This weekend I logged on to my computer to watch YouTube. A video I hadn’t seen in years popped up, “The Living Doll – Toddlers and Tiaras.” The video showcased a pageant kid, Brenna, winning the title of Living Doll Supreme at just 2 years old. Her little face was packed with makeup, her lips were bright pink, and her hair looked heavier than her.  At first glance, people might think Brenna is a brat, but this is just one of the effects pageants have on young girls. Overall, pageantry has a negative effect on children’s well being.  

            A pageant is a competition where people, usually women, are judged on their beauty and other qualities. The judges look at contestants' smiles, their dresses and even the way they walk. Most pageant kids are aware of this as their parents make it their duty to make it known that everything about them is being judged. So, when a young child sees someone get an award and get praised for the way they looked on the stage and they didn’t, it might make them feel bad about themselves. The pressures of winning affect their moods and attitudes as we saw with Brenna from Toddlers and Tiaras.They even start to have second thoughts about what they look like, even though they are so young. 

            They might start developing eating disorders at a young age for not being labelled as the most beautiful one.  Kids can start to neglect nutrition all just because of a beauty competition which can harm the heart, digestive system and even the bones. This should be the least of their worries as their bodies are still developing and they need all the nutrition they can get. If they neglect nutrition, it can have a negative effect on their bodies.  

            Pageantry has also been known to have sexualized young girls throughout the years and make them appear older. Girls have to compete in categories such as swimwear in which they wear bikinis and reveal their bodies while winking and blowing kisses to the judges. Meanwhile their tiny little faces are caked with layers of makeup and wearing fake teeth. This tells other young girls that this is what they should look like. It sets unrealistic beauty standards for young girls who watch these pageants and even compete in them. An example of this is Brooke Breedwell. She starred in the show “Painted Babies” when she was just 5 years old. She shared years later that she suffered from stress and anxiety “while striving for an unrealistic standard of perfection.” 

            Most people will say that young children participating in pageantry from a young age can increase their confidence. However, this is not the case. Putting your kid in a situation where their outer beauty is valued more than their inner beauty can cause a lack of self-confidence. Self confidence in children can be built through motivation from parents and compliments. Yet pageants don’t do this, instead, they judge children’s appearance and even put them down. Nicole Hunter, who was a child beauty pageant, says that dressing and acting like a grown woman impelled her to confront her sexuality which lowered her self-esteem. 

           In conclusion, pageantry has a very negative effect on young girls who participate in them. Pageantry values outer beauty more than inner beauty which gives girls a false sense of beauty and what they should be in life. Young girls shouldn’t be participating in beauty competitions at such a young and vulnerable age because it can have serious consequences on both their physical and mental well-being.