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Children grow up in an environment that’s saturated with media.
And screen time only gets longer as children get older.
Thus, children develop an understanding ofgendercategories from a very early age.
The Good Brigade / Getty Images
As a result, the biases baked into the representation of girls and women in media can be problematic.
For girls, this can lead to self-objectification, or believing their appearance matters more than other internal qualities.
This is related to lower body esteem,body shame, anxiety, anddepression.
The stereotypical depictions of gender in media have real consequences for both genders.
When girls and women are exposed to strong female role models the results are enormously positive.
Why Does Social Media Impact Girls' Mental Health?
As a result, things like the number of likes one receives can be a source of stress.
How Can Parents and Others Help Girls Form Healthy Media Habits?
Girls shouldn’t be prevented from consuming media completely.
Instead, parents, teachers, therapists, and other people can help girls build healthy media habits.
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