MASCHA VAN TONGEREN

Dove recently interviewed 500 women in their 20s and discovered that no matter how much they accomplish, millennial females rarely feel satisfied. On the one hand, consistently working towards that next level of success leads to persistence and ambition, which is great. On the other hand, a void of fulfillment brings along an enormous sense of inadequacy, which leads to lifelong dissatisfaction.

According to a report in The Arizona Republic:

Twenty-something women are more accomplished than ever before. More are climbing the corporate ladders and earning multiple graduate degrees, and this generation of women has opportunities that their mothers and grandmothers only dreamed about.But a new study by Dove and Columbia University also say these young women are so engrossed in having it all by the time they are 30, they are not fully enjoying what they achieve. These women are being pressured by their inner voice to keep pushing for the next goal. Nothing is ever good enough and accomplishments go unrewarded and unappreciated.

This perfection complex causes girls to “collect” experiences to bulk up their six-page resumes instead of simply experiencing life. As a college student, I witness this on a daily basis. Girls go from class, to work, to the library where they study until the early morning hours. Everyone is in a competition to get the highest grades, make the most money, and tout the busiest schedule. Leisure time is almost looked down upon, in a “Don’t you have anything productive to do?” kind of way.

Dove hopes to change the definition of “success” by ultimately convincing young women to enjoy the present moment instead of constantly focusing on next week, next month, and next year. We’ve seen Dove’s Fresh Takes series, and though the purpose is admirable, I’m hoping they have other tactics up their sleeves to reach out to teens. To get their message across, they need to infiltrate young girls’ lives in a way that 2-minute commercials shown during “The Hills” can’t.