children and adults often have the same favorite TV

shows (Postman, 2009). Toddlers & Tiaras was a favorite of children as young as 8-to-10-years-

old as well as their older sisters, mothers, and sometimes even brothers and fathers. This wide

age range can be looked at a positive or negative. This wide age range of viewers could be

positive because this means that a lot of families are watching the show together and are able to

discuss the unrealistic portrayals of young girls on the show. However, and more likely, this

wide age range can be viewed as a negative because parents who have watched the show are still

allowing their young children to watch it despite the degrading images and comments throughout

the program.

8
 Toddlers & Tiaras is not the only program with highly sexualized content. Networks such

as Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney continue to supply children with inappropriate

images and themes as well. After conducting a content analysis on popular shows that 8-to-10-

year-olds frequently watch, two themes were evident: highly sexualized characters and consistent

innuendos. Male characters almost always had the manly-man look with chiseled abs, large

features, and aggressive attitudes. If the males were not portrayed as stereotypical real men,

they were portrayed as wimpy or nerdy. Their roles often involved problem solving, saving or

helping women, and suppressing emotion. In comparison, female characters were portrayed as

boy-obsessed, emotional, ditzy, and/or beautiful. There was a reoccurring theme of females

dressed in revealing clothing and using their body as a distraction.

The shows analyzed for the content analysis included: Spongebob SquarePants, Hey

Arnold, Batman: The Animated Series, and Powerpuff Girls. Although these programs are a few

years old, it has been reported that the 8-to-10-year-old demographic still frequently watches

these programs. Spongebob SquarePants, a show originally intended for adult viewers, is a

popular Nickelodeon cartoon that chronicles the adventures of Spongebob, a sea sponge; Patrick

Star, a starfish; Squidward Tentacles, an octopus; and Sandy Cheeks, a squirrel. After viewing

several episodes, the hidden sexual innuendos, other than the fact that the show is based in

Bikini Bottom, are quite apparent. In the episode Your Shoes Untied, Spongebob is shown

enjoying what appears to be sea critter porn on his television. Spongebob seems to be enjoying

this television program- his eyes widen along with his smile. Suddenly, his pet snail, Gary,

sneaks up next to him and frightens Spongebob. Spongebob proceeds to yell GARY and

quickly changes the channel. While 8-to-10-year-olds might not understand the innuendo

exactly, they understand that Spongebob was watching something he either should not have been

9
watching or was embarrassed to watch. More explicitly, in the episode Gary Takes a Bath,

Spongebob tries to trick Gary into taking a bath by disguising the bathtub as a treasure chest. As

Spongebob is preparing the bath, he presents two bars of soap as he winks at Gary and says

Dont drop em. This notion of dropping the soap often refers to an easy way to get raped,

particularly in prison. Although 8-to-10-year-olds might not pick up on the reference right away

if they have not heard it before, the suggestive wink and tone depicts the comment as something

naughty. Lastly, in the Squidville episode, Squidward is shown receiving pleasure from a reef

blower that he attached to one of his tentacles. This scene insinuates sexual pleasure from an

object touching genitalia.

Hey Arnold, another Nickelodeon classic, is about a fourth grader named Arnold who

lives with his grandparents in the inner-city. Overall, this show has generally positive reviews,

however some have an issue with Helgas character. Helga is a 10-year-old girl who is portrayed

as Arnolds stalker. She has an undying lust for Arnold and even has a shrine to him in her

closet. In the Helgas Parrot episode, she states that Arnold makes her girlhood tremble and

her pet parrot proceeds to repeat the phrase over and over to draw even more emphasis to the

lustful 10-year-olds comment. In comparison to this Hey Arnold episode where the script is

inappropriate for 8-to-10-year old viewers, Batman: The Animated Series has highly sexualized

characters that are equally inappropriate. This show is based on the world famous comic series

Batman. In the episode Beware the Creeper, Harley Quinn is shown rising from a large pie,

singing Happy Anniversary in Marilyn Monroe-style while sexually dancing for the Joker. She

tosses a cherry at him and suggestively says Take the night off, lets play. She then proceeds to

take a swipe of the pie with her finger, holds it out and says Wanna try some of my pie, Im

sure youll want seconds! To Harleys surprise, the joker is not amused after this and he

10
aggressively throws her outside with his dogs. This scene suggests to viewers that women are

only good for pleasing men sexually and it is okay to treat women like objects and toss them to

the side.

The Powerpuff Girls is a Cartoon Network classic that focuses on three girls with

superpowers: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. They live with their father, a science professor

who created three girls instead of one girl by accident using sugar, spice, and everything nice.

Despite the shows overwhelming success and overall positive reactions, it does contain some

hidden innuendos. For example, in the episode Superfriends, the girls invite their friend,

Robin, over to the house and the professor greets her. Bubbles introduced him by saying, He

made us in his laboratory by accident. Robin responds by saying, Dont worry, Professor- I

was an accident too. The professors eyes widen, showing his embarrassment of Robins

statement. This scene alludes to the idea that Robins parents did not plan to conceive Robin

when they did. No, this is not as harmful as some of the comments or representations on the

other shows, however this dialogue can be very confusing for an 8-to-10-year old. And if that

viewer is watching this show without a parent to present for explanation, the child may repeat the

joke at school or search it online. This could cut out a critical conversation parents have with

their children regarding sex and inappropriate comments that should not be repeated.

In addition to these television shows with alarming messages, the stars of the shows have

a strong influence on young viewers as well. Children idolize stars such as Taylor Momsen

(Gossip Girl), Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana), Ashley Tisdale (Suite Life of Zack and Cody/

High School Musical), Amanda Bynes (The Amanda Show), Taylor Swift (Pop/Country

Vocalist), Victoria Justice (Victorious), and Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place).

Whatever these young women are wearing or however they are acting, young viewers choose to

11
emulate them. This explains why the tween fashion industry is a million-dollar industry8-to-

12-year-olds have $43 billion in spending power in the U.S. every year (ABC News, 2010).

After analyzing the content in these four popular shows, it is clear that there are many

jokes surrounding both sexual behavior and the mistreatment of women and girls. This not only

affects how girls think of themselves, but also how boys think of girls. Some may argue that

these sexualized characters or innuendos are not clear enough for 8-to-10-year-olds to notice,

however this demographic has access to this damaging content 24 hours per day. This highly

sexualized content is not just on television- it is also embedded in social media, songs and music

videos. According to Cultivation Theory, television has long-term effects which are gradual, but

significant. Children, especially the 8-to-10-year-olds, are growing up faster and faster due to the

media saturated culture and the effects could be detrimental to their cognitive, emotional, mental

and physical, and sexual development.

The cognitive consequences associated with highly sexualized and adultified television

content for 8-to-10-year-olds have a lot to do with the fact that they are not as cognitively

developed as adults, do not have the same level of critical thinking skills, and cannot always

distinguish fantasy from reality. Children this age are only just beginning to process the purpose

of advertisements and cultural messages. According to Michelle Anthony, PhD., Between 8-10

years old, children learn to mentally combine, separate, order, and transform objects and actions.

They learn to conserve mass and area, with many also learning to conserve volume. Their ability

to apply logic and reason increases, as does their ability to focus attention. They can consider

multiple perspectives and apply various thought-out strategies. And while they continue to

struggle with understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts, children this age can apply mental

operations to concrete problems, objects, and events (Anthony, 2017). Because this

12
demographic is just beginning this stage of development, it affects their ability to critically

process cultural messagesVery young children are highly susceptible to marketing they have

difficulty distinguishing between commercial and regular programming on TV, and only after

they are approximately 8 years old can they recognize that the purpose of advertisements is to

persuade them to want to purchase something (Zurbriggen, 2007).

The rate at which 8-to-10-year-olds are regularly consuming media can be dangerous

because they do not possess the proper tools to evaluate the messages and purposes of the

content, especially sexualized content. As The American Psychological Association points out,

advertising companies prey on young girls vulnerability. The Skechers naughty and nice ad

that featured Christina Aguilera dressed as a schoolgirl in pigtails, with her shirt unbuttoned,

licking a lollipop), dolls (e.g., Bratz dolls dressed in sexualized clothing such as miniskirts,

fishnet stockings and feather boas), clothing (thongs sized for 7 to 10-year-olds, some printed

with slogans such as wink wink), and television programs (e.g., a televised fashion show in

which adult models in lingerie were presented as young girls) are just a few prime examples.

Brands like these are teaching girls from a young age that low-cut tops and miniskirts are what

makes a woman beautiful and desired (Zurbriggen, 2007). This lack of awareness can hinder

young peoples understanding of sexuality. Susan Linn poses the questions, How does a 7-year-

old understand the plastic sexuality of Britney Spears? How do 10-year-olds cope with pressure

to dress and act in sexually provocative ways? (Zurbriggen, 2007). Girls and boys at this age

have much less ability than adults to comprehend and cope with these types of cultural messages.

Another factor that hinders cognitive development in young people is how they consume

media. Studies show that 78% of tweens are devoted topassive consumption and

13
interactive consumption: watching, listening, reading, and playing with media content created

by someone else (Rideout, 2015). While some young people use media to create their own art,

music, blogs etc., the majority of tweens choose to watch TV, listen to music, or play games

instead. This choice to consume media rather than create new narratives individually, denies

young people the opportunity to develop their creative minds.

Constant exposure to sexualized television can also hinder 8-to-10-year-olds emotional

development. According to Tennessees Children Cabinet, It becomes obvious at this age that

children are growing more independent and have a growing interest in friends. Healthy

friendships are very important to [a] childs social development, but peer pressure can start to

become a concern. Children who feel good about themselves can fend off negative peer pressure

and make better choices. As their number of friends increases, social conflicts can arise

(Tennessees Children Cabinet, 2017). The ability to fend off peer pressure is a large part of an

8-to-10-year olds development and as Tennessees Children Cabinet stated, if a child feels

confident about himself or herself, they are more likely able to reject peer pressure. With this, the

sexualized media content plays a role in shaping young peoples confidence. Specifically, for

girls, sexualization and objectification can cause a lack of confidence in and comfort with ones

body image. This can lead to a host of negative emotional consequences, such as shame, anxiety,

and even self-disgust. For young girls, Viewing oneself primarily from the perspective of an

observer and emphasizing features like attractiveness and sex appeal with respect to ones

body are related to higher levels of anxiety about appearance and feelings of shame

(Zurbriggen, 2007).

14
 In regards to the mental and physical health effects of sexualized television content on 8-

to-10-year-olds, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety are mentioned in several studies. It is

proven that By age 6, girls especially start to express concerns about their own weight or shape.

40-60% of elementary school girls (ages 6-12) are concerned about their weight or about

becoming too fat (National Eating Disorders Association, 2016). In 2004, Anne E. Becker

found particularly strong evidence of the medias role in shaping girls body image. She

conducted a study on young girls in Western Fiji and the influence television had on them.

Becker found that the beginnings of weight and body shape preoccupation, purging behavior to

control weight, and body disparagement were linked to the introduction of television. Before

television, traditional Fijian culture emphasized a robust body shape and based notions of

identity not on the body but on family, community, and relationships. Three years after television

was introduced, girls eating behaviors and attitudes about their bodies had shifted, and rates of

disordered eating had increased (Zurbriggen, 2007). This is a direct link between television and

body dissatisfaction in young girls and explains why 46% of 9-11 year-olds are sometimes, or

very often, on diets, and 82% of their families are sometimes, or very often, on diets[and,] 35-

57% of adolescent girls engage in crash dieting, fasting, self-induced vomiting, diet pills, or

laxatives. (National Eating Disorders Association, 2016).

In addition to the eating disorder epidemic, depression and anxiety are also consequences

of our highly sexualized media culture. In 2015, about 3 million teens ages 12 to 17 had had at

least one major depressive episode in the past year, according to the Department of Health and

Human Services. More than 2 million report experiencing depression that impairs their daily

function. About 30% of girls and 20% of boystotaling 6.3 million teenshave had an anxiety

disorder, according to data from the National Institute of Mental Health (Schrobsdorff, 2016). In

15
Time article Depression and Anxiety: Why the Kids Are Not Alright, Schrobsdorff highlights

that while some argue the depression and anxiety rates are rising because adolescents are fragile

and sheltered, she attributes these rising rates to media that children and teens cannot seem to get

away from. The added pressure from the media to look and act a certain way on top of the

pressure to balance schoolwork, maintain friendships, get involved in extracurricular activities,

and possibly maintaining a job is exhausting for children and teens. Evidence suggests the

anxiety wrought by school pressures and technology is affecting younger and younger kids. Ellen

Chance, co-president of the Palm Beach School Counselor Association, says technology and

online bullying are affecting kids as early as fifth grade (Schrobsdorff, 2016).

The most obvious negative consequence of sexualization and adultification on television

would be childrens inability to develop healthy sexuality. Young girls are the main target when

it comes to sexualized images. The media is not only objectifying girls, but also programming

them to objectify themselves. The message that girls only purpose is to use their bodies as

sexual objects to satisfy men is a reoccurring theme that has a tremendous impact. It has been

found that girls as young as 6 years old engage in self-objectification to an extent similar to that

of older girls and women (Holland, 2016). This self-shaming has been linked with many serious

health issues such as eating disorders, anxiety, and depression and has been shown to detract

from the ability to concentrate and focus ones attention, thus leading to impaired performance

on mental activities such as mathematical computations or logical reasoningSelf-

objectification has been linked directly with diminished sexual health among adolescent

girlse.g., as measured by decreased condom use and diminished sexual assertiveness

(Zurbriggen, 2007).

16
 Gigi Durham states in her book, The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young

Girls and What We Can Do About It, Pop culture-and the advertising that surrounds it-teaches

young girls and boys five myths about sex and sexuality: Girls don't choose boys, boys choose

girls-but only sexy girls, There's only one kind of sexy-slender, curvy, white beauty, Girls should

work to be that type of sexy, The younger a girl is, the sexier she is, Sexual violence can be hot

(Durham, 2008). In addition to Durhams spot on explanation of what media is teaching children

about sex, the lack of condom use; focus mens sexual pleasure only; men aggressively handling

and objectifying women; and womens worth based on sex appeal and ability to please men are

also all prime examples of how television programs negatively portray sex. For example, the hit

show Glee, often viewed by families, contains several sex scenes and sexualized depictions of

women. In one episode, a female character reenacts Brittany Spears famous music video Im A

Slave 4 U by strutting around in several different revealing outfits and posing suggestively. Not

to mention, the actual title and meaning behind the song is extremely degrading to women,

implying that they are slaves for mens pleasure. Once the 8-to-10-year-old demographic

upgrades to shows for older kids, like Glee, they are exposed not only to innuendos and

stereotypical characters, but also to sex scenes that depict sex as an aggressive act for the

pleasure of men rather than an act of love and desire for the pleasure and benefit of both parties

involved. This means that young girls and boys are now learning about sex from the media, not

from their parents. According to Social Cognitive Theory, people model the behaviors they see

in media through imitation and/or identification (Gale Group, 2002). It makes sense that after

seeing people, especially celebrities, behave in such highly sexualized and adult ways, children

wish to imitate those behaviors. These scenes displaying men objectifying half-naked women are

a normal sight for children. It sends the message to children that being hot or having sex is the

17
ultimate goal. Young people are seeing what sex looks like on TV and they try to replicate what

they see famous actors doing. This cuts out conversations between children and their parents and

important questions go unanswered. Because these parent-child conversations regarding sex are

diminished, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and infections are now common.

Studies show, In 2014, a total of 249,078 babies were born to women aged 1519 years,

for a birth rate of 24.2 per 1,000 women in this age group. This is another historic low for U.S.

teens and a drop of 9% from 2013. Birth rates fell 11% for women aged 1517 years and 7% for

women aged 1819 years (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Although teen

pregnancy rates are decreasing in the United States, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is substantially

higher than in other western industrialized nations. As mentioned before, the U.S. does not have

strict regulations in regards to advertising and television content for young people compared to

other developed countries. This is not a direct reason for teen pregnancy, but is certainly a factor

to keep in mind. Similarly, in the United States, More than half of all people will have an

STD/STI at some point in their lifetimeEach year, one in four teens contracts an

STD/STIOne in two sexually active persons will contract an STD/STI by age 25 (American

Sexual Health Association, 2017).

Although most research on the effects of sexualization and adultification is focused on

girls and women, boys and men are also effected. Even viewing a single episode of an

objectifying television programmay lead men to rate real women as less physically attractive

(Zurbriggen, 2007). In fact, Boys consume more media than girls (11:12 vs. 10:17), with most

of the difference coming from time spent playing console video games42 minutes more than

girls per day (:56 vs. :14) (Rideout, 2010). This sexualized television and video game content

teaches boys and men that this is what is expected of women and girls. Many of these programs

18
display sex in extremely unrealistic and objectifying ways. These sexual themes give visuals to

young boys and girls as to what a romantic relationship should be like. This creates unrealistic

and negative expectations that carry on to their teenage and adult years. Adult women may

suffer by trying to conform to a younger and younger standard of ideal female beauty. More

general societal effects may include an increase in sexism; fewer girls pursuing careers in

science, technology, engineering and mathematics; increased rates of sexual harassment and

sexual violence; and an increased demand for child pornography (Zurbriggen).

According to Crystal Smiths Boys, Sex & Media, Females are depicted in domestic

settings far more than males, especially in toy advertising; female characters in films and TV

shows aimed at boys are rarely afforded the opportunity to be hero; female characters talk about

and worry over their looks far more than male characters; a females looks are, depending on the

program, commented on by male characters and sometimes quite rudely (Smith, 2016). These

negative portrayals of women and examples of how men treat women teaches young boys that

this behavior is acceptable. This can lead to many issues for boys and men such as dissatisfaction

in relationships, inability to show empathy, and difficulty viewing women as their equal.

According to the American Physiological Associations Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls,

Objectifying girls/women and sex itself is integral to masculinity beliefs, but these beliefs may

jeopardize mens ability to form and maintain intimate relationships with women. [Also,]

Exposure to narrow ideals of female sexual attractiveness may make it difficult for some men to

find an acceptable partner or to fully enjoy intimacy with a female partner. In 2005, Burn and

Ward found that undergraduate mens satisfaction with their romantic relationship was

negatively correlated with most masculinity beliefs, including ones that are relevant to the

objectification of women (i.e., dominance [I should be in charge], power over women [In

19
general, I control the women in my life], and playboy [If I could, I would frequently change

sexual partners]). Empathy may be important in understanding the relationship between

objectification and relationship satisfaction. When one person objectifies another, it is difficult,

perhaps even impossible, to treat that person with empathy, an important predictor of satisfaction

and stability in intimate relationships (Zurbriggen, 2007).

This report goes on to explain why boys and men have difficultly relating to girls and

women. If girls and women are seen exclusively as sexual beings rather than as complicated

people with many interests, talents, and identities, boys and men may have difficulty relating to

them on any level other than the sexual. This could dramatically limit the opportunities boys and

men have to interact intellectually with girls and women, to compete with and against them in

sports or games, to create art or make music with them, to work together for higher causes (e.g.,

volunteer work or activism), or to enjoy their company as friends (Zurbriggen, 2007). These

negative thoughts from men and boys are no surprise due the constant sexualized images they are

bombarded with over and over again. For example, In 2006, L. M.Ward, Merriwether, and

Caruthers discovered that undergraduate men who were frequent readers of mens magazines

such as Maxim and Sports Illustrated, who attributed greater realism to media portrayals, and

who watched TV more intently to learn about the world were also more accepting of traditional

masculinity ideologies, including the sexual objectification of women (Zurbriggen, 2007).

According to Crystal Smith, author and mother of an 8-year-old boy, Girls are marked

by boys as sexual at an early age, independent of the girls behavior. If such views of girls are

allowed to escalate, they can result in sexual harassment at school, a form of social aggression

that occurs at the age of ten or earlier (Smith, 2016). This grade school sexual harassment

children experience as 8-to-10-year-olds contributes to the rape culture that has formed in our

20
society. Rape culture is defined as a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual

aggression and supports violence against women. It is a society where violence is seen as sexy

and sexuality as violent. In a rape culture, women perceive a continuum of threatened violence

that ranges from sexual remarks to sexual touching to rape itself. A rape culture condones

physical and emotional terrorism against women as the norm . . . In a rape culture both men and

women assume that sexual violence is a fact of life, inevitable . . . However, . . . much of what

we accept as inevitable is in fact the expression of values and attitudes that can change

(WAVAW, 2014).

As Smith says, if this behavior continues to be the norm, children will be perpetrators

and victims to sexual harassment and violence earlier and earlier in life. As children continue to

consume copious amounts of media per day, they are continuing to be constantly bombarded

with content that promotes rape culture. Young people are watching their favorite actors promote

this culture on television and this teaches them that sexual violence is acceptable behavior in

society. Television content is one of the main promoters of rape culture within the media. Kahlor

and Eastins Televisions Role in the Culture of Violence Toward Women: A Study of

Television Viewing and the Cultivation of Rape Myth Acceptance in the United States, refers to

television as a societal-level influence related to rape culture. The study approached cultivation

from a feminist, ecological perspective that recognized television at the macrosystem level as a

purveyor of cultural norms embedded in a culture of violence towards women. Kahlor and

Eastin surveyed adults on their television consumption habits and compared it with their views

on rape myths. The study found that general television consumption is related significantly to

first- and second-order rape myth beliefs among adult men and women (Kahlor, 2011).

21
 According to the American Psychological Associations Task Force of the Sexualization

of Girls, Women and men exposed to sexually objectifying images of women from mainstream

media (e.g., R-rated films, magazine advertisements, music videos) were found to be

significantly more accepting of rape myths (e.g., the belief that women invite rape by engaging

in certain behaviors), sexual harassment, sex role stereotypes, interpersonal violence, and

adversarial sexual beliefs about relationships than were those in control conditions (Zurbriggen,

2007). These adults influenced by the media are now or will soon be raising the next generation

of children. If these adults are accepting of rape myths, they will pass these perceptions along to

their children, thus sustaining the issue of rape culture in society.

Navigating this highly sexualized content can be overwhelming and confusing for

parents. More parents are concerned about the type of media content their children use than how

much time they spend using it. Over half (53 percent) of teens and 72 percent of tweens say

their parents have talked with them about how much time they can spend with media. But even

more young people (66 percent of teens and 84 percent of tweens) say their parents have spoken

with them about the content of the media they use. Most young people say their parents know a

lot or at least some about the types of media content they use (e.g., which shows they watch

or games they play), but 25 percent of teens who go online say their parents know only a little

or nothing about what they do or say online, and 30 percent say the same about the social

media they use (Rideout, 2015).

Some parents believe they have done so well instilling values into their children that

media will not have any effects on their children or themselves. These people believe that media

have influence over others, but not them or their family. This is an example of the Third-Person

Effect. The truth is, there is no way to escape the media or its influence over us. Media shape our

22
culture, values, and beliefs whether we like it or not. Media, television in particular, is a large

part of childrens lives and to restrict your child from it is unrealistic. Parental mediation is key

when it comes to childrens television consumption. This involves parents sitting down with their

child and consuming the content and narratives of a show together. This mediation not only helps

children combat excessive advertising and controversial messages, but also helps build parent-

child relationships. This provides a setting for dialogue between the parent and child where the

child can ask as many questions as they please without feeling like he or she is bothering the

parent. This also provides a setting for the parent to answer those questions as well as comment

on certain scenes occurring on the screen. The parent can aid the child in understanding more

mature messages, unrealistic portrayals, and hidden ads that target children. Two ways to achieve

successful parental mediation are active mediation, where parents watch television ads with their

children and provide commentary, and concept-oriented communication, where parents discuss

consumer matters with their children.

If parents are not impressed with the TV shows of the childs choice, they certainly have

options. There are shows that have non stereotypical characters, strong male and female

characters, and positive conflict resolution. For the 8-to-10-year-olds, "Star Trek: The Next

Generation, Legend of Korra, The Halo Effect, and Design Squad Nation are just a few shows

highly rated by Common Sense Media (Filucci, 2016).

While parental mediation is such an important tool in combatting the corruption and

bombardment of advertising negative messages to children, parents should not be expected to

combat this alone. It is also the responsibility of lawmakers to demand that stronger regulations

on advertising to children and childrens television content are put into place. Also, it is the

responsibility of the education system to incorporate media literacy into core curriculum.

23
 Two examples of effective media literacy workshops for 8-to-10-year-olds would be 1) a

workshop focusing on televisions long-term effects on viewers and teaching students important

tools to navigate media and 2) a workshop focusing on how students consume media and

highlighting the difference between passive consumption and interactive consumption. The first

workshop would involve students completing a poll asking what their favorite television show is.

Whatever the majority vote is, the facilitator would find an episode of the students favorite show

that portrays characters in a stereotypical/degrading manner. The students would watch the

episode and then be instructed to answer the following questions individually: Who is your

favorite character? Why? Who is your least favorite character? What is the point of this episode?

What lessons did this episode try to get across (if any)? After giving the students time to reflect,

the facilitator would encourage them to share their answers with the class. Next, the facilitator

would break the students into small groups to discuss the following questions: Who created the

message of this episode? What techniques are used to attract your attention to this show? Do any

characters in the show look like you? If so, how do you think viewers who do not look like the

characters feel? If not, how does that make you feel? What lifestyles, values, and points of view

are presented in the message? What lifestyles, values, and points of view are not presented in the

message? Why not? What would you change about this show? After giving the groups time to

discuss and collaborate, the facilitator would have the small groups share what they learned from

their classmates answers and discuss how certain characters are portrayed negatively and the

harmful effects this can have on viewers (low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, bullying,

harassment, etc.). Then the facilitator would explain that this does not mean that all TV is bad for

you. However, it is important to be aware of what you are watching; know who created the

narratives; and understand the different between TV and reality.

24
 The second workshop would involve students creating their ideal television show. The

facilitator would break the students up into small groups and instruct each group to create a

television show. The facilitator will not provide any other guidelines for the television show

other than the following: groups must provide a plot, setting, and 5 characters with detailed

descriptions regarding their appearance, personality, occupation, and relationships with other

characters. At the end of the workshop, groups will pitch their TV show to the class and the

facilitator will comment on creativity, originality, stereotypical/ non-stereotypical characters, etc.

After every groups pitch, the facilitator will encourage class discussion on passive consumption

vs. interactive consumption.

Without the implementation of parental mediation, media reform, and education reform,

kids will continue to suffer from the physical, emotional, and monetary effects of being exploited

and marketed to. Workshops, such as the two mentioned previously, will provide 8-to-10-year-

olds the opportunity to learn media literacy skills that they can continue to use while consuming

any form of media. This would be a safe and fun setting to allow students to ask questions about

media, provide the knowledge and tools to combat media, and teach them how to use media to

their advantage. In unison with parents and reform, these workshops and conversations will

produce smarter and more media-savvy students over time.

25