Girls have more opportunities today than ever before, yet many young girls are feeling the pressure to be perfect and experts warn if we don't do something about it, the consequences will be devastating.
The pressures young girls face are mounting. Making sure they get good grades, have a good GPA, they are pressured to do after school activities like sports, and constant pressure about what college they want to go to.
Psychologist Stephen Hinshaw says young girls are facing a triple bind, a set of expectations that are almost impossible to meet.
"It's the best time in history to be a girl," Hinshaw said, "but the flip side is the pressures are relentless."
Not only do girls have to be brainy and athletic, they also have to be thin and beautiful. It's leading to a mental health crisis.
"One girl in four by the age of 19 will have developed major depression, made a suicide attempt, been involved in cutting or self-mutilation, or been involved in binge eating or other eating disorders." Hinshaw said.
Even really young girls are feeling the pressure. For some, competition starts when they're toddlers.
"National surveys of 3rd grade girls, 8-year-olds, in the United States, 60 percent are worried about their weight and over a third are dieting." Hinshaw says.
Hinshaw also says parents should teach girls to be critical of the media. Eating dinner together has also been shown to reduce the risk of eating disorders, depression and drug and alcohol use. Also, encourage girls to get involved in the community to give them a greater sense of purpose.
"Getting that sense of commitment in the community may be the ultimate solution to the triple bind." Hinshaw says.
Plastic surgery among teens more than tripled between 1997 and 2007. The number of procedures performed on those younger than 18 rose from about 60,000 to more than 200,000.
