Don’t call girls “cute” or “sweet” because it could stifle their creativity, woke researchers say.
A new study, sponsored by Lego, suggests that the use of “gendered” language prevents girls from expressing themselves freely.
According to the study, girls feel less inspired to be creative if they are praised with words like “sweet” and “beautiful” instead of “cool” or “brave.”
Researchers also say that girls are more likely to try new things if their mistakes are not criticized but rather “praised more as learning opportunities.”
Commenting on these findings, author and parenting researcher Jennifer Wallace said: “Biased language reinforces traditional gender roles, which can play a role in limiting girls’ creativity and perpetuating systemic inequalities.” .
Woke researchers say calling girls “cute” or “sweet” instead of “brave” or “genius” could stifle their creativity (stock image)
Researchers surveyed 25,532 children ages five to 12, as well as 36,000 parents around the world.
The results revealed that society is about seven percent more likely to use terms like “sweet,” “pretty,” “beautiful” and “cute” for girls than for boys.
In contrast, terms like “brave,” “genius,” “innovative,” and “cool” are twice as likely to be used only for boys.
While this may seem relatively harmless, researchers say it can have an impact on your willingness to express yourself and explore new things.
Almost two-thirds of girls aged five to 12 said the language they heard made them feel worried about making mistakes and less likely to experiment.
More than half of the children involved said they thought adults were more likely to listen to boys’ creative ideas than girls.
Ms Wallace said: “This implicit bias can hinder girls’ confidence and restrict their opportunities in male-dominated fields.”
Almost two-thirds of girls aged five to 12 said the language they heard made them less willing to express themselves and try new things (file image)
The researchers also suggest that girls might be particularly prone to the pressures of perfectionism as they get older.
This, they say, leads girls to feel that they cannot make creative decisions because of the risk of failing or making mistakes.
British girls may feel this pressure particularly acutely: 71 per cent agreed they had to be “more perfect” than boys, six per cent above the world average.
At the age of five, 76 percent of the girls surveyed said they felt confident in their creativity, but by the age of 12 that number had decreased by seven percent.
Dr. Anika Petrella, researcher and psychotherapist, says, “A perfection mindset encourages us to stay in our lane, fear failure, and give up at the first sign of struggle.”
“Teaching girls that experimentation trumps perfection is crucial to empowering their authentic, creative selves.”
This isn’t the first time researchers have suggested that gendered language could have a long-term effect on children.
some research has suggested that children learn stereotypes about gender by the age of seven, which may have an impact on the type of jobs they believe would be suitable for them.
One study found that girls who were given Barbies to play with they believed they had fewer career options compared to children.
Scientists have even claimed that children’s books with “female worlds” could be perpetuating gender stereotypes.
The study suggests that books with female main characters are more likely to be about affection than careers.
Words associated with women focused on affection, school-related words, and communication verbs, such as “explained” and “listened.”
Meanwhile, words associated with men focused more on professions, transportation and tools, with less focus on emotional needs.