Here’s a scary statistic for you: According to Time Magazine, in 2003, tweens (i.e., girls ranging in age from 7 to 12) spent $1.6 million on thong underwear.
Just think about that. What does a 7-12 year old need with thong underwear?
I discovered this statistic in today’s Washington Post, which had an interesting article on the sexualization of young girls. I’m seeing this directly in my daughter, who regularly wears makeup and is concerned about fashion. Luckily, she’s not wearing thongs (I know–I do the laundry!) or dressing provacatively, but I do know the message is there: from the shows she watches (she’s a big Charmed fan) to the magazines that she reads.
I regularly comment that I don’t remember the girls I was with in Jr. High dressing like that. I don’t remember the emphasis on sexuality in our youth. We hear more and more about the creeps and perverts out there, but I wonder how much of it is driven from the other direction, from a media that is pressing young girls and boys into dressing and acting much older than their age.
I’m lucky, I guess, that my daughter hasn’t bought into the media circus hook, line, and sinker. Still, it bothers me…
P.S. When I had my daughter read this before posting, she said “No, don’t use my picture. Use the “pron” picture.” Sigh.
