Middle School Bytes
Meriah, 12 years old, speaks candidly with us about life as
a millenial middle schooler.
A signed release was obtained by the parent of this child for
use of her interview in investigative journalism reports, as well
as film documentary segments.
We are in compliance with UN Economic and Social Counsel
Official “Rights of the Child” Decision, E/CN.4/1993/NGO/1,
January 15, 1993, p. 2
Sources:
Mower, Alfred Glenn. “The Convention on the Rights of the Child:
International Law Support for Children.” (p.36-37) Greenwood
Publishing Group, 1997.
I am filled with fear and dread for this girl and all other girls out there. My daughter is 9, in grade 3. We talk a lot about body image and I pray that she will not be consumed with how she looks. We talk about how fake tv commercials and pictures in magazines are and what they’re really saying to women. We have watched the Dove film where they take a real woman and apply make up and fix her hair and then use photoshop to change her appearance even more.
I am thankful to have stumbled across your site. Thank you for the work you are doing.
Terri
This girl’s responses are horrifyingly honest and self-aware. I am awed by her ability to describe the patriarchal paradigms that are clearly in place and affecting girls at such a young and impressionable age. For example, a number system rating girls on their “hotness,” she states often “because of their chest size,” is similar to the ways that women are over-sexualized by mainstream media venues in that the bodies of women, adult or child, are commodified and objectified by a hetero-societal “norm.”
Thank you for allowing the public to see this intelligent and brave girl. I am eager to hear her stances on other topics.
Nice site. Going on my favorites. TNx
Hopefully if she’s already this self aware, she will soon realize how none of those people matter.