Because I work with gifted and talented
students at my job, I got the chance last year 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 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. 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. When I’m in need of some
positive, uplifting message for my groups, messages that tell girls
that it’s OK to be who you are, I always go to the SSS Project
first!
So find out what makes you Shimmer,
Sparkle and Shine, and whether it’s your brains, your personality,
or something else, hold onto it no matter what society says!
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