Why Barbie Is a Negative Influence

Why Barbie is a Negative Influence

How many of us wanted to grow up to be just like the world’s beloved Barbie doll? - I didn’t… and I bet if we knew the real truth of Barbie, we wouldn’t even begin to idolize this plastic mannequin, and that goes to all you Ken doll lovers too. Ms. Bowins and fellow classmates Barbie known as Barbara Millicent Roberts was fashioned in 1959, in California. As many of you obviously know, or not… Barbie was originally modeled after a German doll and created as “a symbol of adult entertainment.” This monstrous doll influences many to believe if they wear makeup, lose weight to look pretty and dress like a stripper they will get all these material objects- jewellery, cars, houses, the works.

Barbie has characteristics that girls believe they should attain in order to be accepted as an elite. Girls become self-conscious about their physical appearance because of Barbie’s unrealistic body features. An experiment conducted by psychology professors Helga Dittmar and Suzanne Ive from the University of Sussex, and Emma Halliway of the University of the West of England proved that girls exposed to Barbie doll images produced “lower self-esteem and a greater desire for a thinner body.” According to the body project of Bradley University, if Barbie was real her measurements would be 32-17-28. Really..? That means her waist would be 39% smaller than an anorexic patient- far from reality! Based on, Teen Ink, The Barbie Effect it’s estimated that 8 million people in the USA have an eating disorder. Out of which 85-90% are female and 80% of these females are under the age of 20.  Many admitted they had started worrying about their weight when they got their first Barbie doll. Barbie had influenced them that the only way to be successful and happy was to be like her. Boys also relate to Barbie as many have undressed and taken the doll apart, which could lead to inappropriate feelings at a young age. Can you believe how from a young age Barbie can taint an innocent mind?

Everyone knows Barbie looks like the best fashion model with her big brilliant blue eyes, her perfect makeup that will never smudge- even if she’s down surfing in Miami, her wonderful, flowing, sun blonde hair that will never turn grey and never, ever have a strand out of line and most of all her endless amount of clothes that make her look like a naked ring-card girl, oh and she won’t look like a day over 18 for thousands of years to come. Well these looks influence little girls to spend hours smearing makeup over their faces, destroying their hair with dye and curlers and begging for the most expensive clothes they can find. As noted in the article “The Negative Effects of Barbie on Young Girls and the Long Term Results” by, Stephanie Hoskins, A journalist named Rachel Rettner, in 2008 stated “an estimated 750,000 cosmetic procedures, 271,000 of which were surgical, were performed in people aged 20 to 29, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). And 81,900 surgical procedures were performed on children and young adults aged 13 to 19." Isn’t it pathetic that Barbie is the cause of such young children going under the knife to meet unrealistic expectations of our Barbie culture?