"We offer girls too few, too perfect and too sexualized role models"

The International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television (IZI) asked n = 1,211 representatively selected children aged three to 13 (615 boys and 596 girls) about their favorite characters on television.

The preschoolers' favorite character: Kikaninchen

In the nationwide survey of n = 369 preschool children (186 boys, 183 girls) between the ages of three and five, four public figures took the top four places for the first time in 2017: Kikaninchen, The Mouse (Die Sendung mit der Maus) Fireman Sam and the Sandman.

The interesting trend: the two first-place winners are gender-neutral figures that are not clearly recognizable as female or male and are therefore equally popular with girls and boys. The character Kikaninchen was deliberately developed in this way and tested several times for gender neutrality. The character thus makes an important contribution to the de-stereotyping of gender images in children's television. Unfortunately, this development remains limited to the program for pre-school children.

Girls: female characters who are beautiful and successful

Among 6- to 13-year-old girls, the Disney sitcom character Jessie from the series of the same name is in the lead in 2017, followed by Mia (Mia and me), Bibi Blocksberg (presumably mainly due to the movie, Alice (Alice in Wonderland) and Heidi Klum. They are role models in whom girls see their own experiences and emotions reflected, with whom they demonstrably identify, who they would like to be and whose behavior they model themselves on.

The top mentions are all girls or women who are characterized by being slim, stereotypically beautiful and successful. They are all in a position where they are responsible for others and take care of others, their well-being (Jessie, Mia), the fulfillment of their legitimate demands (Bibi Blocksberg) or their further education (Heidi Klum). They thus embody the current ideal image of girls and women who are perfect in all areas - and with body measurements that are not realistically achievable for any girl.

Boys: Funny losers reflect emotional reality

Among six to 13-year-old boys, SpongeBob SquarePants once again came out on top in 2017, followed by Bart Simpson. In the last four years, the two characters have alternated in the top two places. They are followed by Homer Simpson and Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory). All four characters are not superheroes, but show that you are worth something even if you have weaknesses. Boys do not emulate the behavior or problem-solving strategies of these "funny losers". Boys remain distanced from these characters and can enjoy watching the mistakes they make. At the same time, boys find their emotional reality reflected in characters like Bart Simpson and six out of ten boys agree with the statement: "Bart experiences the same things as I do." This presumably reflects social devaluations and demands, e.g. at school. The Simpsons then give the good feeling that you can get through well even if you don't face up to all the demands and just muddle through.

How children's television serves girls and boys unequally

The selection of favorite TV characters in 2017 clearly shows that girls and boys choose their favorite same-sex characters. However, they have a significantly different range to choose from. On the one hand, in terms of number, as a recent study by the University of Rostock (the results of which will be presented at the upcoming IZI annual conference in Munich) shows: In children's television, boy and male characters appear three times as often as girl or female characters. Half of the girl characters have a body that is so slim that it could not be achieved naturally. On the other hand, the figures are also fundamentally different. In addition to superheroes and male characters who overcome every obstacle, boys also have funny losers who show that they are worth something: You're worth something, even if you're not always the best. For girls, television mainly offers perfect ideal figures who are always working on themselves to optimize themselves. This can be a good incentive, but at the same time conveys the message that you are only worth something if you look perfect, have this figure and are as powerful as they are. However, striving for such supposed perfection inevitably leads to frustration and dissatisfaction with yourself.

"We offer girls too few, too perfect and too sexualized role models. We urgently need more sensitivity, new ideas and the courage to tell other girls and women on television," says Maya Götz.

Picture: Screenshot Kika.de