Yiyun Li

Something I always enjoyed as a child was Barbies. I liked them because I could customize their hair, clothes, and shoes. I didn't have nice things growing up, so playing with Barbies that had a bunch of clothes was the next best thing. I also loved their blonde hair, blue eyes, and slim body. I would sit in my room for hours pretending to talk to my Barbies. I liked to use my imagination and come up with different life scenarios that I always dreamed about. I think playing with Barbies was my escape. I could be anything I wanted and I could do whatever I wanted to. However, I realize that Barbies are not as great as I thought they were. Barbies give young girls unrealistic perceptions of body image. At a young age, girls subconsciously idolize Barbies. Barbies are typically light skinned, blonde hair, blue eyed women with extremely thin waists. This body image does not help young girls improve their self confidence and I know as a kid I struggled with self confidence.