This story was originally published in the GenZeal feature of LNP on Sunday, April 26, 2026.
I went to Park City Center recently and stumbled upon a beauty pageant in the center court of the shopping center. Parents were sitting in chairs watching children walk up and present their looks.
As soon as it hit me that this was a beauty pageant, I thought to myself, “Why do these contests still exist?”
Growing up with Disney movies, I always wanted to be a princess. It’s an unattainable goal, but the fantasy world is appealing to many young girls.
Picture this: You’re a parent. Your child begs you to be in a beauty pageant because they hear about a contest like the one I stumbled across. What do you tell them?
I believe there are many reasons why you should say “no.” While beauty pageants may seem sweet, magical and innocent on the surface, they have elements that could harm the growth and development of your child.
As I see it, many pageants foster harmful environments for young girls, commercialize children and lead to young girls having an unhealthy focus on their appearance as they grow older.
While the organizers of major beauty pageant organizations may say things such as “As she learns and grows and achieves her goals, she will develop self-confidence and self-esteem,” I believe the reality is quite the opposite. Pageant officials often lie to make these contests look safe for little girls.
They aren’t safe or good for mental health. Pageants can lead to future issues for teenagers and young adults, including body image obsessions, eating disorders, low self-esteem, anxiety and/or depression.
Approximately 3,000 to 5,000 child beauty pageants are held in the United States every year, according to the website WifiTalents. Children are being commercialized for profit. Pageants become money-making ventures for organizers, businesses and even parents.
Sadly, it’s common for parents to place their child in beauty pageants, even if the child has no desire to compete. As the child grows up, this can cause resentment and distance in the parent-child relationship.
Rather than giving their child opportunities to pursue their interests, some parents are forcing their child to do activities they hate.
Writing on Medium in 2023, Inky Rose noted, “Instead, you’re teaching them that they need makeup and fancy clothes to be pretty.”
Some people argue that child beauty pageants help to build skills for later in life. Miss Planet International states: “Pageants can provide opportunities for children to develop skills like public speaking, performance, and social interaction.”
And the Miss Texas USA website calls its pageants “character builders” that help with “self-confidence.”
But even if these pageants help young people gain basic life skills, there are still many more cons than pros for the participants. Children can build these skills through other activities, such as classroom projects and extracurriculars, including sports.
Getting a young girl “dolled up” so she can supposedly be better at certain things later in life just isn’t worth it.
In my view, beauty pageants have been — and always will be — harmful to the growth of a child. Don’t risk your child’s well-being for the sake of winning a plastic crown.
Beauty Pageants are Destroying Futures
By Elizabeth Gomez ’26
This story was originally published in the GenZeal feature of LNP on Sunday, April 26, 2026.
I went to Park City Center recently and stumbled upon a beauty pageant in the center court of the shopping center. Parents were sitting in chairs watching children walk up and present their looks.
As soon as it hit me that this was a beauty pageant, I thought to myself, “Why do these contests still exist?”
Growing up with Disney movies, I always wanted to be a princess. It’s an unattainable goal, but the fantasy world is appealing to many young girls.
Picture this: You’re a parent. Your child begs you to be in a beauty pageant because they hear about a contest like the one I stumbled across. What do you tell them?
I believe there are many reasons why you should say “no.” While beauty pageants may seem sweet, magical and innocent on the surface, they have elements that could harm the growth and development of your child.
As I see it, many pageants foster harmful environments for young girls, commercialize children and lead to young girls having an unhealthy focus on their appearance as they grow older.
While the organizers of major beauty pageant organizations may say things such as “As she learns and grows and achieves her goals, she will develop self-confidence and self-esteem,” I believe the reality is quite the opposite. Pageant officials often lie to make these contests look safe for little girls.
They aren’t safe or good for mental health. Pageants can lead to future issues for teenagers and young adults, including body image obsessions, eating disorders, low self-esteem, anxiety and/or depression.
Approximately 3,000 to 5,000 child beauty pageants are held in the United States every year, according to the website WifiTalents. Children are being commercialized for profit. Pageants become money-making ventures for organizers, businesses and even parents.
Sadly, it’s common for parents to place their child in beauty pageants, even if the child has no desire to compete. As the child grows up, this can cause resentment and distance in the parent-child relationship.
Rather than giving their child opportunities to pursue their interests, some parents are forcing their child to do activities they hate.
Writing on Medium in 2023, Inky Rose noted, “Instead, you’re teaching them that they need makeup and fancy clothes to be pretty.”
Some people argue that child beauty pageants help to build skills for later in life. Miss Planet International states: “Pageants can provide opportunities for children to develop skills like public speaking, performance, and social interaction.”
And the Miss Texas USA website calls its pageants “character builders” that help with “self-confidence.”
But even if these pageants help young people gain basic life skills, there are still many more cons than pros for the participants. Children can build these skills through other activities, such as classroom projects and extracurriculars, including sports.
Getting a young girl “dolled up” so she can supposedly be better at certain things later in life just isn’t worth it.
In my view, beauty pageants have been — and always will be — harmful to the growth of a child. Don’t risk your child’s well-being for the sake of winning a plastic crown.
https://universe.byu.edu/2022/03/03/teen-beauty-pageant-contestants-talk-mental-health-miss-usa-2019-suicide
https://medium.com/@inky.rose.bud/childrens-beauty-pageants-it-s-never-too-early-to-sexualize-my-little-girl-279671ecea6
https://wifitalents.com/child-beauty-pageants-statistics