Redditor u/APT3993 racked up over 14,000 comments when they asked “What’s something sociably acceptable for one gender but not the other?” Scroll on for some deeply rooted double standards and don’t miss the chats Bored Panda had with two psychologists about where some of this stereotyping could have started. We also spoke to the person behind the original thread.
Madeupaccountcuzshy , Jean van der Meulen Report
Bored Panda reached out to the original poster to find out what inspired the question. He told us he wanted to see if people would only go with sexism directed towards women or whether they’d share their own examples.
“As a cis male I have seen some parts which can be quite scary,” he told us, adding that he’d heard lots of stories about fathers being stereotyped. The redditor used an example of dads taking their children to the park and at best, being told they’re on “babysitting duty” and at worst, being called creeps.
“It helps show the discrimination on both sides,” he told Bored Panda. “No matter what gender we are, we all have gender “rules and restrictions” put on us based on social norms.”
NaNaNaNaNatman , Sora Shimazaki Report
Wider started where she believed it all began: the toy box. What transpired was a deep dive into the double standards of dollhouses, dinosaurs, diggers, drills and doctors’ kits. And later, a solution to slay some sexist dragons.
These days, Wider is considered an expert in the toxic traits of toys. She’s even spoken at the White House. Bored Panda caught up with her to find out how Barbie and Batman might have played a role in some of the stories featured here.
LT_Dan78 , Abdulmutalip BOZKUS Report
“At the time, all toys that promoted nurturing/empathy/feelings were heavily marketed to girls… I sought to change this,” she told us. Wider asked 150 parents, teachers and experts for their opinions.
Not long after, she launched her very own online toy store to tackle toxic masculinity. Her idea to turn superhero action figures into soft dolls for boys soon took off. Since then, Wonder Crew has won several awards.
SensitiveAsk4138 Report
“I created Wonder Crew, a line of dolls that combine the adventure of an action figure with the emotional connection of a favorite stuffed animal, plus dress up/costume play - to bring “soft skills” to boys without the stigma,” she told Bored Panda.
“At the time of the launch, dolls were mostly marketed to girls. Based on research, I learned that doll play teaches and encourages empathy, connection, vulnerability - these skills were not present or encouraged in toys marketed to boys. I wanted to change this and fill a major gap in the toy industry. Noting that ideally toys are interest based, not gender based.”
Fluffy_Meat1018 , RDNE Stock project Report
_sacrosanct Report
Dr. Sarah Lamer is an assistant professor of social psychology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She’s done extensive research on gender stereotyping so I reached out to her to find out more.
“Gender stereotypes are limiting by definition, and these limitations impact children early in development. For example, research shows that as early as the age of 2 and by the age of 7, girls believe that they are worse at math than boys, believe angular shapes and rough textures are masculine, believe that a really smart student is more likely to be a boy than a girl, and tend to play with stereotypical ‘girl toys’ (e.g., tea set, doll) more than stereotypical ‘boy toys’ ( e.g., skateboard, baseball),” explained Lamer.
Connect-Speaker , Quang Nguyen Vinh Report
alonzo83 Report
“In our studies, we asked girls aged 6 to 11 to watch 4 minutes of silent clips featuring the pattern. After watching these clips, they felt like their parents and peers wanted them to be more feminine. The more pressure the girls felt, the more they played with stereotypical girl toys,” wrote Lamer in a blog post for the Society of Personality and Social Psychology.
But wait. It gets worse. The researchers did a test after the kids watched the shows. It turns out some little girls feel the need to dumb themselves down to fit in. “When we asked them to record a video message to introduce themselves to peers at another school—the less intelligence they conveyed. Subtle patterns like this one could have major impact,” explained Lamer.
Neberi0 , Alex Green Report
crazycatlady331 Report
Icy_Construction_751 Report
They scrutinized 175 adverts featuring the best selling toys that year. “Advertisements featuring toys marketed to girls (e.g., baby dolls) overwhelmingly focused on nurturing,” states the study. “Advertisements featuring toys marketed to boys were predominantly cars, sporting equipment or games, and toy weapons, with masculine music and language used in these ads more than in ads for toys marketed to girls. These results suggest that gender-inclusive products and marketing strategies for toys tend to be the exception rather than the rule."
Pickle-Standard Report
Ill_Needleworker7601 , Cliff Booth Report
BWC1992 Report
funnynut Report
Kaelesh Report
I asked Wider what advice she had for parents who want to break gender stereotypes. “Give kids the opportunity to experience a range of play experiences, regardless of gender. Provide diverse toys,” she said.
But added that adults can take it a step further, “Write to manufacturers, ask for toys that are interest based, rather than gender based - toys that are more inclusive. It’s important for kids to have a wide range of play experiences.
DamnSquirrelYouFine , Kelsey Knight Report
Gilgamesh661 , Diogo Miranda Report
dumplinglover_ Report
“For example, would you respond to the child’s emotion differently if it were a boy than a girl? Would you suggest a different toy? Would you be less likely to comment on their outfit? Pretend play as a different profession? If so, ask yourself why – that is, what stereotype is guiding that behavior – and adjust accordingly.”
Interesting-Read-245 Report
flipper_babies Report
tacolamae Report
Jumpy-Violinist-6725 , Andrea Piacquadio Report
Obiwan_ca_blowme Report
Jmersh , Laura Tancredi Report
Ben_Pharten Report
In short, forget “let boys be boys” and let’s focus on letting toys be toys.
km6669 Report
deathanglewhitewater Report
Sobeksdream Report
rosality Report
Wonderful_Quarter284 , Gildásio Filho Report
ghfdghjkhg Report
mmeems06 , Nadin Sh Report
ChancePassage1858 , Thiago Barletta Report
Oldassrollerskater , Fuji Nakama Report
Adventurous-Dot281 , Tim Gouw Report
Caseated_Omentum Report
Upside_Cat_Tower Report
Yourclosetmonster , Priscilla Du Preez Report
Floki_The_Dogo Report
FigaroNeptune Report
atomic-rabbit Report
Saints2804 , Luis Quintero Report
Particular_Ad_7663 , Lareised Leneseur Report
Roombaloanow Report
Nearby-Level6472 Report
raydarluvr1 Report
polarice5 Report
aljodasch Report
Optimal-Work3775 , LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR Report
Follow Bored Panda on Google News!
Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!
