Why Barbie Is a Good Influence free essay sample

Barbie is Just a Piece of Plastic â€Å"Seen through Rose-Tinted glasses:† The Barbie Doll in American Society. By Marilyn Motz; supports the highly debated topic that the toy Barbie produced by Mattel is a bad influence, on young girls. Motz is claiming that the young female child envisions herself as Barbie, and with Barbie resembling an older more mature woman. Something that Barbie’s age group cannot obtain, in till they grow older and more mature themselves. However, Barbie is just a toy, her resemblance, her actions, as a doll is, solely up to the child. Adults looking into their daughter’s childhood are simply over thinking what a three to eleven year old can produce inside her mind. Parents see themselves as a protector for their child in particular their daughters. The guardians of the child are over thinking the idea that Barbie is some kind of sex symbol. A parent who allows their child to watch television is more in danger of a bad influence, than a toy named Barbie. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Barbie Is a Good Influence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Motz exclaims â€Å"a girl playing with a Barbie doll can envision herself with a mature body. And later in the same paragraph â€Å"focusing on bodily changes of the female body associated with puberty, of course to the and of puberty girl do not know. † (Motz paragraph 5 pg 17) Girls in this group understand Barbie is a character and is fictional. Real danger of influence runs deep in music artist and television characters. Groups, artists, and television characters such as Hannah Montana currently known as Miley Cyrus, Spice Girls who wore scantly clad clothing in the 1990’s, along with some famous artist like Brittney Spears, and the list of negative influences could go on and on. These are real threats to a developing females mental state. Their real and they are everywhere. Barbie is good for young child’s development. It allows for the child to use her imagination. How she dresses her Barbie, and what scenario the child is playing out in her room. The juvenile is using the brain creating and developing the imagination, and her creating different situations with different appearances for Barbie is developing all these skills and ideas. Our children of today are sheltered, yet guardians and surrounding adults lack in giving guidance to what is right. Motz exclaims in her essay that Barbie is very materialistic. Which can be considered very true to what she is portrayed on the television screen through advertisements and other types of media, but with proper parenting this could be the opportunity for the parent to guide the child to work for the accessories that are sold separately. To give the young child that nothing in life comes free, and doing chores or work these things could be obtained and allow the child to want to strive for that life style through hard work and dedication. This is taught through the parents, and is something determined by her upbringing not a toy. Children look up Barbie’s, but not as much as content or characters on television. Experiences through the five senses create a child’s values, thoughts, and actions. Barbie acts as a friend. This is similar to a young child having an imaginary friend. Children are exposed to so much through the senses, it can be sensory overload, and the idea that Barbie’s mature features have an extreme effect on a child’s mind, is highly unlikely. The way the doll is dressed, her materialistic items, and other ideas that can be portrayed through the doll is less impactful on a young child. Barbie’s are more of a friend to a young child, through observation Barbie acts kind of like a imaginary friend. Some of the youth takes around with them everywhere, and maybe even having a place setting at the table for the plastic toy. Barbie is toted around everywhere just like Linus from the peanut series Charlie Brown. Linus totes his blanket around everywhere he goes, and its kind of like a security thing. Barbie has slim negative affects on a young child’s brain. Adding another positive to Barbie’s arsenal of characteristics is the opportunity for the consumer of the Barbie product to dress her in way one could imagine. She is also sold ready for different careers anything from being a business woman to an astronaut getting ready to head into space. This tells the child she can be anything she wants to be, and the world is endless possibilities that it is up to you to obtain. I agree, that maybe some apparel that is being sold to dress Barbie in has potential to be inappropriate for some ages, but this is where the guardian of that particular child should take proper action in deciding what is right. If you think that the Barbie outfit is inappropriate then don’t purchase it for your child. There should be some filter to what is right. Barbie is a great ageless toy that is good for developing children. It provides stimulation for the mind, and can create a bigger better imagination. Parents concerned for the possible negative influence Barbie has on children. Should consider watching some of their children’s programming, and maybe use some parenting to guide their child to what is right and wrong. Barbie can be such a great developmental tool use for positive things. A child’s surrounding environment with television, billboards, maybe a magazine lying around is so much more damaging a plastic doll. Barbie is just like a friend like Woody from Toy Story.