Girls and Media

Recently we had a couple of students reach out to us and ask if they could interview us for a paper about girls and media. We jumped on the opportunity to break down girls and media, here’s a brief overview of some of the questions….

Q: How do you feel about the way the media portrays women? ATFG: Media gives us a false sense of connection, and when we start measuring our value based on how many “likes” we receive then we know our connection is false. Most of the media we see only focuses on women’s sexuality presenting an idea that says her body is the most important part of her. We know however that a woman has many different aspects of her being and those are the things we should see in the media.
Q: Are there any shown effects of the media on girls? ATFG: According to what I have seen in our practice treating children and teens effects can range from negative self-talk to self-harm. This does not mean that the “media” made them do it. It does mean that children and teens are using media as a way to compare themselves; and when they fall short to what they think they should be it creates unhealthy coping mechanism like negative self-talk and self-harm.
Q: What can teenagers do to change the expectation of women created by the media? ATFG: my advice to teenagers and adults both male and female would be to stop comparing themselves to others. Not just models and actors but their friends and family. When we compare ourselves we are doing an injustice to ourselves and those we care about.
We also have some upcoming groups this summer and fall that will discuss social media and how teens and parents can set healthy boundaries. Be sure and check back with us this summer for a full question and answer from ATFG and tips for the whole family.    
Courage Camp for High School Girls When: July 21st, 10:30-4:30; Friday July  22nd, 10:30-4:30; & Saturday July 10:00-2:00 23rd. 
Transition into Middle School When: Mondays: August  8th – September 12th from 5:00-6:15 p.m
Transition into High School When: Wednesdays: August  10th – September 19th from 6:00-7:20 p.m
To register for any of our groups call us 512-981-5279 or emailing ATFG at admin@flywheelclients.com/ATFG2017