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In their book So Sexy So Soon, Diane Levin and Jean Kilbourne document the many ways in which young children in our society are being sexualized by the media. In their language, clothing styles, and actions even young children are aping their TV and music idols. The furor over the sexy photos of Miley Cyrus, star of the Disney Hannah/Montana show and role model for the 5- to 12-year-old girl contingent is a case in point. The author's argue that young children are learning sexual behavior, sexualization, before they understand true sexuality and sexual relationships. This leads to distorted attitudes both towards themselves and the opposite sex and can have long term consequences for later healthy sexual adjustment. Levin and Kilbourne offer parents many helpful suggestions and strategies for minimizing the damage to their children from too early sexualization.
It does not take away from the value and usefulness of this book to point out that there is another contributor to early sexualization over and above the media. More of our young children are in child care than ever before. More than 80 percent of our young children are non parental care part or full time. What this means is that children are being socialized to age mates earlier than ever before. With two-year-olds in a child-care center, one can already observe patterns of social hierarchy, leadership and follower ship. As a consequence children are being introduced to peer pressure, and the need to conform and compete, at ever earlier ages. Even 4-year-olds now show concern over the logos on their sneakers, jeans and shirts.
This preschool peer socialization appears in other ways as well. Many of the behaviors we once saw among older children, such as relationship bullying (social exclusion) are now appearing at ever earlier ages. While such socialization need not be bad and could have strong benefits for cooperative efforts, this does not seem to be the way this development is moving. In any case I think we have to appreciate that it is the early socialization of so many of our contemporary young children which makes them particularly susceptible to media exploitation. Even young children now feel that have to idolize and imitate the current teen stars in order to be accepted by their peers.
