Millennial Women Helping Millennial Girls

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I am very proud and happy to be a girl and I feel lucky to be a millennial woman.  But we face interesting hardships and millennial females have been hit especially hard.   This generation has been effected by higher rates of cyber bullying, media peer pressure, sexualization and female on female hate more so than those before us.  We have lived in a different world than our parents and for those of us who are on the older end on this generation, it is incredibly important for us to help create a kinder path for girls growing up behind us.  The younger millennials can be greatly impacted by our words, actions and compassion.  We have the power to change their lives which in turn will change our society.

Self-Esteem, Body Image and Sexualization are terms that most of us are familiar with yet if you bring them up to older generations there is less understanding.  We are consumed with media pressure to look and act a certain way.  Even the most intelligent women can fall victim to the messages that are sent to us via magazines, television, bill boards, movies and social media.  It has become more prevalent and more are falling for the lies and insulting advertisements.  I was born in 1986 and I was not over exposed to this kind of media abuse as a teen.  Our younger millennial sisters were exposed to it even before they hit their teenage years.  It is happening earlier in a girl’s life and that is creating a brainwashed female society in which perfection is sought after and obsession about while reality is dangerously skewed.

What can we do to help other millennial females? 

–Have a Conversation:  Have this conversation about the reality of what’s going on around us.  We are targeted by the media, girls feel the need, or the pressure, to have sex at an earlier age, self-esteem of girls and women is at an all time low, reality TV has taken over television and has caused increased life comparison and we are living in the social media age.   

-Get Involved:  You can join an organization that is working to help girls and women with these kinds of pressures.  There are many out there that are looking to empower and educate girls on the hurdles they will face.  Join them and make an effort to positively impact other girls and women.

–Increase your Encouragement:  Take time to talk to and encourage the younger girls in your life.  Lift them up.  Praise other women’s accomplishments and try to refrain from gossip and put downs.  Lead by example.  And if you need guidance, reach out yourself.  We need to stick together, now more than ever and there are so many of us here to help.

-Seek & Share:  Share your thoughts and look for the words of other insightful women who understand the society we live in.  Share those words with all those around you.

Millennial women have more opportunity, in many ways, than those that grew up before us.  We’ve been able to accomplish so much already, all while jumping the numerous hurdles that have been in our way since we were little girls.  Will we, as grown women, reach out and help the younger millennial girls?