The Problem Surrounding the Marketing of Children's Products

I wanted to take this week to respond to some comments I've seen throughout my blog posts, so it doesn't seem as if I'm ignoring you guys. Several of you are wondering why gender stereotyping in toys and clothes is a big problem, so I hope to convince you today that it is. Sure, gender stereotypes aren't as immediately threatening as things like terrorism or racism, but it can be directly threatening in forms of bullying and harassment, as well as ingraining in children (who grow into adults that shape society) gender stereotypes and norms.

Let's start with children. Bullying in schools has recently been addressed as a serious problem, with countless programs like government funded Stop Bullying, Stomp Out Bullying, and the Anti Bullying Campaign, along with countless school-implemented programs starting in Kindergarten in attempts to end bullying before it starts. As a student who attended a school with such a program, our anti-bullying "sessions" typically involved discussion over why these programs aren't preventing bullying as well as we would like.

Anti-bullying education starts (or doesn't) as soon as a child starts socialization; really as soon as they are born. Bullies often pick out those who are different from the rest. By marketing toys as "for boys" and "for girls" we are creating a stereotype, that only boys can play with the toys from the boys' section and only girls can play with those from the girls'. If you don't believe that children and adults adhere so closely to these labels, I challenge you to walk through the toys section of a store for several minutes, and you'll likely overhear some interesting conversations. Just by watching a show I watch every week (called The Return of Superman from KBS), I was able to spot gender stereotyping:

A dad's response to his son saying "I want that one."

You may think this one second interaction is minuscule, harmless. But teaching children what toys they are "allowed" to play with opens the door for bullying; a young boy is playing with a toy another boy's parents just the day before scolded him for expressing interest in, so he feels the need to alienate the boy because of his negative experience. If he's not allowed to play with that toy then neither can any other boy, right? This interaction can easily turn into something far more serious than two boys playing in a classroom. Children aren't the only one's perpetuating the stereotypes, either, adults are often more judgmental than their offspring.

Gender stereotypes don't disappear outside of the classroom. These days it is impossible to be unaware of the gender inequalities in the workplace, mainly with the gender wage gap. Dr Maria do Mar Pereira from the University of Warwick’s Department of Sociology found in her research with Year Eight students that 14 year old boys had acquired the belief that girls should be less intelligent than they are. According to the Human Rights Campaign, only 207 of 636 companies analyzed offer healthcare to Transgender people, simply for identifying with the gender they feel most comfortable with. Even more startling, research from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey shows that 41% of over 6,000 transgender participants (that's 2,644 people) have attempted suicide, with sexual assault as the biggest cause, followed by physical assault, harassment in school, and job loss. Concerning still, only 18 states have laws in place to protect the rights of transgenders, as found by the ACLU. That means that, for example, in any of the remaining 32 states, a transgender person can be fired from their job solely on grounds that they are transgender. Due to this lack of consideration for transgender rights, the National Transgender Discrimination Survey also found that 26% of participants have lost their job due to their identity.

Real people are being threatened on the basis of their identity, threatened by people taught through simple "harmless" actions like labeling toys and clothes by gender. Discrimination based on identity can be lessened through the simple practice of allowing children to explore their interests rather than restricting them to strict gender norms, and we can create a more accepting future for our children. A child is already pressured to make good grades, get involved in the community, and maintain strong relationships, I want my children to grow up without the added pressure of conforming to norms they may not feel fit their needs and interests.