A devastating consideration of sexuality in the media and how it affects young girls. We are constantly bombarded with alarming media images: brand-name thong underwear for ten-year-olds with the slogans 'Wink Wink' and 'Eye Candy' printed on them; oversexed and underdressed celebrities; Bratz dolls and their 'sexy' clothing line for preteens. How do we raise sexually healthy young women in this kind of environment? In The Lolita Effect, university professor and journalist M G Durham offers new insight into media myths and spectacles of sexuality. Using examples from popular TV shows, fashion and beauty magazines, movies and websites, Durham shows for the first time all the ways in which sexuality is rigidly and restrictively defined in the media – often in ways detrimental to girls' healthy development. Durham provides us with the tools to navigate this media world effectively without censorship or moralising, and to help our girls do so in strong and empowering ways.