Is Barbie the worst role model?

Barbie is a childhood favorite among little girls around the world, It has been estimated over a billion Barbie’s have been sold Worldwide since 1957, making it one of the biggest selling toys. I see many little girls wanting to be Barbie Princesses and dressing like them, trying to emulate their ideal. However is Barbie the best toy/role model for your daughter?

The ‘body perfect’ ideals are being communicated early to children through dolls and toy action figures. 

 It has been proven that children’s toys ‘act as essential models in the socialization process.  Children end up comparing themselves to these toys and these comparisons have direct consequences on how they evaluate themselves and leaves them feeling inferior. If you think i'm talking bollocks and children don't operate at this level, you would be wrong, it has been shown in numerous studies that children do this, it can also be shown by the increase in children’s eating disorders and children who are on diets. Unhappy with their body image from a young age. There were 47 children aged between five and 9 admitted in 2011/12, up from 17 the year before. The biggest increases in hospital admissions for eating disorders last year was among girls aged 10 to 15, up from 362 in 20/11 to to 522 in 2011/12. The figures also show that very young girl under five are being admitted with eating disorders.

Barbie's vital statistics have been estimated at 36 inches (chest), 18 inches (waist) and 33 inches (hips). At 5'9" tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 and fit the weight criteria for anorexia. Barbie’s waist is 39% smaller than that of anorexic patient. This just shows you how unrealistic a body she portrays. 

Don’t be mistaken in thinking your son has avoided this, he too Is far from safe, action figures display unachievable ideals of masculinity, these toys muscularity has increased to such extend, it often exceeds that of body builders.

  

How does Barbie influence a girl’s identity and body image? Young girls use Barbie as a point of reference to understand beauty and perfection, through play and imagination and pretending to be their dolls.  If Barbie signifies the socio-cultural ideal of the female body, then this ideal becomes internalized. Eventually this internalized ideal of beauty and the body will become a significant element of their identity and thus a guiding principle for their thought, emotions and behaviours. 

The discrepancy between the ideal self and the actual self can lead to body dissatisfaction and lower self-esteem. Research studies have even shown that that consumers believe idealized images not only affect self-esteem, mood and self-confidence but also contribute to feelings of hopelessness, inadequacy, anger, anxiety and depression. Should children as young as 4/5 being dealing with this?

 I am not saying Barbie is solely to blame but i think she plays a part, along with the many other things children are socialized with, TV, their families eating habits, music videos etc. I am just fearful of what we are creating and what their futures will be like.

 I know that when i have children,Barbie will be banned, i think i will let them play with Lego and Playmobil, where body image and ideals of beauty aren't burned into their brains 

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