Is Barbie a Good Role Model?

Over the years Barbie has gone from being a princess, to a lawyer, to a pilot and has been a role model for many younger girls. However, she has not necessarily been a good role model for younger girls. I do not think that girls who are playing with Barbie’s should be worrying about fashion, makeup and boys they should be having fun as kids and enjoying their childhood.

Barbie is dressed in skirts that are way too short, high heels and a pound of makeup on her face not to mention her perfectly sculpted body to go along with that. Many girls have become self conscious about the way they look because they do not think they are as attractive as Barbie and have tried to alter themselves as much as possible to look like her. She has caused eating disorders for many girls because they want to have her body. This is outrageous because it is physically impossible to have a body like a doll since they are molded perfectly by machines and humans are not produced in factories.

Walking down the hallways of schools seeing young girls that are stick thin, with tight provocative clothing is nothing unusual today. These girls are replicas of the Barbie dolls that they use to play with just a few years ago. Barbie dolls were one of their first role models and she has stuck with them ever since a young age. Every girl wants to have pretty clothes, hair, and makeup and be skinny because of the influence Barbie was on them in their childhood. It is not a good thing because girls should be who they want to be and not feel pressured to look like a Barbie doll.

Although Barbie has many different jobs and is encouraging girls to pursue any career they want, she is doing it in the wrong way. Barbie is shown as putting looks and fashion before work, portraying an image that your looks are more important then your career. It is not a good message that younger girls should be exposed to because they think that it is the right way to live since Barbie is that way. In the future the effects of Barbie will faintly be there even if the child does not think so there is always a way that Barbie changes you in some way. In my opinion I think that parents should let their children play with Barbie’s, however they should have other dolls to play with too since Barbie is not a good role model.