How Young is too Young to be a Sex Symbol?

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I was doing my usual morning reading and came across the Letter to the Editor in the Jamaica Gleaner. Dr Marcie Hamilton expressed concern about a sexily clad 13 year old being a finalist in a model search competition. Looking at the teen in her bikini, I had flashbacks of my mother picking out my one piece swimsuit and making it brilliantly clear that I can wear a bikini when I was an adult and not before!

Age restriction is an ongoing debate in the world of fashion, but with the statistical rise (and increasing awareness) of eating disorders and other psychological issues that seem to plague the industry, there has been strict enforcement of bans on underage catwalk models in recent times. Paris, Milan and later Brazil are a few places that have defined the minimum age for catwalk modeling as 16 years old. So is this what we define then as the ‘acceptable’ age for a teen to be a sex symbol? Are these 16 year old girls allowed to pose nude or be scantily dressed in adult clothing? Are they, at this age, responsible enough to be ogled and judged by (often much older) gentlemen (and women) while maintaining confidence and a realistic grasp on life as a teenager?

What about the startling increase in cases of pedophilia globally? Is a 16 year old sex symbol not fueling the disorder? The modeling and fashion industries seem wrought with very adult issues, much more pressure than the already tricky high school issues typical teenagers face daily. Can a teenager at ages 13, 14, 15, 16…17 even, handle these problems while still maintaining the innocence of childhood? Or are they forced into premature adulthood? Parents often live vicariously through their children and are more that elated to have daughters involved in the glitzy world of glamour; often oblivious to the potential long-term harmful effects this may have.

What can be done in an industry where your best years have already passed at age 20? Does being a fashion model automatically mean you are a sex symbol or is it just art? And is a 13, 14, 16 year old sex symbol model any different from a teen actress? The Miley Cyrus ‘scandal’ has brought the issue of teen sex symbols to the fore in recent times. Teen models and actresses are no new phenomena, so what is the secret behind those who seem to be able to separate the very adult world from their personal life..and even when this is successfully done, is it still right? When is young too young to be a sex symbol?

Here are some of the comments I got about the topic:

Nykkiicia WordPlay Cion

Many youngsters get involved in competition such as this and it’s ultimately the parents’ choice whether or not to allow them to do so. I may agree where the clothes she is required to wear are concerned but because she is 13 doesn’t mean she’ll end up a sexed up, drugged out anorexic! Simply being at school in today’s society is a risk since there are overwhelming pressures there to have sex and be thin and ‘fabulous’. Why not just home school all our children??? I believe if the parents are there for every step of the journey she is about take, she will be just fine - her biggest risk is the type of parents she has.

Rees Hines

I think the main difference between kids now and as 15 years ago is that they grow up way too fast. Children are exposed to too much too fast and somewhere along the line forget to enjoy being a kid. Looking at the picture, I think it’s too much, however i agree that it is ultimately the parent’s choice. If her parents see nothing wrong with it then we can only hope that she is mature enough to deal with the adult issues this competition brings. Personally, if it was my 13 year old it would be a cold day in hell before she’d be doing that competition.

Peter Wright

Isn’t this soft child porn? I don’t know what goes through people’s mind but if I were an agency, I wouldn’t be putting a teenager so young in a bikini and letting her model… the pedophiles must love this.

What are your views on the issue?