Do you know what apps your kids are using?
What game is your child playing on their cellphone?
Recently an app calledPlastic Surgery & Plastic Doctor & Plastic Hospital Office for Barbie was removed from the Apple Store, iTunes (owned by Apple) and Google Play.
The app encouraged girls to perform procedures such as liposuction on a doll because as the app described, “This unfortunate girl has so much extra weight that no diet can help her.” The app said that “liposuction will make her slim and beautiful once the extra fat is sucked out.” This game gave girls the message that they should do what ever it takes to be slim, and their value is determined by their looks and shape. This is not a message that most parents want for their vulnerable, young, developing girls. It also gave the message that plastic surgery is an everyday part of life, which of course it’s not, but impressionable unknowing girls might believe.
How was this app ever allowed in these venues in the first place? Clearly, parents need to monitor the apps that their kids are using since giant companies like Apple and Google are not self-monitoring these apps and protecting our children.
It took an online campaign for Apple and Google Play and ITunes to get this app removed.
Tweet: “Apple Removes “Plastic Surgery” App Following Twitter Uproar Thanks to @EverydaySexism http://yhoo.it/1m7Ir9k”
These companies all responded and removed this app quickly once they received an avalanche of complaints. But, why are these giants not self monitoring, guarding and preventing such potentially harmful apps from being available in the first place? If they are going to make apps available to susceptible children, they should be reviewing these apps and disallowing apps like this from being available.
