A recent Huffington Post article entitled, “How to talk to little girls” by Lisa Bloom caught my eye this morning [no it’s not about how to be a successful pedophile]. Although the piece also serves the purpose of publicizing her book, I think it’s important to recognize the mindset that girls are growing into. The statistic that Bloom cites from her book — “fifteen to eighteen percent of girls under twelve now wear mascara, eyeliner and lipstick regularly” — was alarming to me. I barely maintain eyeliner on a daily basis out of convenience — I can’t imagine having to wake up extra early in middle school [or even elementary school] just to apply makeup.
What is society turning our little girls into? Not to say that I was never concerned about my appearance, but it is worrisome to me that we have a new generation of Top-Model-Wannabes. I wonder if the number of young women who dream of becoming doctors, teachers or lawyers has decreased in the last decade to be replaced by aspirations of celebrity status.
I like Bloom’s tips and plan on using them with my little cousin the next time I see her.