Nine-year-old Caitlin McDermott told a reporter: "We don't need men. We girls can do what we feel. We girls are as strong as boys. Girls can stand on their own feet."

An 11-year-old told Monica Hesse of The Washington Post: "We have more rights than other women around the world and we should use our rights to help others"

Another 11-year-old named Gabby Cano said: "Please stop polluting. We only have one world."

But it wasn't all serious business at the Tween Summit. Attendees were exposed to video games like "Charm Girls Club," made by conference sponsor Electronic Arts. Hesse writes:

The players frantically wave a Wii remote at the screen, where gorgeous avatars are busy styling their hair. The winner is the player who teases the virtual locks into the highest bouffant.

Empowering! Other sponsors included PBteen, Disney Book Group and Dove Go Fresh.

Plus, USA Today reports that the exhibit hall "had a definite tween flair, with lots of pink and purple balloons, a gaming lounge and pale pink sofas." Because you simply can't have a Tween Summit without pink sofas! Duh!

It's true that tweens are plugged in — a YouthTrends survey shows that 39% of girls played a game on a video game system in the past week, and 29% of girls gave product advice to parents in the last week — but that doesn't mean that tweens are frazzled. As Perri Klass writes for The New York Times (after speaking with Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington who is studying children and the media): "Parents are digital immigrants… children are digital natives."

Luckily, you get the idea that the positives outweigh any negatives. The Youth Trends survey shows that 52% of girls have read a book for fun in the past week. And when Monica Hesse from WaPo asked about sexting, a 14-year-old named Angelique Gaston said, "Ew," and then proclaimed: "That isn't what we're doing. The media bases ev-er-y-thing on sexuality."

A Summit For Tweens: It's All About Empowering Girls [USA Today]
At Girls' Summit, An Image Betwixt And Be Tween [WaPo]
18 And Under: Texting, Surfing, Studying [NY Times]

Please note that when I talk about a "witchcraft phase," I'm referring to the period wherein tweens decided to "be witches" for a few months. It has nothing to do with actual Wicca, or the legitimate practice of the Wiccan religion; it's based solely on Hollywood stereotypes of witchcraft and the idea that we can suddenly become legitimate witches just by slipping on a pentagram from Claire's and lighting a scented candle. Many of us, myself included, went through this Faux Coven phase. When you're twelve years old and a bit lost, there is something quite powerful in this notion; though your parents seem to control your life and your classmates seem to overlook you, you can still connect with something deeper and dangerous in the comfort of your own home, surrounded by your best friends and a bag of Chewy Chips Ahoy.

The sleepover party is the center of all things fake witchcraft; my friends and I never actually took the time to research or practice Wicca the way it is meant to be practiced, mostly because we were 12 and simply into "making things happen," which essentially meant lifting our friends up off the ground while pretending our "Light As A Feather" chants were working, lighting special candles and making wishes, and playing with the Ouija board for about 4 seconds before we freaked out and put it away—not because we didn't believe in it, we argued, but because we knew how powerful a tool it was and we just didn't want to mess with it.

We made love potions out of various creams and perfumes and slathered them on before going to school, where we most likely drove our fellow classmates away by smelling like a rose-vanilla-lavender-jasmine mess, and we completely fudged our way through tarot card readings, making sure our dreams would come true ("You are going to marry David Bowie when you are 48") by neglecting to actually learn to read the cards properly. Eventually, our terrible run as fake witches faded out, and we moved on to other things.

By the time The Craft hit the scene, I was 15 and scoffed at the eleven year olds who were calling the corners while drinking Capri-Suns on the playground. Secretly, I was a bit jealous, because they were still in the realm of make believe; the place where they could scream, "I made that leaf move!" after shouting, "Move, leaf, do as I say" for twenty minutes in a row. For a while, they'd get to rule the universe, until the novelty wore off and they were forced to face an uncertain world again.

Of course, as I grew older I began to understand the deeper historical and sociological connections between women and witchcraft and was clearly able to differentiate between Hollywood witches and legitimate Wicca, and looking back, I laugh at my failed attempts to put a spell on Bobby Taylor in 1993. But I wouldn't trade my dumb fake coven days for anything, as they taught me to believe, if nothing else, in the power of my friends and our abilities to create a world outside of our own. Sure, we never actually made anything happen, but we had a lot of fun imagining a place where we could make anything we wanted come true, and that kind of confidence lasts, even after the candles go out and all of the magic dust is washed away.

Bush Officials Objected To Awarding Medal To JK Rowling Because Harry Potter Books Promote Witchcraft [ThinkProgress]

This smattering of diary entries come from around the country — and from across the globe. The ages are as varied as the experiences: Some girls were happy-go-lucky TV-watchers; some were dealing with overwhelming emotions and desires. Dating, depression, disease, dilemmas — it's all here. Throw in celebrity crushes and Snoopy notebook paper, and you've got an amazing gallery, which begins below.

Year: 1998
Commenter: Skellatrix
I hardly wrote, so when I did, it was all "important" stuff. I love the fact that at the beginning of April vacation this little "crisis" is SUCH a big fucking deal, but by the end I was completely over it - and felt the need to include an addendum, so future Me wouldn't get the wrong idea. Hey! I was sixteen, so I had some self-awareness.
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Year: 1998
Commenter: Skellatrix
Also, for your consideration: the three-and-a-half page analysis of an awkward, limp high-five that ultimately concludes with "I dunno, I don't give a fuck."
(Skellatrix cont.) And no, I never ended up dating this poor boy.
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Name: Sandy
Year: 1984
Age:20

Commenter: Darbyoshea
Here is a CLASSIC two-page entry detailing my entire (very) early sexual history (i.e. first kisses, "his hands on my butt!!!" etc). Last names have been redacted and my dignity is officially squashed, even having revisited this old old diary. It's from about 1994, let's say, when I was in seventh grade in Indiana. There is an incident on a horse and another on a trampoline. Hooray, rural youth.
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Name: Nita
A page from my third grade diary!

Name: C.
Here's a page from my old diary, or rather a typical excerpt. This was from my senior year in high school, 2004. Hope you gals like it!
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Name: N.
I'm attaching three pages of my old diary, written from ages 11-17 (ending on the day I graduated high school). 
The first two (journal1 and journal2) and one entry— written just before I turned 16 and just after I was diagnosed with cancer.  Whenever I look back at old entries, it really shocks me how un-self-aware I was, but these two pages seem to be the opposite and were surprisingly poignant. 

(N.'s journal, cont.)

(N., cont) 
I'm not really sure if that fits with the light-hearted feel of the diary idea, so I'm attaching one more page, written at age 12, an entry deliciously horrible.  I went a little 1985 on it and erased names because I had this lovely habit of writing everyone's first AND last names.  "Why are bitches ever born?"  Why, indeed.

Name: Cara
Date: May 05
Age: 16
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Commenter: Wooden_shoes
I distinctly remember watching the start of the Persian Gulf War on the television, I remember being pissed off because it was right around my birthday. 

Commenter: Etoiles
As sad as it is to say, this is one of the least embarrassing journal pages I could find. I wasn't the Gossip Diarist; I was the Pretentious Knowledge-Seeker going after Deep Truths and so on.

I started journaling heavily when I was 14, barely into my high school freshman year. I was full of that teenage sense that I WAS BRILLIANT AND THE WORLD WAS STUPID. I suppose, in a way, that we're all kind of right... the world, it turns out, is stupid. But alas, none of us is brilliant at 14.

Anyway, this page is from the summer I was 16, and would have been right around the time I was wrapping up my sophomore year of high school. (I started to transition into the me I think of myself as being now about two months after I wrote this page.) Usually my penmanship is impeccable, and has been since third grade; sloppy handwriting is always a sign that words were simply *bursting* forth and that I wanted my future self to remember how excited I was. Because yes, I was like that, too.
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Name: Michele
Year: 1979
I was 12

Name: Michele
Year: 1984
I was 16.

Name: Candace
Year: 1997
I was 12

Name: Candace
Year: 1999
I was 14
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Name: Susan

OK, this is so embarrassing. It's a 1980 entry from my 1975 diary.

1. I'd been kissed twice; once as part of a play, and once by Greg.
2. Greg is not so nice. You would not like him.
3. "I've just begun to really understand how petty everything was"?
4. There is no second page anywhere. I just quit writing. The story ends like this: "and accidentally got on the High School bus, got laughed at, and was delivered to school crying by my harassed mother."

(click "full size" to enlarge)

Commenter: Spamanda
The is from 1993, I was about 15, and it was after my first "real" make-out session with my boyfriend. Good times. I especially like the pink ink. That's classy. Shows just how grown-up I really was.
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Commenter: Spamanda
This is from 1997, when I was 19 and in a very serious relationship (that ended shortly after this journal entry). I wrote pages and pages about how worried I was about being pregnant, but this one sums it up quite well. Even now, looking back, this was such a turning point in my life.
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Commenter: Thatgirlmay
This page comes from my diary I started in 4th grade. It was May of 1994 and was 11 when I wrote this entry. Oh, and Joey and I never made it to "Might Ducks 2" because he stood me up! Oh the 11 year old drama.

Commenter: bleedingmouths
Diary 1 - Age 14, 1998. worth looking at for my daily Top 5 lists. still a huge fan of black pens. Also good for the hearts at the bottom. KM's first love should be evident- BSB. Backstreet Boys, alright?

Commenter: bleedingmouths
Diary 2 - Age 15, 1998. Good teenage dream, contrasted with good punk lyrics... happy future thoughts!

Commenter: bleedingmouths
Diary 3 - Age 16, 2000. Hair experiments, lots of hearts, good fox

Commenter: bleedingmouths
Diary 4- Age 17, 2000. I think it's worth introducing people to the concept of Satan's Crown and its relationship-centric Underpants of Betrayal cousin.

Commenter: saintestella
This page was written in November of 1997, shortly before I turned 12 years old.
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Name: Carolyn
This was written in 1995. I was 14 years old. I was writing about my first ever boyfriend. I was pretty much obsessed with him for a few years.
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Name: Andrea
Hi! I've attached a page from my diary from January 16th, 1987 from my Hello Kitty diary. I was 11 years old and in 6th grade. What strikes me about this entry is this is right around the time I started puberty and was gaining miniscule amounts of weight due to puberty. I was by no means fat, but my 11 year old mind sure thought I was. You can see in somewhat different (I assume a couple years later?) I commented on the page, "I'm fat, okay?" Heart breaking. And obviously a little boy crazy :)
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Commenter: Lolita Hazed
This is from junior year finals! I was 17 when I wrote this and it was 2008.

Name: Luan
Year: 1993
Age at time: 7
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Commenter: ♥Anti-SocialSocialite♥
I wrote this rap in my diary when I was 15. Way back then, in 2002, I had elaborate aspirations of becoming a singing, rapping, dancing, writing, improving, acting dynamo. Of course, all that time spent independently training to become a dynamo affected my grades and my parents were none too pleased. In the most teenaged tantrum of all time, the most powerful of protests, I wrote "The Teenage Girl Rap" to vent my frustrations. Backed by a preset Casio keyboard hip hop beat, I rapped and sang my heart out to my mom and dad, sure that this song, the fruit of my frustrations would be the one the catapult me to stardom. AND BOY WOULD THEY BE SORRY THEY EVER DOUBTED ME. 7 years later, I'm a writer, still do improv, a college student, and a dynamo in my own way. I haven't rapped in 7 years - and from the crude self-made recordings I've since relived, I probably never should have.
(click "full size" to enlarge)

Name: Lauren
Here are two page scans from a diary I kept from age seven to age 15.  I wrote the entries when I was eight; they describe the same experience, only I crossed out/edited the first entry, I think because I was embarrassed (I recall having been embarrassed, but also a little pleased).

Name: Claire
This isn't exactly a journal entry, but I glued it into my journal, so I feel like it almost qualifies.  The story that inspired this page is a relatively common one- I fell in love with a boy who had a girlfriend. We dated our freshman year of high school, broke up terribly (as most 15 year old's relationships do), and hated each other for the rest of high school. But one night at a choir retreat second semester of senior year, we stayed up all night talking and fell in love. It was February of this year & I was 17. He wouldn't leave his girlfriend, so I moved on. This journal page is a doodle. I scribble song lyrics when I'm bored, and as he was on my mind all the time, this page is all about songs that remind me of him. He broke my heart, but it was worth it. I have this page to remind me how deep I can feel and how I deserve someone so much better.
 

Commenter: Bunnya69
Year: 1990
Age: 19 (at the time this was written; I turned 20 in October of that year)
I wish I could find my diaries from the early 80s, when I was a pre-teen/teenager, but all I could locate were ones from the 90s. I decided to scan an entry from 1990 because all of the other journals that year discuss my marriage to my first husband, and we don't want to go there.

I chose this entry as it demonstrates how yummy Christian Slater was when he hit the scene.

Name: Emily
These scans come from a diary I kept in Kindergarten and first grade in a red, 1-subject Mead notebook. This was the year before I received a "proper" diary.
 
Some history: I mostly wrote about what I watched on TV and what I ate. I was a big Jem and MTV fan. The second entry was written after a birthday party at a local Chuck E. Cheese style establishment, which later became the site of my first job in high school. I love how it captures the '80s zeitgeist so well, with the jelly bracelets and Solid Gold and Tiffany.

Name: Holly
I was 12 years old when i wrote this. The Gareth i am referring to was Gareth Gates from the TV programme 'Popstars'.  As my 12 year old self would say, *cringe*.  My eyebrows were a big concern in my early teenage years until my mum let me pluck them when i was 14.  When she looks at old pictures of me she tells me she wishes she let me do it earlier.

Name: Dodai
Year: 1987
I was almost 15 and extremely existential/pretentious. The next couple of pages go on and on about Prince, Howard Jones, David Bowie, being "phony" etc. etc. etc. Mentions of Bruce Willis and Moonlighting are included.

Name: Dodai
Year: 1987
I had a crush on this Colombian kid named Glen in my biology class. His eyes were a particular shade of green/blue I called "pastel aqua." Years later at my high school reunion, we made out.

Commenter: Haguenite
As you can see, this entry was written May 27th 1999 (I was 16) at 10:46 PM. During this period, I watched Heartbreak High (Australian high school series) religiously, and I was madly in love with Drazic. That's him on the page at right. And because I know most Jezebels don't speak Dutch, a translation:
Dear diary,
The weather is great and we only have class for 4 more weeks. Can't beat that, can you? I'm doing my homework on a bench in the sun or in the hammock in the shade.
Today we went on a family picnic, and there is my summer feeling! Now fingers crossed the weather stays this way. I think that'd be quite comfy, really.
I can't believe summer vacation is almost here! Delicious!
On top of all this, I've also finally gotten over my crush. His blue eyes are still beautiful though.
In short, I quite happy, but also quite tired so... Au Revoir!

I was not a very interesting teen.

Commenter: Mmmmkay (gellin and jezebellin)
Here are some select pages from my 4th grade diary, circa 1991; I was 9 years old. I think they are hilarious and I hope you do too! Some things to note -

- "Matt" was my childhood crush/obsession and the crush of every girl I grew up with, he is now married to one of my best friends

- "Candace" appears over and over again though I never thought of her a best friend, she was clearly more important to me than I thought she was or wanted to remember?! fun fact - my mom ran in to her mom recently and told her I'm with a girl now, Candace's mom said "ohh Candace did that lesbian thing in college, don't worry about it."

- "Peggy" was our live in housekeeper/nanny and I was very close to her but was also very self righteous about drugs etc at that age.. oh if I only knew what I'd get into as a big girl

- It was a Precious Moments diary, hence the bible verse at the beginning. I was pretty religious growing up, hence the semi-holier than thou tone (accusing the girl on my soccer team of being immodest??!!) and talk of the Christmas "pagent," I went to an Episcopal school from nursery school - 12th grade. the "first king" refers to the 1st one in the procession of The 3 Kings.. I even played the Virgin Mary the next year as a 5th grader!

- all this took place in South Orange County, CA

If you've seen Toddlers & Tiaras, you already know the deal: Makeup, fake tans, elaborate coifs.

According to Eleanor:

The programme itself follows three contestants, Madison, Sasha and Tyla. Each is desperate, (or rather, they are told they are desperate) to win the title.

Tyla, however, blew Madison right out of the water. Also nine, she is the youngest girl in Britain to wear contact lenses (glasses are, of course, ugly), she has highlights in her hair, and, aged seven, had plastic surgery.

Yes, apparently Tyla's ears stuck out, and had to be changed. In the clip below, you can witness the tone of the documentary, which certainly does its best to paint the contestants — and the mothers, for no fathers are pictured — in a negative light. There's more where this came from on YouTube.

As the little girls prepare for the pageant, there's no joy, no laugther, no "child"-like giddiness. Just tons of makeup. One contestant's mother says, "They remind me of little drag queens, really."

In addition to this new documentary, there's a new book from PowerHouse called High Glitz, featuring portraits of child pageant contestants. The photographs debuted earlier this year at a gallery in The Netherlands.

While the pageant culture is looked upon with a mix of fascination and disdain, blogger Eleanor (who is a "is a 17-year-old feminist from Edinburgh") is also worried. She writes:

It broke my heart to think of these children (none of whom won) as they left the venue. At an age where my biggest body hang up was wondering when my next tooth would come out, what would these girls now think of themselves? That they were ugly? Or indeed, that it mattered? That they were worthless, because their only ‘talent' had been beauty, and they had failed at it? Which would grow up to suffer from eating disorders, (which are affecting younger and younger children), or to believe that fake tans and plastered-on smiles are more important than intelligence, wit, compassion and love?

Well, we can only hope that these baby beauty queens will turn out okay — and that just like other American stuff which washes up on on distant shores — McDonald's; Coca-Cola; Madonna — pageants won't be taken too seriously by too many.

Baby Beauty Queens [The F Word]
Baby Beauty Queens [YouTube]
High Glitz [PowerHouse books]

I was a very avid journal keeper, but don't seem to have many of the early ones. Still: I was prolific. My mom has a few, and in my bookcase I counted 33 journals (from various years). The one above, has, yes, a silver unicorn on it. And here's what I drew on the inside cover:





It was the mid-'80s. I was 12, going on 13. And heavily influenced by Miami Vice, Desperately Seeking Susan and Valley Girl.


Inside? Well, paging through, all these years later, felt really odd. I read lots of gossip about people I can barely remember. So-and-so was being a bitch; whatshername was seen holding some guy's hand; someone snuck out of the house and went to third base. There were parties, movies and homework. There were intricate social structures. Everything the older kids (9th graders!) did seemed so mysterious, and college seemed ages away. It seemed like I had a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, and a fair amount of sass — plus the strange urge to write it all down.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Send us a page from your old diary. A clear photograph or a scan would work best, and please make sure the image is no smaller than 500 pixels wide. Much like our Past Fashion galleries, we'll collect them all and display them. The post will go up next month, so send images to photos@jezebel.com by Friday, August 21. Please include your name (or commenter name), the year the diary was written, and how old you were when you wrote your salacious gossip.

The Amy Diary [Shameless]
The Amy Diary

[Lead image via The Amy Diary]

When the story hit USWeekly's site, the commenters came out in force to announce their hatred for Miley and to warn Nick to run from her "slutty" ways:

2:47 PM Anonymous Says:
She is pathetic- way to dump one & move on to the next. Justin is much better off without a tramp like you.
Please remind me why girls look up to her. She is UGLY and ANNOYING!

10:33 PM Old School Woman Says:
I have to agree with some of the posts here. She is another DISNEY talent that shows she is nothing but a S*UT! I fault her parents. What parent in their right mind allows a 15 year old CHILD to date a 20 year old MAN! She didn't dump him, he dumped her. She was no longer of any value to his GOALS as a celebrity. Also, they probably had NOTHING in common being that he is 20 and when they first dated she was 15! Does the word PEDOPHILE come to mind. She is no longer of any use to him. He got his 15 minutes of fame and will receive more because now the media will follow him around to get his take on the breakup. He will spew all about their personal relationship to the tabloids to make his money. What idiots the parents where to condone this relationship. He will probably talk about their personal lives too! Now Miley wants to go back to protecting her image by being with the cellibate Jonas brother! Give me a break. Miley you got USED! Deal with it!

I suspect that several of these "anonymous" commenters were fans of the Jonas Brothers who didn't want to see their imaginary boyfriend hook up with Hannah Montana. But sadly, I also think there were several adults on the site who, for some reason or another, seem to think that a 16-year-old who—gasp—dares to split from her boyfriend and "reconnect" with another boy is a total slutbag who should be shunned, Hester Prynne-style, for even daring to associate herself with more than one man before someone puts a ring on her finger.

There has always been an obsession with youth in this country; the weird fascination with teen starlets is really nothing new. And it can easily be argued that the public's obsession with Miley's sex life (as well as the sex lives of the Jonas Brothers) can be traced to the Disney "purity ring" marketing machine, which pushes sexualized images of children while attempting to rectify the situation by insisting that none of their stars are sexually active whatsoever. It's totally okay to sell sex, you see, as long as you aren't having it.

The vitriol spewed at Miley Cyrus is all too familiar: Britney Spears' career began flailing soon after her breakup with Justin Timberlake, and even now, years later, whenever Britney hits a rough patch, people seem to expect Justin to come to the rescue. It's a very peculiar setup: we, as a society, expect famous teenagers to remain teenagers forever, and we expect their relationships to stand the test of time, which is a pretty unfair burden to put on kids, as I'm pretty sure none of us would want to be stopped on the street and asked embarrassing questions about our boyfriend or girlfriend from 9th grade.

I have admitted in the past that I hate the Disney machine and what it does to young girls, and though I often find myself annoyed by Miley Cyrus (and most of that annoyance is aimed at the machine behind her, including Disney and her parents) I think this particular incident, especially the vitriol being thrown at Miley, for daring to date around and—gasp—perhaps even have sex, compared to the "protective" comments being geared toward Nick, just shows how these young women are being set up to fall, hard, just for going through the normal transition from being a teenager to being an adult. At least one commenter had Miley's back:

8:03 PM Becky Says:

I cannot believe some of you people! How can you call a girl you have never even met, and who, as far as I know, has never had a sexcapade flaunted over the rag mags, a slut? She seems like a fairly well-adjusted teenager to me. What exactly makes her a slut? Her dating an older man? My husband is four years older than me, yet no one blinks an eye at that. Or is it that she has a nose ring? Oh no! Self-expression!!! Bless my buttons and call the exorcist! Or maybe her dating an ex again makes her slutty...have none of you gone from one boy to the next quite quickly when you were teenagers? You people are pathetic.

Amen, Becky. Bless my buttons and call the exorcist, indeed.

Miley Cyrus: Nick Jonas And I Have "Reconnected" [USWeekly]
Earlier: That's Enough, Disney Girls

"Noah Lindsey Cyrus & Emily Grace Reaves, with Emily's dog Bunny, pose for the cameras at Brittany Curran's Retro 50's Poolside Bash on Saturday, May 30 in Burbank sporting Juicy Couture vintage bathing suits. The two friends filmed an episode of their Noei and Ems Show at the party. So pretty!"

The birthday girl in question — Ms. Curran, an actress — is 19 years old. Why were an eight-year-old and a nine-year-old photographed in swimsuits going to her party? Clearly the goal is to get Noie and Emily — who have their own show on YouTube — publicity, visibility, a fan following and press in the tween mags. (And, as a former editor at a tween mag, I'm sure it worked.) The photo credit on these images is someone named Terri Tex, who happens to be Emily's publicist. (Emily, who was in Hannah Montana: The Movie also has a foundation to promote.) But are there dangers in exposing these young'uns to magazines and gossip websites so early? Here are some comments from ONTD and the source site, Ocean Up:

The observant:

lol i don't even wear that much eyeliner. creeptastic.

The rage-y:

WHY ARE THOSE CHILDREN POSING LIKE THAT?!?!

Also, GET THAT RED BULL OUT OF THAT CHILD'S MOUTH.

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST PEOPLE, BE PARENTS TO YOUR CHILDREN.

The living-in-denial:

are these little girls wearing makeup and carrying handbags? seriously? is this a fucking joke?

The apathetic:

what the fuck is this shit, seriously, no one cares about a couple of 7 year olds that will be jaded as fuck in 4 years

The (possibly) creepy:

woah noahs gonna have mileys gooorgeous long legs

The cruel:

the girl on the right has faT THIES.

when they grow up theyre gonna be so stuck up and probs sluts. no offense yeah yeah i know their only like 7 but im just stating the facts

The concerned:

That's disgusting, who lets a nine-year-old wear that much make-up and parade around in a bathing suit while posing like she's on the cover of Sports Illustrated? The only people who would appreciate these pictures are the idiots who put their kids in beauty pageants and pedophiles. Take the red bull away from that girl and send these two to play in the kiddie pool like NORMAL nine-years-olds! I have a nine year old daughter of my own and I just find this sad, thank goodness my child isn't growing up in L.A.

Ah, yes, thank goodness. Because every child who lives in L.A. is required to walk the red carpet barely dressed!

This Is Exactly What You Think It Is ... ISH MILEY'S SISTA [ONTD]
Noah Cyrus AND Emily Grace Reaves JUICY COUTURE Bathing BEAUTIES [Ocean Up]

Caroline Ryder of the Los Angeles Times explores the sartorial shift, noting that for many tweens, a need for stylish clothing is balanced with a desire for comfort and the need to please their parents. "Today's tweens want to please their parents, which may have a lot to do with the sweet 'n' sensible styles they're opting for," Ryder writes. An ever-narrowing generation gap between the kids and their parents is thought to be the reasoning behind this shift. ""Every piece of research we have done has shown that the generation gap is closing," Gould says. "Girls and boys truly look to their parents for second opinions, and they want to make sure they are doing what their parents feel is appropriate for them," Jane Gould, vice president of Consumer Insights for Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, tells Ryder, "Kids tell us overwhelmingly that family is the most important thing around them — it's no longer the 'us versus them' mind-set."

Ryder also points to the cultural influences of Hannah Montana and High School Musical, wherein the stars are dressed in the latest trends, but in a way that seems fairly innocuous and fun, as opposed to the "come and get me" fashions of the tween stars of our era: Britney, Christina, and the like. Yet not every influence is praised: the hellhole known as Abercrombie & Fitch is cited as "the chief enabler of precocious tween dressing," what with half-naked poster models, heaps of cologne flowing through the air ducts, and darkened stores providing a sexified shopping experience. "You walk into their stores and there are giant pictures of shirtless boys. Seven-year-olds will be shopping there, and yet it is kitted out like a nightclub: very dark with loud music and spotlights. These kids are totally overstimulated by the time they leave," says Kristen Taylor, a tween boutique owner who offers more age-appropriate clothing to her clients.

When I was a tween, my mother bought all of my clothes, so I didn't really have the chance to rebel too much. (I did, however, sneak Blue Razz-berry Blow Pops to school in order to give myself a gothy blue-lipped look. Shock me, shock me, shock me, with that deviant behavior!) My mother tried to be fair when it came to picking out clothes: fads were okay, as long as they were age-appropriate, and she allowed me to express myself through wacky accessories and shoes. It was more about dressing like a hip, fun little kid than dressing like a 25 year old on her way to the club, know what I'm sayin'? Whether or not this trend lasts, it's nice to know that kids are willing to be kids for just a little while longer. And that Blue Razz-berry Blow Pops are still for sale, for those of you interested in a kickass pair of gothy blue lips.

Tween Style Takes A Modest Turn [LATimes]

Mattel claims that while she looks older (she is supposed to be about 10), she's not wearing any makeup. But doesn't it look like someone's been in the mascara and lip gloss?

I always thought it was pretty cool that Dora wasn't uber "girly." Now she's traded her sneaks in for ballet slippers and added more ribbons, flowers and jewelry. Do these help at all with exploring?

Earlier: Breaking: The New Dora Has Been Spotted, Described
Doll Makeovers Are Not Child's Play

Be gorgeous . . . Be the goddess you were born to be!” The book has been marketed alongside a book for male tweens, called The Boys’ Book of Survival: How to Survive Anything, Anywhere. Calhoun says:

Girls are instructed to “accessorize fabulously.” Boys are taught to “survive an avalanche.” Girls are told how to “give yourself a mini-facial.” Boys are given instructions for making a dugout canoe. The major theme in the boy book: Be ready for anything! You’re a leader! (“How to Be a Good Leader,” p. 12) The girls’ theme: Be pretty! Also, friendly! (“How to Have the Best Manners,” p.81) And “jazz up” that “boring ponytail.”

As evidenced by Danica McKellar, girls aged 10-15 are very concerned with being attractive. There's no way around that. But McKellar is also spreading the message that being smart is more important. Naomi Bates, a YA Blogger and Librarian, is not as upset by The Girls Book of Glamour. In fact, Bates wrote in August:

My 12 year old daughter, Maddy, sadly to say, isn't a big reader. It takes a certain book to really hook her and I haven't seen this happen since she read Number the Stars a couple of months ago. Anyway, I got in this ARC and it has been sitting in my pile o'reading when she picked it up. A few minutes later, she comes rushing into the living room asking, "Mom, can I keep this book?" I believe this reaction will happen to MANY girls who pick this book up. Why? Simply, because there aren't a whole of books about the subject of girls and the girly things they are interested in. Want to know how to shiniest hair ever? How about having the prettiest summer feet? And let's not forget about the how to deal with zits! It's not about being a model - it's about being the prettiest girl you can possibly be.

I remember being that age, and yeah, I probably did want to know how to be the prettiest I could be. However, I would rather die than buy this sort of book for any of my future potential offspring. How do you handle the reality of the tween girl while still trying to convince her that her brain is more important than the shiny, shiny tresses on top of it?

Et Tu, Scholastic? [Babble]
The Girls' Book Of Glamour: A Guide To Being A Goddess [YA Books & More]

Well the school district doesn't really explain that, but the girls' lawyers are pretty peeved. Matthew King, who is representing the two families of the girls involved tells the CBS Morning Show, "There is an implied 'boys will be boys' sort of mentality here, where none of the boys who had these photos on their phones were ever punished. That's a problem, we feel."

Over at Nerve, Colleen Kane thinks that this is all part of "the grand old tradition of condemning the high school female slut but not other participants in the slutting, and adds, "We have a feeling that this is the kind of scandal that Europeans love to laugh at Americans for, for being so uptight about nudity in the first place."

Another compounding issue is that one of the girls allegedly took the photos of herself when she was 13, before she attended the high school, so, in that case, the argument is that those actions should not affect her standing at her current school. Early adolescents are going to test the boundaries of their sexuality and sexual expression whether their parents — or school districts — like it or not, and kicking these girls off the cheer squad seems to be an unfitting punishment for something that's not really a crime, but rather a stupid youthful mistake. As one of the girls' mother points out, "If she had been caught taking illegal drugs twice, she would not have been punished this severely. The school has arbitrarily taken away the one thing that my daughter loves most. She will never get that back again."

Cheerleaders' Nude Photos Spark Dispute [CBS News]
Nude High School Cheerleader Scandal Is Disturbing For A Few Reasons [Nerve]

In Bailon's case, the private photos were quite literally stolen off of her laptop. As in the case of Hudgens, the pictures were also intended for a boyfriend's eyes. As sins go, they're hardly shocking. But yes, to a little girl who's apparently based her life on the actions of a character on a Disney program, such a revelation is earth-shattering indeed. Says author Debra Beck , "Rather than saying, 'Can you believe that happened?', ask your child her opinion about this...Look at it as a learning opportunity, and let kids explore their own feelings about it without giving your opinion."

Or, why don't we look at it as an opportunity to ask why kids are so obsessed with these shows? As psychologist Lisa Medoff points out, "Tweens idolize celebs, but as long as they have other role models in their life exhibiting good behavior, it's not a worry." Well, yeah. Like so much, doesn't this come down to common sense rather than some kind of contrived damage control? Even so, this seems to be a powerful argument for cartoons. Say what you will, Belle and Ariel are hardly likely to pop up in compromising positions on the internet, nor is Princess Jasmine likely to give vent to foul-mouthed diatribes.

Can we also say, why are these children even aware of these sex scandals? Maybe that's naive, and I do realize the internet has been the death of wholesomeness as we knew it, and that I come from a time when we were just "kids," but doesn't supervision do quite a bit to keep a child's focus on the character, and off the actress — or at least TMZ's portrayal thereof? There has always been a stark divide between what teen idols did and how we saw them — Maureen McCormick's recent tell-all is a testament to that — but for older kids, surely there are worse things than explaining that an actress is older than who she plays; that Hollywood is a rough place; and that, in any case, these were intended to be kept between grown-ups "who love each other." Really, when you think about it, it's a pretty PG way to introduce a child to the sordid! And isn't that sort of the contradiction of the "tween" construct after all?

She Did What?! Vanessa Hudgens, Adrienne Bailon Not The Role Models Parents Want [New York Daily News]

Celebrities, fashion, hair, makeup, college, finances, love advice, dealing with social pressure and, of course, boys. What made CosmoGirl! different from, say, Seventeen, was its "EyeCandy" feature: Fold-out, locker-sized poster pages of shirtless hunks, often on posing on a beach. (Sounds smutty, but the guys almost always listed their favorite book as "the Bible.") And even though CosmoGirl! reveled in photos of bronzed, broad-chested dudes and tips about eyeliner, the magazine also had something called Project 2024, an initiative to encourage readers to think about a female president (ostensibly a CosmoGirl!reader) by the year 2024. Project 2024 included interviews with with successful people like Richard Branson, Martha Stewart and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (the current issue features congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney) as well as internship and career advice.

Though it entered the market at a time when the teen culture was booming, the newsstands were already crowded: J-14, Teen People, Seventeen and Teen were pulling readers, in addition to fanzines like Bop and Tiger Beat. (Later, CosmoGirl! would compete with ElleGirl and TeenVogue, launched in 2001 and 2003, respectively.)

But what CosmoGirl! always had going for it was its dead-on mix: The magazine was silly and serious, shallow and thoughtful, with eating disorder advice right next to guy quizzes, denim layouts and musings about religion. Because that's how teenage girls are: Seemingly at odds with themselves, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, unashamed to gawk at a barechested boy and dream about running the country.

CosmoGirl To Close [WWD]
Hearst Closes CosmoGirl [AdAge]
Hearst Closes CosmoGIRL! [Jossip]
Hearst Folds 'Cosmogirl' [Portƒolio]
‘CosmoGirl’ Folds [NY Mag]
Hearst closes CosmoGirl [Crain's]

Related: Atoosa, Former High School Loser, Is Hearst's New Cosmogirl Queen [Observer, 2000]

(Girls dreaming of the runway probably have no idea of the psychic toll or bleak economics for many models, just check out some posts written by our anonymous model, Tatiana.) But back to the survey: 29% of the girls picked actress. Only 14% picked scientist; 4% chose engineer. (Only 20% chose doctor.) Why is it that teens today would rather be someone who is gazed upon through a lens than someone who looks more closely at the world through a microscope? Dr. Alice Roberts, an archaeologist, has this theory: "I think that science is still sometimes seen as a dull subject which only a small number of people fully understand. The reality is that scientists are brilliant, creative people, and what could be more interesting than finding out about how the world works?" Ms. McKie agrees: "I love being a scientist. It is as challenging as it is rewarding and we should be showing girls what opportunities are out there for them."

Noise wants to see the media get involved, and prove there's more to life than aspiring to celebrity status. One in four of the teens say that science and engineering fields are not represented in the magazines and websites they read. Sure, sure. Blame the media. Or! Find a way to use the media.

So here's an idea: What if MTV created a reality show about young female scientists? What if these women were smart, interesting people who ended up in the tabloids, on the red carpets, on the pages of glossy magazines? Even though life shouldn't always be lived seeking the spotlight, wouldn't you feel better about those women making money than, say, Audrina Patridge? How else can we reverse this trend of teens aspiring to be objects upon which to gaze?

Girls Choosing Camera Lenses Over Microscopes [Guardian]
Earlier: Today's Teens Believe It's Better To Be Sexy Than Clever

I actually read this book in high school, and it was one of the few novels that I felt really captured adolescent angst from the female perspective, while all the while illuminating a bit of history. It seems that illustrating accurately the kernel of teenage frustration is what keeps books relevant years after their publication. What books would you suggest adding to the high school canon?

Does Catcher In The Rye Still Resonate With Teens [Minnesota Public Radio]

Because let's face it: The younger generation is fucked. Eight-year-old girls are getting pedicures and bikini waxes — won't these become life-long habits? Next come the boob job at 16 and lipo in the early 20s. Some people make fun of rappers for spending their money on cars and bling but at least you can try and pawn your diamonds, sell your Benz. What kind of investment is Botox? What kind of lessons are young girls learning when our culture focuses so much on looks? One can only imagine the psychological ramifications on today's young girls who are faced with padded bras, thongs and looking up to whitewashed or size 00 celebrities. And what of the young women who can't afford $100 a month in beauty products? Are they actually better off, in a way? (What are the chances they'll see it that way?)

This study was done in conjunction with the documentary America The Beautiful. It's so frustrating that this film is rated R when The Dark Knight is PG-13; meaning that millions of kids saw the Batman film when they really need to examine their priorities.

Don't get it twisted: It's fun to play with makeup and haircolor. For plenty of girls, it's not even about attracting the opposite sex. But the overwhelming focus this culture has been placing on looks has got to be damaging to the younger generation. (Don't forget: Girls today think being called sexy is the ultimate compliment.) It's clear that we need to make a change: How do we even begin?

Botox And Blush Obsession Seen As Cause For Alarm [Reuters]

Earlier: Waxing
Teen Girl Gets Lipo To "Prevent" Eating Disorder
How Many 8-Year-Olds Have To Get Bikini Waxes Before We All Agree The Terrorists Have Won?
Young Girls Today: Tramps In Training?
America The Beautiful Reveals Ugly Truths
Today's Teens Believe It's Better To Be Sexy Than Clever

[Photo via Megan* on Flickr.]