Last week, one of my daughters was sent this year’s Girls’ Attitudes Survey, which has been conducted for the last 14 years by Girlguiding. As the organisation explains: “Girlguiding gives girls and young women a platform to speak out on the issues that matter to them through the Girls’ Attitude Survey.”
The survey involved 2,000 girls and young women aged between seven and 21, who were asked a series of questions. Some of the participants were part of Girlguiding, some weren’t. The same core questions have been asked since the survey began in 2009, as well as a few additions.
I have two daughters within this age group, one 14 and the other 10 years old. I therefore had a personal interest in the results because I’m a dad, and I asked if I could read it with them. I also have a professional interest because I’m a storyteller, working in schools using storytelling for well-being and enhanced mental health.
In a nutshell, the survey shows that girls’ reported levels of happiness have steadily and dramatically declined over the last 14 years, now reaching an all-time low. Only 17 per cent of girls in the current survey said they are very happy, compared to 40 per cent in 2009.
Every age group has experienced a steep decline in reported happiness. The oldest age group is the least happy, but what also stands out is the steep decline amongst the youngest age group – the seven to 10-year-olds.
In 2009, 57 per cent of the younger group of girls reported being very happy, a clear majority. I’d expect this because, although younger children can of course experience worries, generally speaking this age is characterised as a more carefree and happier period. But something drastic has happened to change this. In the current survey, only 28 per cent of this youngest age group reported being very happy.
The other side of this has been a corresponding increase in anxiety. The survey reveals that 89 per cent report they feel generally worried or often anxious, and not good enough, and this is a significant increase from previous years.
What’s happening? It concerns me as a dad, of course, and many of the issues explored in the survey are ones my own daughters identify with. It reveals the huge pressures around physical looks, and the increased experiences of sexual harassment.
Sadly, the survey shows many girls and young women don’t feel safe, not in school, not on the street, and not even at home because social media can reach them there.
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I think it’s undeniable that social media plays a big part in all this, and I admit I have no answer to that. But I’m sure the steep decline in reported levels of happiness by the younger group is connected to the fact many children join the world of social media from the age of seven or eight, sometimes earlier.
I’m not making any judgement; my kids are the same. It has become seen as an essential space for most of us, including our children.
I admit there are huge benefits and I use it, too.
But the truth is so much social media is the exact opposite; it’s anti-social. It’s a perfect vehicle for bullies to reach their victims, and it’s awash with the toxicity of misogyny, which is often presented as humour, making it all the more insidious.
The survey also reveals just how many girls and young women feel they aren’t good enough. I think this is linked to the culture of misogynist and sexist stereotyping that feeds the idea that girls should aspire to look like the filter images on their phones, rather than celebrate being themselves. Influencers enhance this anxiety to monetise it. I know all these issues have been around for millennia, but it’s the booster effect of social media that has made society regress.
The survey isn’t all bad news, of course; it also reveals much about girls’ and young women’s strengths, resilience and aspirations. It shows their desire to do something about the environment and the cost-of-living crisis, that they see creativity as vital, and seek understanding of how to promote their well-being. They increasingly feel part of their communities and are volunteering and making a difference.
I’m a dad of four daughters and I think we really need to take on board the issues raised by the Girls’ Attitude Survey.
When I read the results and conclusions with my own school-age daughters, they deeply identified with the results and conclusions.
It’s a call for change, but also a recognition of the contributions of girls and young women from an organisation that has listened to their voices and given them agency.
It’s available online. If you have daughters, please take some time to read it.
In fact, even if you don’t have daughters, please read it. It’s the voice of 2,000 girls and young women. We all need to listen.
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