Since the day they are born, girls are told what they will be. We are destined to be mothers, nurses, or teachers, and any idea outside of that is self- centered and irrational. Meanwhile, little boys are allowed to have no goals outside of being Batman with no criticism. Starting in the 1st grade we are hit by unfair dress codes, teaching girls before they’re even 4 feet tall that boys are distracted by their body. More importantly to be ashamed of it.
As teenagers we are pressured to become a sex object. The media portraysportraiysts the teenage girl as a Marilyn Monroe/Kate Moss idol. If you show too much you are slut, not enough you are a prude, creating an impossible standard. Girls must maintain good grades, never less than an Aan a , but don’t turn in every project or you might be called a Mary Sue. The media we consume glorifies sex and drugs, and we call it cute and quirky;, experiment with these, however, and you will be told you threw away your future. Adolescents are told they must follow a religion, not too closely though, or you might be a total Joan of Arc. It is never enough.
My entire life I have felt held to a higher standard than my male peers. As a young girl, when I was bullied I would always be told one of two things: A.) He’s mean because he has a crush on you; or B.) Boys don’t mature as fast as girls so it wouldn’t be fair to punish them. Being told that men can’t be held accountable made me scared to go to school, where any rebuttal I had would be considered weaponizing my intelligence.
Some may say that these are just the facts of being a woman, but many credible sources have made it clear that this is untrue.
As of a 2024 study 44% of teenagers believe it’s harder to grow up today, and 69% of parents agree. Only 15% of those families believe that we are growing up the same way our parents did. Out of 11 subjects, the 4th most prevalent topic brought up by parents was societal pressures, and the number 1 by teenagers was pressures of society. (Pew Research Center)
Out of all eating disorders in the world (3.8% of the population), 75% of survivors are female and 95% of these women are aged 12-25. Ideas of a perfect body are presented to us through media like television, magazines, and even street ads. Walk through any corner store and you will find at least 3 bottles of pills promising weight loss, paired with a book on how to debloat. In a study by Common Sense Media they state that 80% of girls under 10 have been on a diet at least once in their lifetime. Compared to men, women are twice as likely to struggle with body image because of influencers. (The Standard)
Achievement culture has been a toxic issue since the dawn of education and now more than ever it is an extremely relevant issue. “One of the major issues with achievement culture for teen girls is the burden of unrealistic expectations. They are bombarded with images of perfection through social media, influencers, and even their own family and friends. This constant comparison to unattainable standards can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Teen girls may feel pressured to achieve academically, look a certain way, and excel in extracurricular activities, all while maintaining an active social life.” (- Merion Mercy). Throughout high school these issues are more prevalent than ever as girls go through the most pivotal part of their life
When you enter any private or public school you give away a right to freedom of speech. This was decided by the supreme court in 1968, and since then dress codes have been protested by our youth. Out of all students who are dress coded, 83% are girls and 79.4% of them feel it was unfair. (Cougar Chronicles)
We as a society need to set more reasonable standards by allowing young girls to explore themselves freely. A parent should never have to worry about a 4 year olds skirt being sexualized by grown adults. High schoolers should be offered job options outside of the main “female” jobs. More support systems need to be in place for youngyouth girls everywhere.
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/feature/why-many-parents-and-teens-think-its-harder-being-a-teen-today/https://standard.asl.org/17556/opinions/unrealistic-body-standards-create-toxic-environment/https://www.merion-mercy.com/about/blog-posts/single-blog/~board/blog/post/the-pitfalls-of-achievement-culture-for-teenage-girls-navigating-the-pressurehttps://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/planned-parenthood-new-hampshire-action-fund/blog/school-dress-codes-perpetuate-sexism-racism-and-transphobia#:~:text=Teaching%20girls%20that%20their%20body,as%20anxiety%20and%20eating%20disorders.https://cougarchronicle.org/opinion-review/2020/12/18/the-issue-with-dress-codes/
