How societal trends are affecting children's creative confidence
LEGO bricks and other interactive games have emerged as innovative ways for parents to cultivate their children's creativity.
New educational approaches such as interactive games, toy bricks, and coding have emerged in China as innovative ways for parents to cultivate their children's creativity.
According to the latest research released by the LEGO Group in 2024, 76 percent of 5-year-old girls are confident in their creativity. They exhibit a wide range of interests and excel in areas such as sports, design, engineering, and science, expressing a desire to pursue related careers. This survey involved over 60,000 children from 36 countries and regions.
Globally, 73 percent of children feel the need to strive for perfection in all aspects of life. In China, this figure stands at 88 percent, ranking second highest among all surveyed countries. Moreover, parents and children acknowledge that girls face more pressure to achieve perfection, with 75 percent of parents and 62 percent of children believing that girls endure greater expectations than boys.
Parents' words can inadvertently increase this pressure. Research indicates that inappropriate language suppresses girls' ability to express themselves freely and creatively. Some 71 percent of girls feel anxious about making mistakes due to everyday evaluations, leading them to believe they should not attempt new things or intensifying their pursuit of perfect outcomes.
Furthermore, subtle social biases in daily language can impact girls' self-expression. Apart from gendered descriptions used to evaluate the work of male and female creators, 56 percent of children feel that parents are more willing to listen to boys' ideas. In China, this sentiment is echoed by 81 percent of children.
Girls' creative confidence gradually diminishes from the age of 5, with 71 percent of girls feeling anxious about sharing their ideas. The pressure to maintain perfection and fear of making mistakes exacerbate this anxiety. Some 71 percent of parents also agree that under the influence of these pressures, girls become less willing to voice their thoughts.
Global research findings released by LEGO Group in 2024.
Jennifer Wallace, a parenting expert, bestselling author, and Harvard University graduate, says: "If children fear failure, it will hinder their willingness to explore, think outside the box, and stifle creativity. This can also impact their creative confidence, which carries into adulthood. Creative confidence is self-affirmation that drives the generation of new ideas, enabling individuals to face risks and challenges without fear of failure, and produce unique solutions."
"In the process of girls' growth, societal, familial, and school play a significant role in shaping their self-awareness, nurturing confidence, and sparking creativity," said Jian Lili, founder of MyTherapist, one of China's first mobile platforms for psychotherapy.
"As a group that interacts with girls daily, parents and caregivers should strive to make conscious changes in their everyday interactions, adjust their communication methods, provide girls with more exploration space, and allow them to have a stage to unleash their creativity."
