Marketers who use sexed-up images of young women to promote products are psychologically damaging young girls, scientists warned yesterday.
Adverse effects to sexual development, mental health and emotional wellbeing are exerted on girls through “virtually every form of media” from adverts to online banners, says the American Psychological Association.
The group’s study found marketers are using TV, magazines, adverts, merchandising, video games, new media formats and even music lyrics in ways that negatively impact their target audience.
They said these promotion professionals stand accused of peddling their messages through ‘sexualised’ images – the term given when a person’s value comes only from their sex appeal.
Although based in the US, the adverts and images girls in Britain are used to are more or less the same than those produced across the pond.
Eileen Zurbriggen, chairman of the APA Task Force, said: “We have ample evidence to conclude that sexualisation has negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development.”
“The consequences of the sexualisation of girls in media today are very real and are likely to be a negative influence on girls’ healthy development.”
The solution, she said, was to “replace all of these sexualised images with ones showing girls in positive settings.”
“- Ones that show the uniqueness and competence of girls,” Dr. Zurbriggen added.
“The goal should be to deliver messages to all adolescents—boys and girls—that lead to healthy sexual development.”
Feb 21, 2007
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