Little Women

When I was younger I was a big fan of Barbies. I had the Barbie townhouse, plane, Porsche, and runway. I had a million different outfits for her, never realizing how skimpy they were. My parents didn't really limit the toys I played with because they were the ones who purchased them for me so they could see it before it got into my hands. I was allowed to watch all of the shows on Disney and Nickelodeon and the other kids' programs, but was not allowed to watch the reality shows on MTV like Real World. My exposure to suggestive media has made minimal impact on the way that I perceive myself. Of course I will look at an airbrushed celebrity and wish that I looked like her, but I have never looked in the mirror and hated what I saw. I think my experience at an all girls school has made me less impressionable to the media, because we can openly talk about our flaws without worrying about being judged by boys listening to us. It sounds stereotypical, but I think that girls who go to public school tend to wear less clothing and more make up because they are constantly trying to impress the boys around them and are taking their critiques, whereas girls at single sex schools only have other girls' opinions to worry about, which to me aren't very important.