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Home › Articles › Parenting Strategies › Lipstick and Lace

Lipstick and Lace

Is There a Need for More Socially Responsible Toys for Little Girls?

By Teri Brown

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  • The Renfrew Center, an eating disorder recovery facility, reports that eating disorders are increasing in younger age groups, as young as 7 years and occurring increasingly in diverse ethnic and socio-cultural groups. Thirty to 40 percent of junior high girls worry about weight, and 40 percent of 9-year-old girls have dieted. They state that even 5-year-old girls are concerned about diet.

    • Do overtly sexual dolls and toys contribute to the eating disorder problem? That has yet to be scientifically proven, but parents and experts are casting a suspicious eye on toys that perpetuate a thin, sexy stereotype.

    Creating Consumers

    Dr. Sharon Lamb, a licensed psychologist, says that while the princess image has been with us for years, the image of what little girls are sold is different.

    "The whole idea of princess is about being pretty, but today we see girls being shown what it means to grow up to be a teenager," Dr. Lamb says. "What these dolls show is that growing up means, above all, growing up sexy. Where can you find pretty represented without also being hot?"

    By teaching young girls how to be teenagers, marketers are grooming a new generation of consumers. Teens have more disposable income than ever before and wield more power within the home to influence buying decisions. By 2010, teens are projected to comprise 10 percent of the U.S. population and they spent an estimated $190 billion in 2006.

    The Influence of Family
    No matter what types of toys your toddler or preschooler plays with, the values you teach your daughter are still powerful.

    Ali Goldstein, a licensed marriage and family therapist who works clinically with children and adolescents in Los Angeles, Calif., isn't convinced that the images presented by toys are the only or even the most important factorin affecting childhood development.

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