This is a picture of an eleven year old boy whom is affected by gender socialization. He, at such a young age, is already concerned about his image. He wants to be tough and strong like the wrestlers and athletes that he sees on television. The television is the focal point in the picture, emphasized by its brightness. The media is the biggest factor in socializing children and delivering the image of what the “ideal” boy and man should look like. This is usually depicted by a well built, big muscled guy. I included legos in the picture to remind you of his youthfulness and had him look towards the television to show his desire to become a man. He is already lifting weights in hopes to become that image of buff that he sees in the media. When asked why he was lifting weights, he responded, “I need to start now if I want to look like them” , pointing to the football players on the television. He is more concerned about looking like his idols then enjoying his youth. I took the picture at an angle to enforce how disturbing and distorted the image is. Children feeling the need to work out and be concerned about their body image is a big issue that is occurring at such young ages. I chose not to include the boys face because he represents all boys in his age group as a whole, not himself as an individual, whom all admire and desire the “tough guy” look.
9 comments:
I am the oldest of four kids, and I have two younder brothers. I remember growing up they used to want to flex their muscles and run around with their shirts off all the time. Even when we were on vacation once My grandfather, My dad, and my two brothers took a picture of them all flexing their muscles in a row. LIttle boys learn from other "big" boys" that being attractive and manly is having big muscles. Big muscles equals power and masculine to them. Recently my ex-boyfriend who is 20 is now going through this phase! He used to be tall and skinny and now he is on a streak of going to the gym everyday and is determined to gain weight and get "big". I think thats a perfect example of how guys think they need to be muscular to have girls like them. But on the other hand girls have been taught that a man who has muscles is manly so I can see the pressure that boys have to deal with, just like the pressure of being skinny that girls have to deal with from guys.
I have a brother who is 15 and is just now starting to think he needs to lift weights and act tough in order to be accepted as a man, but when he was 11 he didnt care nearly as much about his appearance or his personality as the kid in this picture does. I think it just shows how from the past until now the media has affected kids of younger ages throughout the years and kids try to act like they are a lot older than they really are when they should be living and acting like a kid while they can.
Sports play a large role in many boys lifes. Expected to play from the youngest of ages , their ability to perform becomes a main factor and can be a stressor in their lifes. Uptaining the medias representation of an anthlete includes huge bicepts and washboard abs . As young boys watch sports like football on tv they envy men that are extremely physically fit, but how realistic is this body type for the average male? Not only do young boys learn from sports such as football to be big and musclar but the tough guy factor comes into play as well. This picture illustrates how a young boy imitates the tv that he is wacthing, but how likely is it that this boy will grow up to play in the NFL ?
its hard to see what exactly is going on in this picture. yes i do see the tv screen but i hardly see the boy described in this picture, and what i do see it seems like he is enjoying a football game, but yes i do agree with saying even boys are pressured to look good when it comes to thier muscles.
In this picture I see a young boy posing and looking at himself as of to say this is what he wants to look like or feels that is the way he should look I do believe we put to much emphasis on looks and body building especially for the younger generation. They have enough to deal with in today's schools and with their freinds without any additional pressure.
This shows how boys are conditioned to play rough and be rough. Football is an aggressive sport and if you play football you are seen as a true male. This younger boy learns many things from older boys and not just the sport of baseball. Team spirit, personality and language to name a few are some things that young boys learn from older boys.
Comparing my older brother to the image depicted I can definitely see parallels. I just can't seem to understand why young girls and boys want to look 25 at age ten, looking back I wish I could return to those days. I think the pressure to be excessively masculine, and muscular, is very similiar to girls feeling like the needed to be extremely thin. These ideals of what looks good are unrealistic and not positive influnces on young kids.
It is funny how little boys act so tough. The boy yelling at the television with his legos next to him makes me think he is imitating someone he has seen before. Boys are taught that aggression and being tough is cool. Playing with legos would still mean your a boy not a man and there comes an age when its time to group up. Because of society boys are taught that being agressive is theonly manly way.
Although we spend much time worrying about what the media does to little girl's minds, it does a good bit of damage to boys as well. Boys commonly have this fascination with being "tough". Strength, and muscles, and even violence are all words commonly related to masculinity, and boyhood. This pressure is something that may be even more overlooked that the one presented in little girls.
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