Taking a look at the article in MacLean’s, Inside the dangerously empty lives of teenage girls, Dr. Leonard Sax speaks on behalf of the low self worth teenage girls from the age of twelve through twenty-one. The doctor, a family physician, who lives in Pennsylvania
In this particular article, Dr. Leonard Sax is interviewed on his expertise on the subject. Previously, he has come to know that “Boys are doing [more poorly] relative to girls in terms of both motivation and academic achievement.” Behind the academic achievement of girls, throughout the university years, there are “more then one in five girls cutting herself and/or burning herself with matches. More then one in four high school girls binge drinking. [And] today, one in eight females in the U.S takes anti depressants.” He then goes on to explain that instead of the innocent shows on television in 1966, girls are now watching Gossip Girl, “Which is about anxious teens, trying to present a sexual persona, who have all kinds of obsessions and neuroses.” No wonder girls find comfort in the idea that anxiety is the norm.
Cyber bubble is how Dr. Sax explains the addiction to social networking. Girls spend a lot of time photo shopping their pictures, making themselves look thinner and getting rid of pimples, because they know that boys are more interested in the photos on these sites. Self-objectification is another result from anxiety in young females who are “Losing what psychologists used to call middle aged childhood: eight to twelve years of age, the time for girls to have adventures/ without worrying about whether they’re hot.” This is where anorexia comes into play. Young females are so engulfed in their own image, constantly stressing over their figure, even if their not heavy at all. Social media’s view on women leaves no room for enjoying life; it only used math skills to add calories. Every time these women step on that scale or walk past a mirror, they are forced to hate themselves.
When asked if more kids are sexually active then twenty years ago, the doctor states that “Kids may be sexually intimate- the term I use it includes both oral sex and intercourse- a little earlier /then they were twenty years ago.” He has come to find some troubling issues, in that you find a lot more twelve year olds not just in a relationship with a boy, but providing sexual favors to seventeen year old boys.” Worst part about this is that girls are using their sexuality in order to accomplish some other end such as raising their social status. Though studies, both girls and boys were asked and neither sees anything wrong with this case. Dr. Sax goes on to say “That boy who’s a champion gamer is not going to fall apart if some other guy gets to level two in a game before he does. Whereas the girl whose identity consist of being the “smart girl” or “Justin’s girlfriend” tends to crumble is she doesn’t get into the University of her Choice or if Justin dumps her.”
A lot is at stake for these teenagers. Boys have a greater chance of surviving these obstacles but girls on the other hand, are set up to fail by the help of social media, academic achievements and their social status. The best advice Dr. Leonard Sax has is to set limits, monitor your teenager lives and make sure their friends know your keeping tabs. Don’t over do it, because this leads to rebellion, but make sure they know you care and that you’re there if they ever need help or comfort in these hard years.
