The expectation of women to be “supergirls” is the main issue pressuring teenage girls and even women in their 20s to be perfect, said author Liz Funk.
Funk addressed a crowd of about a dozen Boston University students at the Women’s Resource Center on Thursday evening about her book “Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls,” and about the increasing pressure on young women to overachieve.
Funk was first published at 19 years old, and has since written for USA Today, Newsday, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, CosmoGirl! and The Christian Science Monitor.
In her lecture, Funk delved deeper into her book and her reasons why this generation has produced over-achieving women.
“I focus on young women, perfectionism and what we can do to help those young women live happier, healthier lives,” she said.
Funk defines “supergirls” as women who appear beautiful, smart, involved, kind, put-together and productive, citing this unattainable image as the main reason why women feel the need to be perfect.
“The idea of an it-girl has changed,” she said. “Pretty isn’t enough anymore; all girls have to be charming, ambitious and people-pleasing in order to be liked. Because of this unsaid pressure, all girls are secretly struggling to be effortlessly perfect.”
In researching her book, she found “everybody still wants to be the blonde sorority girls in white dresses.”
“Part of the pressure is definitely inspired by the media,” she said.
Women compare themselves to airbrushed spreads of celebrities in magazines and try to make themselves look like those sex symbols, she said.
Funk said that because of the media, young women forget that they’re allowed to have flaws, make mistakes and be awkward sometimes.
However, looking good isn’t the only dilemma, she said.
Funk noticed that girls are constantly obsessing over being involved in the most activities, wearing the trendiest clothes, getting into the best colleges and having the “coolest” boyfriends.
Young women need to occupy every minute of their day with something productive and socially acceptable, all while still looking like Miss America, she said.
The author admitted to giving in to the harsh conformity as a teenager herself.
“I took as many Advanced Placement and honors classes as I could in high school,” she said. “Senior year I didn’t even have a lunch period, my grade average was a 91.
Somehow I still ended up ranked 33rd in my class.”
Funk says that girls are expected to be children that their parents can brag about, but in reality should be encouraged to be themselves even if that means being a little different or “imperfect.”
She also stresses that women should not rely on the compliments of a man to determine their happiness.
“Women dumb themselves down to seem attractive,” she said. “Overachievers are so eager to go out on dates that they openly pursue it. Boyfriends are seen as part of our identities.”
This aspect of the phenomenon is seemingly the most destructive to a young woman’s self-esteem, she said.
Funk believes the solution to the “supergirl” epidemic is that young women need to find themselves without the pressures of society pulling at them from every angle.
“Young women need to figure out why they matter, why they have value, and who they are,” she said. “When young women finally slow down, they’re amazed at how much better they feel. They become themselves again.”
The lecture culminated with a discussion among the attendees.
“I was inspired by Liz’s talk,” said College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Michelle Curran. “She had great insight into the world of a young woman, the facts are scary but true. If more women listened to Funk’s message I think a change can actually be made and girls will find themselves a lot happier.”
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