Essay --

The first child beauty pageant started in America in the 1960’s and started a major American trend. Back then, little girls were dressed up in their Sunday dress with no makeup, and no revealing clothing nothing as extravagant as children are today. Child beauty pageants are so popular here in the USA there is a reality show called â€Å"Toddlers and Tiaras.† This show shows what goes on from the start of a day to the end of the day. The show shows what contestants go through to get ready for the pageant, how they are transformed to look like little adults. They try to act older than they are and carry themselves in a way that is unbecoming of a little girl. Beauty pageants are teaching little girls that how they look on the outside and flirting is how they win in life. Beauty pageants should be restricted for children under the age of 16. Beauty pageants are too vigorous for children, and sending the wrong message as what beauty should look like. Beauty pageants have little girls as young as 4 years old spending hours preparing for a competition. They put on as much makeup as an adult would wear. They have fake eyelashes, fake teeth, spray tan, hair extensions, and some low cut outfit on, and then told to go on stage and impress the judges. If you are not a certain size and maintain that size, you are considered unattractive so many girls start obsessing about their weight at such a young age. They purposely starve themselves in order to stay at the "appropriate" weight in order to win. When contestants make poor judgments of themselves, it can lead to poor self- esteem and to eating disorders. Restricting the age requirements on beauty pageants will take the pressure off children that do not want to participate. A pe... ...p, dancing and singing and winning awards for placing higher than the other children place. Advocates say this is a way they can earn money and scholarships and for college. Is it right to teach children that beauty is solely based on what is on the outside, or should they know that beauty comes from within? Beauty pageants teach children at a young age that people will judge someone based on looks and not personality. For years, beauty pageants have been based on children wearing hairpieces, makeup, spray tans, and false teeth. Beauty pageants diminish self-esteem and teach children bad morals. Beauty pageants create mental and physical harm to a child throughout a pageant. Beauty pageants should be restricted for children under the age of 16; their fragile minds are not ready for the criticism that comes with the idea of being â€Å"perfect† in the judges’ mind.