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Child Beauty Pageants Are Harmful For Young Girls

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Child beauty pageants have existed for many years, and at first they were considered innocent dress up games. It was not until the T.V. show Toddlers and Tiaras aired that the industry received national attention. The multibillion dollar industry depicted two year olds with wigs, spray tans, waxed eyebrows, and inappropriate attires catering to the audience that craves young faces in the entertainment business. These type of competitions can have negative impacts on a child’s life. Child beauty pageants are harmful for young girls because they can be subject to exploitation and promote unhealthy ideals, damaging their self-esteem. Child beauty pageants are not a new phenomenon. Michelle Healy, a health and wellness reporter for USA Today, traced back the competition’s roots to find that they have “been around since 1880” (n.p.). Child beauty pageants are competitions that are primarily based on the physical attributes of the contestants. In the beginning, only older participants were eligible to participate. Now they extended the age requirements and toddlers, only a few months old, are able to participate. This has not only increased the competition, but also made parents more eager to start training their kids at an even earlier age. Recently, they have included more categories such as special talents, community service, costume and dance. First of all, child beauty pageants can be harmful to children because they can be subject to exploitation. Martina M. Cartwright, a

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