مجلة البحوث الأسرية
Volume 5, Numéro 1, Pages 32-70
2025-04-01

The Normalization Of Hypersexualization In Childhood: A Clinical And Social Psychological Analysis Of Media Influences And Developmental Impact

Authors : Madi Amazigh .

Abstract

In today’s digital age, media platforms are powerful tools for shaping societal norms and individual identities. This analysis explores how popular culture, advertising, and social media normalize the hypersexualization of children, distorting self-concept, body image, and gender identity. Utilizing frameworks such as social learning theory, sociocultural theory, and objectification theory, the research examines the psychological and educational implications of this phenomenon. Educational and clinical interventions are also explored to counteract these effects, emphasizing the role of parents and media literacy in shaping children’s media engagement.

Keywords

social media ; gender identity ; hypersexualization ; social learning theory ; mental health