“Mass media, marketing campaigns, television programmes and everyday products regularly “over-sexualise” children, particularly girls, by conveying images which portray women, men and in some cases even children, as sexual objects.” – https://pace.coe.int/en/
The over sexualization whether it be of woman, men, or children, of course has always been around. Whether it had been subtle or obvious, things like these aren’t new, however this time, it has become alarming. The main cause to this, has like to most problems, social media.
What has started this?
While many apps have contributed to this matter, Tiktok and Instagram stand out the most. Instagram has always been a place for pictures, whether be of a mountain view, or a woman on holidays in a bikini. Instagram has always been about photos, photoshopped or edited, doesn’t matter. However now, Tiktok has joined in too.
At the beginning Tiktok had started as a peaceful, innocent, dancing and acting app, called “Musically”. Which then got enormous views, users, etc. And soon became a massive cooperation, with anything you could possibly want, on the platform. Including videos of woman, whether it be simply of lipsycning to a song, or showing off their body.
The main culprit, being Tiktok
The users on Tiktok are unpredictable, and can range from someone in their 40’s to someone aged 9. So think of it this way, a 19 year old, filters, makeup done, lip syncing to a video, in a perfect dress with the perfect silhouette, which a 12 year old has stumbled upon. What will the child do? Take inspiration innocently or think shes very pretty and move on? Wrong. Especially now, kids and teens are rather big critics of themselves and the moment a teen or child sees someone prettier, body seeming more perfect, whiter teeth, they will almost immediately start to compare.
The effect
They will compare, and they may become miserable over the fact, them a 12 year, doesn’t look as as pretty a 19 year old. Or do the same thing which in most cases, these teens, or children do. They will post a video, same sound, maybe same filters, and will try to make their bodies seem more mature, more like the 19 year old, then how they actually do.
Whether with sticking out their ass, or wearing push up bras, they will do anything to lok like the girls they constantly see on their screens.
They will start to wear pounds makeup, lashes, brows, just to seem just like the 19 year old, yet it never seems to be enough. They will buy revealing clothing.
The after math, result
They will turn from a 12 year, to looking 17. And with that, oversexualizing themselves by posting all these sorts of videos, online,for anyone to see. For anyone to think, and say what they want, most of the time probably not knowing, she is only, 12 years old. And with that, she will only start to become more and more sexualized, by guys, by people watching the video, seeing her as this object rather than a girl.