Why are gender stereotypes bad?

Seems like an obvious question, huh?

Gender stereotypes have a much bigger effect than society may think. It can directly affect   how an individual will identify their gender in society due to the pressure of fitting these stereotypes. It also strongly affects how media portrays gender. This then also leads to individuals succumbing to these stereotypes because media is presented all around the world.

They pressure individuals to look and behave a certain way that is seen as common and normal by society. Gender stereotypes don’t allow people to themselves. Everyone is too busy trying to fit in, and gender stereotypes are helping lead them to what they think they have to be.

“Gender stereotypes are highly prescriptive. The qualities they ascribe to women and men tend also to be ones that are required of women and men. For example, the stereotypic belief that women are warm and caring is matched by a societal prescription that they should be warm and caring. Similarly, the stereotypic belief that men are strong and agentic is matched by a societal prescription that they should be strong and agentic”    

– Deborah Prentice and Erica Carranza, Princeton University