Politics professor Caroline Heldman's TEDxYouth San Diego talk highlighted the topic of sexual objectification. "I'd like to talk specifically about the lie, or the idea, that being a sex object is empowering."

Heldman explained that sexual objectification is so common that many young people struggle to recognize it as such: "It's like being raised in a red room, being pulled out of that room, and asked to describe the color red."

She added that girls may grow up believing that being objectified is empowering because American culture teaches that to be a sex object holds more value. But the consequences of being objectified to society aren't positive, and the side effects include body shame, depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem and even decreased sexual pleasure:

Instead of being involved and engaged in what is happening, you tend to view yourself from a third-party perspective. A spectator's perspective, where you're worried about rolls of fat hanging out, what that leg looks like... it gets in the way of sexual pleasure. So if there's anything I can pitch to you about why you don't want to live in a culture that sexually objectifies: it diminishes your sexual pleasure.

Watch her TEDxYouth talk in the video below: