Sexualisation of children
To what extent does the modern media influence opinion on the abuse of children in art, photography and literature?
Childhood is a multifaceted concept. Above all, most nobly, it is about innocence. The sexualisation of young people through a combination of razor sharp marketing, explicit lyrics, photo shoots and music videos together with a general coarsening of culture, must have an effect on the younger generation. Sex sells. And in a world where young girls who can barely walk are placed in high heels and playboy t-shirts, where supposed role models like Miley Cyrus, are regularly seen in minimal clothing, gyrating, twerking and suggestively licking inanimate objects, there are arguments being put forward by parents that these images in the media, art and photography are harmful to children. While I myself do not have children, I do plan on having them and have spent some time in loco parentis as a nanny; I feel this issue is an important one that needs addressing and something that as a society we need to discuss. Over the years we have seen an increase in teenage drinking, sexual activity and other behaviour that is less than innocent1 in the UK. In a world where children are more vulnerable than ever, they are also more aware of their surroundings, which begs the question whether the radical behaviour of the nations children is the fault of the media or the parents. A staggering “one in five children aged five to seven are accessing the internet without supervision from a parent” and shockingly less than half of those have some kind of filtering software to prevent them accessing inappropriate and adult material 2. Everyone from doctors to teachers, the police to art critics and photo lab workers are continuously on the look out, even subconsciously for anything even slightly of concern where children are involved. Looking back throughout the time of photography being an art form readily available to the masses, almost every family has the innocent naked
Childhood is a multifaceted concept. Above all, most nobly, it is about innocence. The sexualisation of young people through a combination of razor sharp marketing, explicit lyrics, photo shoots and music videos together with a general coarsening of culture, must have an effect on the younger generation. Sex sells. And in a world where young girls who can barely walk are placed in high heels and playboy t-shirts, where supposed role models like Miley Cyrus, are regularly seen in minimal clothing, gyrating, twerking and suggestively licking inanimate objects, there are arguments being put forward by parents that these images in the media, art and photography are harmful to children. While I myself do not have children, I do plan on having them and have spent some time in loco parentis as a nanny; I feel this issue is an important one that needs addressing and something that as a society we need to discuss. Over the years we have seen an increase in teenage drinking, sexual activity and other behaviour that is less than innocent1 in the UK. In a world where children are more vulnerable than ever, they are also more aware of their surroundings, which begs the question whether the radical behaviour of the nations children is the fault of the media or the parents. A staggering “one in five children aged five to seven are accessing the internet without supervision from a parent” and shockingly less than half of those have some kind of filtering software to prevent them accessing inappropriate and adult material 2. Everyone from doctors to teachers, the police to art critics and photo lab workers are continuously on the look out, even subconsciously for anything even slightly of concern where children are involved. Looking back throughout the time of photography being an art form readily available to the masses, almost every family has the innocent naked