Supergirl Supergirl SyndromeSyndrome

Practically Perfect in Practically Perfect in Every Way?Every Way?

Youth Worker JournalYouth Worker Journal

Youth Culture LessonYouth Culture Lesson

What happenedWhat happened Jordan Wight, a Jordan Wight, a

senior at Alhambra senior at Alhambra High School in High School in California, is California, is “student body “student body president, captain of president, captain of the cross country and the cross country and track teams, and track teams, and homecoming queen,” homecoming queen,” according to the according to the Contra Costa TimesContra Costa Times. .

She is, the paper She is, the paper says, a “Supergirl.”says, a “Supergirl.”

Supergirls, such as Wight, don’t have Supergirls, such as Wight, don’t have super powers. Wight tells the paper her super powers. Wight tells the paper her only real “down time” comes during track only real “down time” comes during track practice. She’s not alone. “Other people practice. She’s not alone. “Other people are working just as hard as I am,” she says.are working just as hard as I am,” she says.

Youth are under Youth are under growing growing pressure to pressure to succeed in every succeed in every area of life— area of life— academically, academically, athletically, athletically, socially. Many socially. Many researchers researchers believe girls, in believe girls, in particular, are particular, are at risk.at risk.

Some girls feel Some girls feel pressured to be pressured to be everything to everything to everybody. everybody.

They must be smart. They must be smart.

They must be pretty. They must be pretty.

They must be sweet. They must be sweet.

They must be They must be athletic. athletic.

It’s what you might It’s what you might call “the Supergirl call “the Supergirl Syndrome.”Syndrome.”

Some of this is Some of this is because college because college admissions are admissions are growing ever more growing ever more competitive. The competitive. The University of University of California-Berkley, for California-Berkley, for instance, rejected instance, rejected hundreds of 2007 hundreds of 2007 applicants who had applicants who had 4.0 grade point 4.0 grade point averages in high averages in high school.school.

Pop culture— Pop culture— dominated by dominated by beautiful, beautiful, successful successful women who women who have it all and have it all and do it all—do it all—probably doesn’t probably doesn’t help, either, help, either, experts say.experts say.

You have to look a certain, narrowly You have to look a certain, narrowly defined way. You can’t be taking care of defined way. You can’t be taking care of family and friends, and studying all family and friends, and studying all night, and practicing all afternoon and night, and practicing all afternoon and looking relentlessly hot without giving up looking relentlessly hot without giving up sleep altogether. This is physically sleep altogether. This is physically impossible to do. Even more, impossible to do. Even more, psychologically, you’re living up to a psychologically, you’re living up to a false self.false self.

-- -- Stephen HinshawStephen Hinshaw, author , author of of The Triple Bind: Saving our Teenage The Triple Bind: Saving our Teenage Girls from Today’s PressuresGirls from Today’s Pressures

Talk Talk About It:About It:

Are girls under more pressure to be Are girls under more pressure to be “perfect” than boys? “perfect” than boys?

Do parents and teachers expect more Do parents and teachers expect more from females than they do from males? from females than they do from males?

Do girls expect Do girls expect more from more from themselves? themselves?

Do they get Do they get more upset than more upset than boys do if they boys do if they feel like they feel like they haven’t met haven’t met their own goals their own goals or expectations?or expectations?

Do boys expect Do boys expect girls to look and girls to look and behave a certain behave a certain way? way?

It’s important to It’s important to have goals and, have goals and, sometimes, to sometimes, to push yourself; but push yourself; but do you try to do do you try to do too much, or too much, or expect too much expect too much of yourself of yourself sometimes? sometimes?

How do you know How do you know when you’re when you’re stretched too far? stretched too far?

What’s the What’s the best way to best way to deal with deal with unrealistic unrealistic expectations? expectations?

Talking with Talking with your parents? your parents?

Friends? Friends? Praying about Praying about

it? it?

What the Bible saysWhat the Bible says ““Therefore I tell you, Therefore I tell you,

do not worry about do not worry about your life, what you your life, what you will eat or drink, or will eat or drink, or about your body, about your body, what you will wear. what you will wear. Is not life more Is not life more important than food, important than food, and the body more and the body more important than important than clothes?”clothes?”

(Matt. (Matt. 6:25)6:25)

““Man is a mere phantom as he Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: goes to and fro:

He bustles about, but only in vain;He bustles about, but only in vain;

He heaps up wealth, not knowing He heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.who will get it.

But now, Lord, what do I look for? But now, Lord, what do I look for?

My hope is in you.”My hope is in you.”

(Ps. 39:6-7)(Ps. 39:6-7)

““Do not love the world or anything Do not love the world or anything in the world … For everything in in the world … For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”the will of God lives forever.”

(1 John 2:15-17) (1 John 2:15-17)