What it’s Like to Be a “Smart Girl”



Because I work with gifted and talented students at my job, I got the chance last semester to talk with some “smart (and I mean super smart) girls” in middle school. During one of these discussions I asked them, “How is being a girl different from being a boy?” They had many different responses, but one that I heard over and over again was that because they are girls they don’t feel like society values their smartness. They also feel like, in general, people automatically assume they are less smart than boys. I was shocked! Could there be some truth behind these feelings? Does society really send girls these messages and how does it affect their self-worth?

It turns out that research does support the feelings expressed by these “smart girls.” There are many studies that show adults commonly underestimate the smartness of girls. The message society sends “smart girls” is that their minds matter less than their looks. These messages often lead “smart girls” to hold themselves back from success or minimize and apologize for it like it’s something to be ashamed of.

According to the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, some of the challenges for “smart girls” are:
  • Low self-esteem
  • Feelings of inferiority
  • Fear of taking risks
  • Exaggerated concern about being accepted among peers
  • Ambivalent feelings about talent
  • Conflict between cultural identity and school achievement

This is unacceptable! One thing I really love about the Shimmer Sparkle Shine Project is that they help girls learn to recognize how ridiculous society’s messages are and start to value what is truly valuable about themselves.

So find out what makes you Shimmer, Sparkle and Shine, and hold onto it no matter what society says!

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