A recent article in the NY Times says that many of Miley Cyrus’ core followers – fans of the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana who tend to be between 8 and 12 years old – think Miley has gone too far with her new, sexy image. In fact, in 2010, only 24% of teens 13-17 said they liked Miley, compared with 45% in 2008.

Miley’s gotten a lot of attention for her new image, which she premiered recently to correspond with her new album, “Can’t Be Tamed.” And at 17 years old, she is definitely pushing the envelope when it comes to what she’s wearing, how she performs, and what she’s singing about. From her pole-dancing move at last year’s Teen Choice Awards to her provocative performance featuring a girl-on-girl kiss on “Britain’s Got Talent,” Miley seems to be stirring up controversy wherever she goes.

That she’s shaking things up and trying to age-up her image as she tries to make the shift from tween sensation to young woman actress, singer, and performer is totally expected. It’s the backlash from her own fans that I find so surprising.

From the NY Times article:

Perry Hamm has adored Hannah Montana since the age of 8. At 9 she bought a ticket to “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” along with one of the 3 million soundtracks sold after the film’s debut. Last September, she scored one of the most coveted tickets among teenagers in 2009: Hannah Montana in concert.

But now, at 11, Perry’s enthusiasm for Ms. Cyrus has fizzled. She wishes Ms. Cyrus would ditch the tight T-shirts and Uggs for the sassy skirts her television persona wears. So last month, when Miley released her post-adolescent anthem, “Can’t Be Tamed,” her once-adoring fan was unimpressed, unmoved by, among other things, the singer’s sexy music video.

“It was weird,” Perry said of Ms. Cyrus’s bird wings and black ribbon corset. “I feel like she acts 25. She looks so old. She is too old for herself.”

While I’m glad for the insight and perspective of girls like Perry who question the young star’s wardrobe and behavior choices in recent months, I hate to think of all the girls who idolize Miley and want to emulate her every step of the way. Miley’s transformation then becomes just one more message in an overflowing pool of wrong messages…messages that tell girls that they should look or dress or be “sexy” to have value and worth.

No, I don’t think Miley, at 17, has a responsibility to all the young girls of the world, and I cannot imagine growing up in the spotlight and having every aspect of my behavior up for debate. But I do have to wonder what Miley’s hoping her sexy image will give her…approval? Acceptance? Love? Respect? If so, she’ll never find what she’s looking for. There’s only one way to achieve that goal, and it’s all about accepting ourselves for who we are, inside and out.

What are your thoughts on Miley’s sexual image?

Ah…If only I was sixteen again. Then I could apply to be an intern for one of my favorite magazines, New Moon Girls. Alas…I’ll have to be satisfied with sharing the opportunity with you!

New Moon Girls is currently accepting applications for talented interns ages 16 and up for Fall 2010 and Winter/Spring 2011. Their interns work with girl and adult editors to foster creative self-expression in girls ages 8+ worldwide. Though the magazine is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, you can work from the comfort of your own home and still gain real-world experience in many aspects of New Moon’s online community and magazine for girls and their website for parents of girls.

Interns will need to be able to work well independently, communicate well by email and Skype, be Internet-proficient, and have a computer with Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and broadband Internet access. Applications are due by August 1 for Fall and November 1 for Winter/Spring.

Interested? Apply online here!

And if you’re under the age of 16, but still want to get involved, you can sign up to be a New Moon Girls Volunteer, where you’ll have a chance to do things like spread the word online, create New Moon activities for teachers, host online chats, write guest blog posts, and much more.

Are you interested in social activism and creating your own start-up someday to spread the word about your cause? Check out The Social Startup Summit, which I found out about through YouthNoise. Here’s the info from the website:

“Are you a student? Do you spend your weekends volunteering, planning charity dinners, and collecting cans of food for those in need? If you’re the girl who responds to invites to the mall with, ‘Nope, sorry I’ve got a shift volunteering at the hospital then,’ consider joining the Social Startup Summit as a student delegate!

“With a focus on creating socially-responsible ventures, The Social Startup Summit is a one-day, high-impact social entrepreneurship boot camp for high school students. Students come and pitch ideas for community service projects, get in groups of five for the best pitch ideas, and work the whole day to develop a website, online media presence, and do final pitches to judges at the end of the day. The best pitch’s team wins pro-bono consulting, free web and graphic design services, and a grant to jumpstart the project. Unlike other programs, the Social Startup Summit doesn’t not simply lecture on skills needed to maintain a venture, but gives youth the tools to incubate a venture in one day.”

The Summit will be held Monday, August 16th, from 9am to 4:30pm. To find out more about the Summit and getting involved, click here!