By Jess Radke
The huge impact media has on our lives is inevitable. It’s not entirely a bad thing, but one problem we face at our Girl Scout Council is the negative impressions the media leaves on girls today. Just because people are in the public eye doesn’t designate them as a role model by default. In fact, many stars model ways we hope our kids don’t behave.
For 100 years, Girl Scouts has given girls positive role models to look up to, and they don’t need to be Hollywood stars. Rather, they’re older Girl Scouts in the community helping younger girls grow and understand the world. I can’t think of a better example than Marguerite, a recent high school graduate, now beginning her freshman year at UW-Eau Claire.
Last April, Marguerite completed her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Her project focused on body image, peer pressure, and the impact of unhealthy media messages. She organized an event, “Free 2 Be Me” for girls preparing for their first year of high school. The event was facilitated by keynote speaker Hilary Bilbrey, Founder and CEO of Inspired By Family, LLC. After Bilbrey’s speech, the girls broke off into a girls-only session led by Marguerite. The girls discussed friendship, peer pressure, body image, the media, and what to expect once they start high school.
One girl described the media impact in her life. “What we see on TV and in ads isn’t realistic… I know that, but it’s hard to not feel like that’s the only way we can look to feel beautiful,” she said.
This is how the majority of girls feel. According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, 89 percent of teen girls say the fashion industry places a lot of pressure on them to be thin. Marguerite explained how she dealt with that pressure. After struggling with an eating disorder for over a year, she learned the difference between “healthy” and “skinny.”
“There’s a big difference,” Marguerite said. “I’m doing this project because I wish someone was there to tell me, ‘You are better off if you realize you’re okay just being who you really are.’”
With the start of the school year, those younger girls are beginning their high school experience more prepared for what’s coming their way, thanks to Marguerite. Not a Hollywood star, but someone who overcame obstacles and turned her experiences into an opportunity to help others. A real girl. A role model. A Girl Scout.
Jess Radke is the Copy Writer for Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc., a proud United Way partner program
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