From a young age, children are constantly being exposed to society's standards of what roles each gender (male or female) should fuflill. The main culprit of this subjection is media. This completely suppresses children's individuality and freedom of expression. During kids' younger years, they see media, mainly television, that portrays stereotypes about activities, traits, toys, and skills affiliated with each gender. When they engage in play, they also are exposed to gender-specific activities, such as girls playing "mom", and doing things such as cooking, while the boys might play the "superhero". From experience, I remember always wanting to dress up as a princesss when I was little, whereas my brothers would derss up as superheroes, such as Batman or Superman. Oftentimes, they would "rescue" me from an imaginary dragon or whatnot. I think that many other people can relate to this circumstance. When I was younger, I didn't question that I was supposed to be the princess and my brothers were supposed to be the heroes. Why? Because media had reinforced and created this message in my mind that girls had to be the princess, or the fairy, or the damsel in distress, and it was up to the boys to save me. These messages are present in popular television shows and movies aimed at children, such as the entire Disney Princess enterprise. I watched those movies most, and it obviously significantly effected me. Not only was I fine with being rescued by my brothers, I expected it.
As children get older, the impacts of gender roles in media get more complex. Children start to attribute certain qualities to each of the genders based on media (i.e. women are more affectionate, loving, and expressive, while men are more aggressive and determined). As youth get into the early teen years, they are prone to be intolerant of fluidity between gender norms. Seeing people who crossdress, or even peers who platonically hang out with the opposite gender, is unfamiliar, and therefore frowned upon. Children are only able to grow out of this intolerance with time, as well as the development of independent thought. This level of independence can be effectively achieved by detaching oneself from the overwhelming influence of media, and sometimes, one's parents. Although independent thought can be achieved at some point, the effect of media is too extensive and too harmful to be revoked. The messages that media sends embed themselves in the subconscious of children, manipulating their thought and hindering their individuality.
CNN Gender Stereotypes
I 100% agree, this is a very well written argument, particularly when you mentioned the way that children are subconsciously taught certain things about themselves and their identity. Children as soon as they are out of the womb, are essentially told to like pink or blue because of a common media narrative that women are feminine and soft while men are more masculine and aggressive, with even colors coming to represent certain traits. As they get older this gets so much worse. Not only in social media, but even in things like Disney movies, elaborating on the image that you inserted. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty being saved by princes who kissed them while they were unconscious (also wrong for totally different reasons), or Ariel sacrificing everything for a man that she somehow loves upon seeing once. Girls are taught that to be wanted they must be weak and saved, while boys are taught to be more aggressive, as you mentioned, creating sexist ideologies that are hard to unteach.
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