Yesterday morning the BBC radio show aired a segment on the recent report by the American Psychological Association, which states that the current popularity of sexualized images, songs, clothing, and toys among young people is damaging the health of children.
In the BBC's words: "In a report released today, the APA, the American Psychological Association, says that a generation of young girls is being psychologically damaged because of the proliferation of sexual images in the media, clothing and toy industry."
The BBC interviewed activists in England, India, Japan, Nigeria, Iran, and the U.S. where feminists and others expressed their concern about the prevalence of this type of exposure and its negative impact on girls in their countries. You can read about it here.
I have such mixed feelings about this study. I don't like the proliferation of sexual images that's in our faces day in, day out, and I bet it's damaging to people in a number of ways. But there's a lot about the APA study that leaves me skeptical about its research methods and its conclusions.
For example, the study reports that girls' mathematical functioning is diminished as a result of the pervasive sexual imagery. But here's the "study" they did on math skills:
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1853636.htm
"EILEEN ZURBRIGGEN (who chaired the investigation): Young women were either dressed in a swimming suit or a sweater and did various tasks, and then were asked to do some math problems. And young women who were in the swimsuit did less well on the math problems, suggesting that basically all their mental energy was devoted to thinking about how they looked and they didn't have as much left over to work on the math problem."
Surely you jest! Who does math problems in their bathing suits? That strikes me as a ludicrous "study," almost completely unrelated to sexual imagery in movies, TV, music, etc. I bet the boys wouldn't do as well running around in their swim trunks either.
More from Dr. Zurbriggen:
"EILEEN ZURBRIGGEN: Exposure to sexualisation or to sexualising images puts you at risk for depression, puts you at risk for feelings of shame about your body or dissatisfaction with your body which could lead to eating disorders, and a lower assertiveness in being able to ask for what you want in a sexual situation, like to ask a partner to use a condom for example, and a lower sexual satisfaction due perhaps to a dissatisfaction with one's body."
Really this sounds like feminist claptrap to me. Pervasive sexual imagery is bad because it leads girls to be afraid to ask their partner to use a condom? What a disconnect! What on earth is Zurbriggen talking about? How can the sexual imagery be "bad," but the sexual activity itself is neutral, devoid of any judgement? It seems so irrational to me.
Eating disorders? Lower assertiveness? I haven't read the report, so maybe they do demonstrate cause and effect here, a correlation between sexual imagery and modern maladies of young women. But I think Zurbriggen is almost completely missing the boat here. The ubiquitous sexual imagery of our popular culture has unfortunately brainwashed lots of young ladies and men into thinking that they should look hot and be sexually active, and there's something wrong with them if they don't. I believe that what leads to the depression is the sexual activity itself, "hooking up" for kicks, which girls are supposed to enage in "guilt-free" these days. We're practically telling our girls to act like cads, and the APA blames the resulting unhappiness on the imagery, not the behaviour.
Posted by: mary o'hayes | February 22, 2007 at 05:42 PM
I just read the article you linked to, and I'm.....speechless. The only sound I can make is.....DUH.
Posted by: | February 22, 2007 at 05:47 PM
My response is here:
http://hannahsarah.livejournal.com/126146.html
Posted by: Rivkasmom | February 22, 2007 at 06:27 PM
I kinda had the 'duh' response myslef. But on the subject of the responsibility of the imagery vs the behaviour .... well, you don't have to be *actually* having sex yourself to be negatively affected by the pervading messages that you ought to be. *I* never had sex in highschool but I still definitely felt the pressure of feeling constantly evaluated on my sexual attractiveness. It WAS depressing. ANd that was ten years ago, and the imagery has gotten MORE pervasive and explicit since then.
Still, while this sort of imagery continues to make money I can't see it receding anytime soon.
Posted by: Emily | February 22, 2007 at 07:40 PM
Sexual imagery in and of itself has detrimental effects regardless of teh behavior it suggests. Eating disorders, low self-esteem, etc... happen to girls and women who are not sexually active. In fact, it may very well be the psychological effects (low self-esteem and co) that cause reckless sexual activity.
Posted by: LORa | February 22, 2007 at 10:27 PM
The responses to this are right on the mark!
Sexualization is only a bi-product of the real problem, which is societies obsession with hedonism; and hedonism cannot be where honour resides, and vice-versa.
When honour is no longer seen as an achievement in our society, neither is self worth.
When self worth is gone, so is the need to preserve ones dignity.
When one has no dignity they act and speak accordingly.
If we don’t want women to be viewed as objects and men to be expected to treat them as such we need to bring honour back and it starts with the parents.
Men, teach your sons to have a sense of honour so that they become respectful, and respected, men.
Women, teach your daughters to demand respect and act and speak like they deserve it.
Posted by: ChristineMarie | February 23, 2007 at 06:00 AM