Girls only: Teen online survey

McDaid, R. (1997). Girls only: Teen survey. (Informal survey.). S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW

To "chat or not to chat": that was the question many kids had to decide as I began this project to survey a small group of teens through the Internet. I found those who were leery (and sometimes offended) that an adult would dare to invade their privacy, and many who were more than willing to chat with me. A novice to cyber chat, much time was spent learning the ropes. I had to locate the many different chat rooms and determine the best times to enter, as many of them fill to full occupancy. I found 11:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time the best time to be on-line. I had to learn on-line jargon, buddy lists, and how to LOL—laugh on-line. Experienced users escorted me into private chat rooms or we communicated by instant message. I realized that I was connected to a whole new world and was discovering a new level of communication with kids across this country who were more than willing to show me the way.

As I began to develop survey questions, I sensed the pain and struggle of many of the kids who honestly answered my questions. It was clear that I had to keep a distance—as an adult in a teen chat room—but I found myself drawn into their lives, wishing I could help them. (A great service would be to listen to and encourage young people on-line.) I selected an all-girl survey for two reasons: first, it was much easier to motivate girls to consider participating in a survey; secondly, with the exception of a few, most boys were in a big hurry to return to the chat room to "hook up" with girls. There are plenty of hormones bouncing around chat rooms.

As I thanked the survey participants, I couldn’t resist adding something positive in response to a negative statement they made about themselves. One girl said she wanted to be someone important. I added to my thank you that she already is someone important. One young lady had been recently dumped by her boyfriend Eric, needed convincing that, in time, she would trust again. It was nice to receive e-mail thanking me for my time and advice.

I focused on a particular chat room in Seventeen magazine, where I had met an interesting young woman. She and some other girls were creating a newsletter, intended to be sent to approximately fifty girls. She agreed to put the survey in the newsletter and send it out. I collected most of my on-line responses through this group of girls, and I was actually placed on several buddy lists. Out of the fifty girls the newsletter was sent to, only seven responded. I wanted a larger survey; I eventually settled for ten on-line surveys and began the next phase of my project in local schools.

As I met with school officials to discuss the logistics of placing the survey on-line within their school, it became increasingly clear that they were not prepared: most schools only had one computer that was set up for internet connection. We agreed the survey would be easier on them if distributed on paper. I developed a cover letter and instructions for administering survey, and faxed it to all four participating principals for their approval. All but one school distributed the survey. Ten responses from a local youth group are also included in the survey.

PURPOSE

To find out whether or not teen girls acknowledge or understand the pressures that are placed upon them by society, family, media, and male peers, and to determine how it affects their identity and emotional growth.

BACKGROUND

Much of what has been written about teenage girls focuses on their inability to rise above the pressures of their transition from pre-adolescence to young adulthood. There is a sense that adolescent girls are hindered in the development of their identity by overwhelming stress. This research aims to find out how girls felt about who they were, where they were going in life, and how they could be better helped through youth work.

DESIGN

A five question, open ended survey, was designed to allow the participants to respond on several different levels. The first question attempted to find out how determined girls are in their future direction, if they had a sense of what they wanted to be, and if they had specific goals or dreams.

Question two was directed at how they saw themselves, and how they liked the way they looked. The intent of this question was to ascertain the relationship between how they perceived their looks, and what they thought of themselves. Question three aimed to discover how much pressure girls felt from boys who did not treat them with respect. This question could also lend itself to give evidence to the contrary, by identifying male relationships as an important nurturing variable in a girl’s identity growth. The fourth question, about media sexualization, was designed to seek whether media had a positive or negative influence on their growth. The last question intended to find the core fears and insecurities that many girls face.

All fifty participants were teenage girls from 12-19 years of age. Sixty percent were 12-14 years old; the remaining forty percent were ages 15-19. They were selected at random by school administrators, and by association to an on-line teen newsletter. Some assumptions should be made: most participants came from middle to upper class economic backgrounds, based upon location of survey and the cost of owning a personal computer. While the ethnic composition is unknown, most likely, at least eighty percent of the participants were white, based on personal knowledge of the locations surveyed.

Twenty percent of the survey responses were administered by e-mail, to various locations throughout the United States. Twenty percent were administered directly to a local Massachusetts church youth group. Sixty percent were surveyed through local school systems. A letter of instruction was sent, along with ten written surveys to each of the three participating schools. All questions were answered in writing, and girls were encouraged to obtain privacy while completing the survey.

SURVEY FOR GIRLS ONLY

1. What are your plans for the future after leaving high school? What are your dreams and ambitions?

2. How do you see yourself? Do you like the way you look?

3. Do boys make you feel that they do not value you as a person?

4. What do you think of the way the media sexualizes women?

5. What is your greatest fear in life? (Multiple responses were allowed.)

CONCLUSION

Much of the material written on teenage girls indicates that a vast majority of them are under tremendous strain to keep their identity from drowning in a sea of sexualization and culturally imposed pressure. In hours of conversation with girls all over the country, it became evident that young women painfully struggle with the cultural pressure. At the same time, they exude confidence and determination to secure a place for themselves in this world.

As the surveys came in, I sensed underlying fear and insecurity glazing this determination. It is clear that an overwhelming majority of girls are career oriented, with specific goals in mind. They do have dreams and ambitions, most of them rooted in practical goals. Even most of the younger participants are already mapping a future based on financial security. At age twelve, many are already concerned with surviving financially; they worry about being able to provide for themselves. The older girls, too, hope for specific, goal-oriented career choices. Girls are planning for their future, have confidence in themselves, and intend on assuming their place in their chosen professions.

Reading through the surveys, it is pleasing to find out how many girls are content with their looks. Assuming their honesty, (and I diligently inspected for those who answered "yes" but meant "no") the overall response was quite positive. Most girls view themselves as nice, loyal, bright, funny, athletic, etc. Even those who do not like the way they look are positive about their personalities. They are capable of separating their looks from who they are as individuals. This was reflected by many in their response to how they felt boys treated them. Many indicate that boys are indeed positive and nurturing influences within their society. Most demonstrate an ability to separate the negative influence of certain boys from the positive vast majority. There are, of course, exceptions: a few participants expressed negative comments about their looks and how they felt about themselves.

The participants were quite candid about their feelings as to media sexualization. Those who responded positively, either view the media as all right, or they feel empowered by the attention given to women in the media. Most responded negatively, many holding the media responsible for the epidemic of eating disorders. The negative respondents clearly disapprove of the way the media portray woman; many are offended by the way women are stigmatized.

Studying their fears, a majority are concerned about their own death, or the death of loved ones. Becoming a victim of violent crime is also a predominant fear. AIDS, crime statistics, pollution, global warming, and a growing climate of skepticism about the future, add to the concerns these girls feel. As they prepare for their future, they subconsciously wonder if it will be there for them when they get there. They fear failure and lack of success just behind death. Probably for the first time in this country, many kids planning Ivy League education don’t have the confidence that they will be able to feed their future families. They seem to sense economic pessimism. Years ago, a college education guaranteed a good job with an above average salary; today there are no guarantees. Many seem to define success by a $500,000 home and a $250,000 salary. Pressure is felt by twelve and thirteen year olds as well as the older girls.

IMPLICATIONS

1. When working with young men and women, honest evaluation must become a regular habit. Look beyond the numbers of kids in the youth group. What level of trust and sharing occurs? Is there an atmosphere for kids to share their fears, dislikes about themselves, struggles with dating, and pressures at home and at school? Do they feel safe to do that without being ridiculed?
2. Although 75% of these girls are content with their looks, 25% are not satisfied. These young people need support to build within them a sense of personal identity and self-acceptance. Adolescents need to be taught the destructive power of put downs and using others for sexual gratification. We can teach them to discern between violent and healthy media content, between messages that condone sexualization and abuse and those that uplift the human spirit. Outside speakers who are willing to share their personal struggles of alcoholism, drug addiction, or unwanted pregnancy or abortion with a message of hope, healing, and faith will leave lasting impressions.

Ray McDaid cCYS