As part of a two-year deal with the Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe, the Dove Self-Esteem Project has released a new short film, titled “Competing and Comparing Looks,” offering a confidence-boosting message to young people.
In the film, Smoky Quartz and Sardonyx chat about their totally different, but equally amazing, bodies – reminding us that we’re all beautiful and unique. The short film is the second in a series of six co-created with the Cartoon Network to address some of the biggest barriers to self-esteem and body-confidence among kids. Additionally, the Crystal Gems, along with some friends, continue the conversation in a self-esteem song, titled “We Deserve to Shine.”
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A child’s concept of what an “ideal appearance” looks like is influenced by what they see on-screen. Research shows that children’s media can be a powerful source of influence on young viewers’ emotional intelligence, creating more positive attitudes towards their own health and others. For kids who spend an average of 2 hours and 19 minutes every day on screen media, this is a harsh reality that can yield negative impacts like low self-esteem and body confidence.
Using a public health intervention model, the Dove Self-Esteem Project is expanding beyond structured workshops delivered by adults to taking educational content direct to young people in a medium they know and love – cartoons. Inspiring young people through animation, the partnership with Steven Universe will help further educate young people on self-esteem and body confidence through the cartoon’s themes of inclusivity and empowerment, world and characters.
Dove has a long-standing commitment to creating a world where beauty is a source of confidence, and not anxiety. The Dove Self-Esteem Project, started in 2004, helps women develop a positive relationship with the way they look so they are not held back by appearance-related concerns and anxiety, allowing them to realize their full potential.
So far, they’ve reached the lives of over 20 million young people across 138 countries, making the Self-Esteem Project one of the largest providers of body confidence education in the world.
Sometimes, a young girl saying “I’m fine” doesn’t tell the whole story. Download the DoveDove Self Esteem Project resources to help them speak their minds.
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