Twenty years ago, if you had asked people to describe Barbie, the first words that would have come to mind would not have been "empowerment" or "inspiration". The new twenty-first century Barbie will change your perspective completely.

A few years ago, I was at work hosting a little girl's Barbie-themed birthday party when I was introduced to the "new" Barbie. I was extremely shocked that little girls these days still had an interest in the toy. Later into the party, the little girl's mother began talking to me about the "new Barbie," which grabbed my attention. She went on to tell me about the Barbie YouTube channel and all the topics she addresses in her videos.

After my shift that evening, I was scrolling through Twitter and saw one of those videos. The short clip sparked my interest, so naturally I went searching on YouTube to find out more.

Sorry Reflex | Barbie Vlog | Episode 61www.youtube.com

At first, all I saw were a bunch of DIY videos and challenges. But then I came across a video called "Sorry Reflex." In this video, Barbie talks about how people, especially girls, have a tendency to say "sorry" for things they shouldn't have to apologize for. Some of the examples she included were, "If someone bumps into us, we say 'sorry,' or if we're sad we say 'sorry' because we're worried about making someone else sad." She explains how saying sorry is a learned reflex, then offers the idea of saying "thank you" to replace "sorry." Barbie makes the statement that "every time we say 'sorry,' we take away from our self-confidence".

At the end of this video, I was truly impressed and if I'm being honest, inspired. This video was intended for young girls, yet at the age of eighteen, I was able to relate to this message. I am personally guilty of using the "sorry reflex" constantly, and I know a number of other women who also use the reflex frequently. After this video, I had to see what other topics Barbie was addressing.

Moments later, I came across several other inspiring videos about important topics such as walking away from bullies, what to do when you feel sad, and not being afraid to speak up in class. Barbie is evolving into an amazing female role model for little girls everywhere. It is especially important for young children, the focus being on young girls, to have these types of role models to keep encouraging them to stay confident.

The Dream Gap Project | Barbiewww.youtube.com

Recently, there was a video published where Barbie talks about "the Dream Gap." She explains this as "the idea that some girls between the ages of 6 and 7 start to doubt themselves and how smart they are. And that means that some girls will dream less big as they go out into the world."

In 2018, Mattel Shop, the toy company that owns "Barbie," created a movement in support of ending this epidemic titled "The Dream Gap Project." They have created ads and the hashtag #CloseTheDreamGap. The company's website offers a whole page dedicated to this project. There are facts and statistics, as well as resources and ways for people to help close the dream gap.

I am blown away by this project and I applaud Mattel Shop for using their platform as a way to inspire change for little girls all over the world. Little girls need to be encouraged to pursue their dreams just as much little boys, no matter what their dream may be. Young girls need to stop questioning their intelligence and be reminded that it is possible for them to achieve their dreams.

Somewhere, there is a little girl who needs someone to remind her to keep raising her hand in class, to remind her that she can be a doctor, and to remind her that her voice matters. Because for that one encouraging voice, there are hundreds of other voices who will try to tell her the exact opposite. That voice will only multiply as she goes through life, which is why it is so important for this message to be instilled at a young age. This will ensure that she will know to ignore the voices telling her "she can't", and remember that one voice who told her "she will."