A Wednesday reflection:"Generation Diva" Disagree or agree?
American supermodel Tyra Banks has a talk show where she discussed "Generation Diva". She discussed children in preschool going to spas getting facials, their nails done, and getting massages. A mother would not even let her 6 year old daughter leave the house if her nails do not look up to her standards.
"Beauty is everything", this mother said.
Other mothers were saying that they spent $600-$700 a month on their children's beauty treatments.
I personally thought this was crazy! Ah!
Disagree or agree: Children nowadays are being told by society that beauty is everything.
16 Answers
if her nails do not look up to her standards.
Now this is crazy in my opinion!
Kids are kids, they should run and play, not being afraid about their nails if playing spoiled them!!
In my opinion, beauty is very important, but not only from the outside, but also from the inside :D
The real beauty is the beauty of the soul, if kids can't play because they have to get their nails done, then why should we call them kids!!!
I like my children to be children as long as possible, there is a whole life time to be an adult with all the stresses and worries that come with that status let them be kids while they can.
My daughter is nearly 10, OK she is the youngest in her class but I was horrified when she told me she is the only girl in the class who doesn't wear a proper bra, she has little stretchy crop tops but the others have padded bras, yes I did say padded, they don't have proper breasts yet so they have padded bras, crazy.
I actually spoke to a bra fitter in case I was the one who was wrong and she advised me all my daughter needed to support her new nearly there boobs is a crop top with a bit of stretch. So why are parents so keen to get adult clothes for children?
As for makeup , she likes to play with lipstick and she paints her nails and is now more interested in how her hair is but God forbid that should stop her playing football, or doing karate, or getting muddy in the garden.
Sorry a bit of a rant there but this sort of thing makes me mad. I seriously think it is a form of child abuse.
I think it is a kids job to have fun and get dirty and have fun some parents just do not understand that kids just want to have fun outside.I think the parents should let the kids just have fun.Why do they need a spa or manicure any way it is not like they are stressed out or at least they should not be who gets really stressed out when they are young. I am young and I only get stressed out over school some of the time but I do not go to the spa. 
This reminds me of the story of the mother who supposedly injected her eight year old daughter with botox because she had a few "wrinkles"and frown lines". Click here for the story.
I know things have certainly changed since I was a little girl. These days there is such an emphasis at such a young age for girls to look like "little women" (and I don't mean the book by Louisa May Alcott).
When I go to get a mani/pedi with my daughters who are older, there are special chairs designed for little girls as shown in the picture. I guess this is nice. But then again, why not let them be little girls for awhile and have something to look forward to when they become teenagers?
This topic is a perfect match for the Tyra Banks TV show:
This topic is ridiculous.
The Tyra Banks TV show is ridiculous.
Tyra Banks is ridiculous.
I don't think the message that a girl/woman is valued for her beauty is a new thing. This is certainly an new and extreme way to express it. A recent study showed, even among college graduates, women would give up being able to read if they could be beautiful. Can you imagine? When asked if they would rather win a Nobel Prize or America's Next Top Model, more chose the latter. Maybe these moms are preparing their daughters to be successful in the real word.
Edit: I've heard this study quoted several time recently but I had trouble tracking down the source. My post over stated the percentages. Below, is as close as I could come to the actual study.
An Oxygen Poll Reveals Young Women’s Conflict Between Inner And Outer Beauty
On March 24, 2009, Oxygen Media released a study, conducted by TNS, into the minds of women (18-34) and their personal relationship to outer beauty versus inner beauty.
The study interviewed more than 2,000 women. The study covered five themes in women’s lives – appearance, fame & fortune, friendships, relationships and current events/finance.
Here are some of the results that I found interesting:
Nearly 25% of women would rather win “America’s Next Top Model” than the Nobel Peace Prize.
88% of women would give up their cell phone, jewelry and makeup to keep a friendship.
26% of women said they would make their best friend fat for life, if it meant they could be thin.
22% of W18-24 who consider themselves attractive would rather lose the ability to read than lose their figure.
91% of W18-34 would rather live a long life and lose their looks than die young and beautiful
41% of W18-34 would be okay knowing they were chosen for a job on looks alone
50% W18-24 would marry an ugly man if he were a multimillionaire
78% of W18-24 think Cybersex is cheating, 80% of W18-34 think it’s cheating
66% of W18-24 values their hairstylists over their tax accountant, 70% of W 18-34 say their hairstylist is more important
Here's a story from my own experience:
l have a friend who was blessed with a girl, she really loved her girl, she considered her as her life and wanted her little girl to be the best, she loved her so much but she forgot that she's only a child, she taught her not to go out without make up, nails done and sunglasses! she taught her that she can have everything and do whatever she wants as long as she looks pretty! now this girl is 8 and she she refuses to go to school, she turned into a disaster!!the beautiful little girl was turned into an obsessed girl who doesn't accept everything, she doesn't have friends and since then her mother has been trying to get her back to that little girl but she refuses!
This proves how much damage our kids can get if we prevent them from living their beautiful child life!
I think the clue is in the first word of the question.
Creo que es culpa de la media. Si estas viendo la tele y entonces pasan los publicidades, se ve un millón de cosas en relación con la belleza, con perder peso, con productos para el cabello.... basicamente nos dicen que necesitamos estas cosa... que sin ellos no somos bellos, que estamos gordos, que somos feos, que sí que no.... es un problema. Siempre cambio el canal cuando se pasan.
I think it's the medias fault. If you watch the telly and the the adverts come on, you see millions of things to do with beauty, losing weight, hair products... They are basically telling us we need these things and without them we are not beautiful, we are fat, we are ugly, we are, we're not.... it's a problem. I always change the channel when the adverts come on.
Ya es la verdad. Pero no es solo los niños sino todo el mundo. No se contrata si no es hermoso/a. Por ejemplo, camareros? Siempre contratado por las apariencias, ni personalidades.
Parace que en el mundo perfecto no mujer las enseñaria hijas importar las apariencias, pero el mundo se rompa, las mujeres las dan un favor a sus hijas enseñar la verdad más temprano.
I think this obsession with appearance is crazy and I don't agree with it at all! 
It is robbing children of much of their childhood by imposing adult standards abour beauty and appearance on them when they should be enjoying their childhood. free from adult concerns.
Many young girls love dressing up to look like mum with long dresses, shoes miles too big for them and necklasses and admiring themselves in the mirror this is normal. However it is not normal for them to be concerned with whether they are wearing make up or nail varnish at 5 years old 15years old maybe but not 5!!!
Is it any wonder that some teenagers act promiscuously and we have high rates of teenage pregnancies in many western countries when this kind of obsession about physical appearance is so prevalent?.. Should we be surprised when children copy the inappropriate dress styles of teenage popstars and worry about the breast sizes when they are only 12 or 13 years of age?
Many fashion magazines give young girls growing up in our society the idea that they have to have a size zero figure to look attractive to boys is it therefore surprising that many young girls suffer with eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia (to name just two) a tragic symptom of a society that has lost touch with what is truly important in life: real character such as kindness, honesty and friendship.
Since when did an obsession with outward appearance ever help a child to develop a well rounded personality with such traits as empathy, compassion and a good sense of humour?
This obsesssion with appearance is likely to do more harm than good as it could easily blind children to what is really important in life
This is only my point of view and people are free to disagree but please give good reasons for your difference in opinion if you wish me to take it seriously
Anybody else interested in this nice topic? I think it is fascinating
Very interesting thread, sonrisa, I am glad you stuck with us , your contributions are always so interesting
I actually agree with John, as far as I know, these kind of beauty contests are not even allowed here in Europe.
This story reminds me vividly of a case that happened several years ago .
Patricia Ramsey was supposedly killed by her own parents who had grown her into a super model at the age of six.
A child like this is not considered beautiful over here.
We prefer children who look like children, they needn't be beautiful.
i agree wit u 
Beauty is all very well but there are so many who are not blessed with it so we should be taught that beauty is only skin deep it is what is in the heart and soul that matters most.
