[Jelena]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

Yeah, I know there are kids with problems. Still, a lot of it also has to do with parenting skills and helping put the world into perspective for those kids.

Of course, a lot of todays teenage parents over here anyway tend to be more of a cool friend to their kids than a parent setting rules and also executing consequences. But I also meet so many excellent parents to my students. They have the best intensions with setting reasonable rules and help their kids out in any way they can. Even the best parent can end up with children with problems.

If they have an intense fixation on their bodies that tends to be more an individual psychological issue than something that is the consistently direct influence of unattainable standards set by pop culture and society.

I don´t think anorexia for instance or just being fixated with the body comes directly from the exposure of 'perfect bodies'. But you have to agree that those role models aiming at teens have increased over the years. Even little girls in the age of 7 can buy clothes that are challenging. I think it was H&M (well known Swedish store) that marketed themselves with having taken out all sexy clothing for little girls. This after having raging moms yelling in the store.

After all, there are many kids out there as well that have been bombarded by the pressure yet emerged as good strong individuals who know their own boundaries and what they're capable of. My nieces are among them, and my oldest one is totally NOT the hourglass shape at all. She's actually one of the sexiest young women I know, she works it, baby!

I agree, and I´m happy to see that my Elin most likely will be one of those as well. But thinking back on a group of girls that left our school for grade 7 those kind of girls were in minority. I´m not saying the rest had severe issues, but they were definitely just copying the cool style without reflecting what they were wearing or doing.

Noooo!! I've had this discussion before with Lynsie and others here. I would suck at being a dad, but I'm an excellent uncle.

Well, your nieces should consider themselves very lucky to have you as their uncle.

The pursuit of beauty is hardwired into us all, so we can never escape it. It's a biological function. The best we can do is to keep it in perspective and offer guidance to our kids as we raise them and keep telling them that the most beautiful people of all are those who strive to be themselves, no matter what society or pop culture tells them.

I wouldn´t know if it´s a biological function, do you mean that we groom ourselves to find a mate? But I agree with the rest.

We may not agree about the actual effects of Lara as a spokeswoman for anything. But that´s OK. I like you anyway!