Conclusion

Many girls and women experience their bodies as physical objects. Approaching their bodies as though they’re observers means that they risk losing touch with what their bodies can do and what they feel like from within. Due to pervasive messages from the media, as well as the influence of parents and peers, many girls and women come to understand their value in terms of the extent to which their bodies conform to societal beauty standards. This can be a recipe for dissatisfaction and disappointment, as beauty norms are difficult to achieve, change over time, and are often incompatible with one another. Even if those norms can be met, it’s typically only for a fleeting moment in time.

However, research shows that girls and women can undermine the power of objectification, largely by learning to be critical of beauty standards and resisting internalization of the messages that surround them. Also, as we’ll see in Chapter 13, mental health vastly improves when girls and women focus on activities that help them to get in touch with their bodies from within and to approach their bodies (and all aspects of themselves) with a sense of kindness and self-compassion.