Modern life robbing girls of childhood

[David Baxter PhD]

Modern life 'robbing' girls of childhood
The Telegraph
14 Dec 2008

A combination of regular school testing and a lack of family time is "robbing" girls of their childhood, according to the girl guides.

Young girls feel under pressure to perform well academically, with adult expectations adding to their anxiety, according to new evidence published by Girlguiding UK and the Mental Health Foundation.

The findings emerged from a consultation among a panel of children's experts and girls aged 10 to 16 considering the organisations' joint report, published in July, entitled A Generation Under Stress?.

The panel highlighted that busy, modern lifestyles are cutting short the amount of time girls are able to spend with their families.

Yet it found girls place great value on this time and see it as crucial to their own happiness.

Echoing the views of her peer group, one young participant said: "You can't relax - there's always another set of exams around the corner."

It suggested girls are turning away from traditional media, which they feel "demonises" them and "ignores the positive", while they instead opt to use internet networking sites and discussion forums.

The panel stressed the importance of adults accepting their responsibilities as role models for young women, while recommending formal education placed greater emphasis on emotional resilience not just academia.

Denise King, chief executive of Girlguiding UK, said: "Young girls today face a new generation of pressures that leave too many suffering stress, anxiety and unhappiness.

"All of us who care about young women have a part to play in helping them find a way through these conflicting demands to build the confidence they need to be themselves."

She said the tradition of Girlguiding provided a "safe space" for girls to form friendships away from external stresses.

Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "Modern life is changing the face of girlhood as we know it. We cannot turn the tide on developments and so adults need to understand the pressures that girls today are experiencing in order to best support them."

See also:

Pipher, Mary
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. Ballantine Books, 1995

Pollack, William
Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood. Random House, 1998

 

[Disturbedforlife]

Well, high school is a time of stress. I don't think there is much of a way to get around that, except to not care about one's grades (and there's always some demographic that does just that). I think having a sanctuary when you can be alone or with people you love is important.. but it can't be the focus. In my grade 12 year, I was lucky to sleep 5 hours per night. Was that healthy? Probably not, but I didn't have a choice. It didn't kill me, it made me a better person. There are always tests coming around the corner. I had no real parental pressure to do well, I put the pressure on myself to get into college/university. I think most girls (and guys, everyone in the age range, I don't know why this is only mentioning girls) need to put the pressure on themselves. It helps decrease stress, imho. External pressure is not good, it just makes you feel like you're running into a wall in a video game or something, and your character can't turn around (I'm not a gamer, so I don't know). ..It's life, I think as long as people have some small escape from the stress, they will turn out fine.

It suggested girls are turning away from traditional media, which they feel "demonises" them and "ignores the positive", while they instead opt to use internet networking sites and discussion forums.

This is great, people reaching out and connecting. Things must be nice in the UK.. No one uses discussion forums around here (well obviously, I do, lol) - can't mention that I like the internet, I'll get labeled a "geek".

P.S. I am a geek, I just don't like labels.