Source: iTunes
Apple and Android apps are receiving backlash from child and body image experts regarding their marketing of cosmetic surgery apps for children.
The games, featuring colourful cartoon patients, give users the opportunity to “enhance beauty” by slicing, sculpting and sucking their patient through procedures including nose jobs, face lifts, tummy tucks and liposuction. These games have been marketed on iTunes as children’s games, targeting age groups of 9 years and older due to the “infrequent/mild realistic violence”.
With many of the games featuring patients named Barbie or Barbara, the apps are getting the attention of younger audiences due to the association to that of Mattel’s Barbie doll. The apps “blatantly and shamelessly use child-friendly brand names to target young, vulnerable children and expose them to sexist and disturbing rhetoric as the ‘game’ critiques the body of a cartoon character who does not conform to an unrealistic beauty standard” said UK surgeon Nigel Mercer.
“Even more shockingly, the app then encourages children to utilise surgery – going so far as to include images of syringes, scalpels and liposuction cannulas – to ‘fix’ the patient, who is described as an “unfortunate girl.”
When searching through iTunes, games of this nature included Mermaid’s Plastic Surgery, Superstar Face Plastic Surgery, Christmas Girl Plastic Surgery, Plastic Surgery Doctor, Ice Princess Surgery Simulator, Face Doctor, and Baby Nose Doctor, which shockingly shows, as titled, a baby getting procedures on its nose. Each app has received at least 100,000 downloads since being introduced online.
Screenshot from Baby Nose Doctor
One game, found on iTunes titled The Plastic Surgeon Simulator, detailed the game as follows:
“No one could resist the temptation of beauty! Every girl dreams of (a) delicate face and stunning figure. If makeup can’t give (you) the beauty you want, then come to join this amazing plastic surgery game! You can turn into a Victoria’s secret model at once!”
In January 2014, Plastic Surgery & Plastic Doctor & Plastic Hospital Office for Barbie Version was removed from iTunes some twelve months after its release due to the volume of complaints on Twitter. The game, featuring patient Barbie requiring liposuction due to “extra weight that no diet can help”, was screenshot and posted online by Everyday Sexism, escalating with retweets and comments demanding the game be removed from iTunes.
@EverdaySexism
La Trobe University’s Psychology research team, EMBodIED, along with The Butterfly Foundation have launched a petition on change.org to have plastic surgery apps removed from iTunes.
The Butterfly Foundation, which represents those affected by eating disorders and negative body image, have called for Apple to remove plastic surgery games. Education Manager Danni Rowlands has noted that this has been taken too far when compared to make up and clothing apps that are advertised for tweens.
“These are so incredibly damaging, it’s unbelievable. Marketing cosmetic surgery to children is harmful and wrong. To encourage cutting into a face, for an adolescent with mental health issues, is dreadful”.
You can sign the petition here.
