Gen Z Women Are Not Commodities

Key Points:

• Freya India's book *Girls®: Generation Z and the Commodification of Everything* explores how modern technology and social media amplify the anxieties of Gen Z girls by turning their physical appearance, emotions, relationships, and identities into commodities.
• India argues that platforms like TikTok, dating apps, and AI-generated images promote unrealistic beauty standards and contribute to girls feeling disempowered, comparing themselves to unattainable ideals often shaped by surgery, filters, or pornography.
• The book highlights the loss of genuine humanity and moral guidance among young women, emphasizing the need to reclaim real relationships, emotions, and flaws as part of authentic self-acceptance.
• While the book is well-researched and insightful, its heavy use of data and academic tone may limit accessibility for the youngest readers, though it is recommended for parents and older adults to better understand Gen Z challenges.
• India’s secular perspective aligns with some Christian values, such as the importance of community and moral grounding, but the review notes a gap in her solutions regarding the need for external, faith-based guidance for true empowerment.