According to research conducted by Lego Group in 36 nations around the world, little girls are warning a societal pressure to be perfect and they think that adults are more inclined to enhance the creativity of male children.
The Billund company, which makes inclusiveness one of its main missions, interviewed over 61,500 parents and children aged between 5 and 12.
It emerged that girls’ confidence in their creative abilities already at the age of 5 “It’s starting to get compromised”.
76% of 5 year olds interviewed feel confident in their creativity. But this trust decreases during growth: two-thirds of girls who participated in the survey often they are afraid to share their ideas.
Added to all this is the feeling of having to be perfect and, consequently, the anxiety of making mistakes that assails 72% of the girls involved in the research. Parents have noticed these critical issues: 71% of those interviewed say that “girls are more likely to hide the development of their ideas due to these pressures”.
Although perfectionism and fear of making mistakes are common concerns for all children, regardless of their gender, 68% of participants in the survey commissioned by Lego agreed that females worry more about making mistakes than males.
The study in question also shows how everyday language has a profound effect on the expressive and creative freedom of girls. Almost two thirds of the interviewees, always aged between 5 and 12, say that adults use words towards them that fuel the pressure towards perfection.
Research commissioned by the Lego Group highlighted that terms such as “sweet”, “cute”, “adorable” and “beautiful” have approximately 7 times more likely to be attributed exclusively to girls. While terms like “brave,” “mythical,” “genius” and “innovative” are twice as likely to be attributed exclusively to children.
Precisely to underline the effect that language can have on girls’ self-esteem, the Lego Group produced a short film entitled “More Than Perfect” in which some girls face two different challenges and are confronted with some of the findings of global research. It is a work that aims to highlight the reflections expressed by the girls on the data collected and the reactions of their parents.
“In a world increasingly driven by artificial intelligence, the creativity of Lego play, whether free-building or instruction-based, helps develop essential skills that are equally relevant to all children in today’s world,” he explained. Alero Akuya, VP of Global Brand at the Lego Group -. And that’s key, because when girls have the space and freedom to fully express themselves, they are unstoppable. They are playful ideators, curious scientists, bold dreamers and courageous adventurers – and that’s exactly what our movement celebrates.”
Furthermore, to support female creativity, the Lego Group is launching a major campaign of which it will be part a series of free creative workshops available on the official Lego website and aimed at young creators aged between 6 and 12.