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As girls struggle with self-confidence between the ages of 10 and 12, their interest in science and math can plummet.
A commercial by Always that ran during the Super Bowl has drawn attention to girls’ plummeting confidence during puberty. The advertisement, which first appeared online last summer, poses the question: “What does it look like to do something like a girl?” Adults and boys are asked to run, fight, and throw “like a girl.” Their responses are compared to that of young girls. Unlike the adults and boys, the pre-pubescent girls believe “like a girl” is synonymous with strength and confidence.
Always #LikeAGirl commercial
But the ad shows that as girls grow older, doing something “like a girl” stops meaning strength and confidence. And low self-confidence can have an impact in many arenas, including the classroom.
According to a study by vocational psychologists at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, young girls’ success at math and science has less to do with their interest in the subjects, and more to do with how much teachers and parents motivate them. UWM professor Nadya Fouad, who conducted the study, found that while interest is a factor, more attention should be paid to young girls’ confidence in their abilities. Foudad believes that if young girls feel they can succeed in math and science, the resulting confidence will feed their interest.
Ava Mokhtari, a female student getting a master’s degree at the Boston University School of Medicine, found inspiration to go into science because her parents encouraged her from a young age.
“Family expectations can play a significant role in directing a woman towards or away from science,” said Mokhtari, whose older sister is also pursuing medicine at Stanford University. “My mom and dad always empowered me to follow my dreams just like my brother.”
But Mokhtari says that's not always the case. She says many of her capable peers lacked inspiration and encouragement to pursue fields within STEM.
University of Michigan professor Eileen Pollack, who was not part of the study but has conducted extensive research on women in science, says that young women lose confidence in middle school when pressures to be popular first hit. This coincides with the time when American students of both genders realize that if they do well in science and math, they will be stigmatized as nerdy. As a result, when young women start to make decisions on their coursework for high school, and what path to take after graduation, science and math are often unpopular choices.
“No one is encouraging young women to pursue careers in STEM,” Pollack said. “In fact, [young women] are receiving subtle signs that they're not welcome in these fields, that no one in math or science looks the way they look, or like the girls and women they see on TV or in magazines.” Furthermore, Pollack says, girls often feel isolated when joining all-male computer or robotics clubs.
“It's so important that women continue to be included in the discussions and problem solving needed in science because they bring a perspective that men simply cannot,” said Mokhtari.
During the Super Bowl—a day that glorifies masculine strength—Always brings to our attention what female strength means and how it can be diminished. The message makes viewers think about how boosting self-confidence in their friends, sisters, daughters, and granddaughters could impact these young women in the classroom and well beyond.