Is Barbie a real threat?

CAIRO – 20 September: Can you imagine that a plastic doll can ruin your daughter’s life? Most parents don’t think that a doll can negatively influence their children.

Young girls are raised in a society where “Barbie” portrays perfection; at this tender age, they are influenced by external stimuli, and throughout the years they become unconsciously convinced that being Barbie is a goal to be able to fit in the society.


In 2009, Dallas cowboy cheerleader Barbie was given the worst toy of the year award. Furthermore, Dr Susan Linn, the director of CCFC, said that it embodies a host of harmful expectations about what girls are supposed to be like, noting that it is an unattainable goal as it is not even realistic.

Studies showed girls who play with Barbie have lower self-esteem and greater desire to be thin, while girls who play with regular sized dolls ate a more reasonable amount of food.

Girls who play with Barbie thought they should be ideal and have the same body, hair and facial features as their doll or they shouldn’t be living at all.

That study might answer the parents asking why their children have low self-confidence and are drowning in their insecurities. They think that their faces, bodies and hair are ugly as they don’t suit the Barbie goal, a parent added on Barbie official page.



Unfortunately, this happens every day. Children start starving themselves, obliging themselves to throw up, thinking about doing severe plastic surgeries, and suffering from eating disorders in order to achieve this fake ideal image in their minds.

It is worth mentioning that the average age at which girls start dieting is now eight! Isn’t that hilarious?

To overcome this threat, parents have to monitor their children’s use of toys, and make sure they teach their kids the potential damaging results of being a copy of someone or something. Also, parents should help their children look up to real role models and have real achievable goals.

On the other hand, some people disagreed with the abovementioned opinion on Barbie and stated that it positively affects their children as it entertains and encourages girls to believe that they can be anything they want to be.

Barbie came in various versions, including the president Barbie, the rock star Barbie, the doctor Barbie, the gymnast Barbie, and the astronaut Barbie, teaching children to use their imagination and dream big.
Barbie also sends an anti-racism message through Barbie's Asian, black, Latina friends who come from all walks of life and their differences are never a problem.