Most parents hardly ever consider what consequences the toys they buy for their children today will have on them in the future. It is easy for a child to see an advertisement for a toy, beg and plead for it to their parents, and the parents simply give the child what he/she wants, because to them a toy is just a toy. While to a parent Barbie may be just a plastic doll whose scattered shoes get lost in the vacuum, some little girls see the twig-thin blonde bombshell as a role model, one that promotes an impossible self image.
Some children's toys have the potential for putting children at risk for social or emotional problems later in life. Toys are rarely just toys, and playtime is not just play. Play presents a child with the opportunity to explore the meaning of the world they live in and prepare them for socialization in future life. Too many toys are being produced that offer alternative messages that can lead to social confusion. Barbie is one such toy.
Young girls have been drawn to the Barbie doll since she first hit the market. Barbie is the best selling toy in the world, and amazingly the average American girl owns eight, when in the 1980s a girl would have typically only owned one. It is estimated that around the world two Barbie dolls are sold every second. Fifty percent of the dolls are purchased in the U.S.
The typical Barbie doll has always been tall, blonde, skinny, and has big breasts. Should this be the type of role model for young girls? Take a look at what Barbie's measurements translate to in human proportions: 38-18-34.
The woman would also have to be 5'6” and 110 pounds. Any woman who tries to measure herself against Barbie's unrealistic standards of beauty will fail. Girls should not have to believe that successful women are only white, heterosexual and skinny, nor should they be pressured to compete with unrealistic societal ideals of body that are being taught to them by a doll.
Barbie as a role model puts extreme limitations on girls. When a child plays with the doll, she plays the role of the doll, and that can lead her to wanting to be like the character. Barbie also teaches girls that they are what they buy, and Barbie's high society lifestyle comes from her bundles of clothes, shoes, cars, houses, and accessories. No one can just buy only one outfit for the doll.
The unfortunate truth is these toys are nearly unavoidable. Barbies are commonly received as gifts during birthdays and holidays, so a ban on the doll is often useless. What's a parent to do? It is most important to actually talk to a child about why a toy is not valued. Children are going to make their own decisions no matter what, so they should be offered new and better ideas on how to interpret the toy. Make an example of Barbie to teach reality. Real women don't look like the toy, and children can easily see the ridiculous differences when Barbie is used in comparison. An even better solution is to choose alternative toys and dolls that promote mentally healthy choices for growing children. Toys should foster a creative imagination while still giving the positive ideas of society that children will grow into.
