Over the past month, users of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have seen posts about “Sephora 10-year-olds” and middle school-aged girls rampaging Sephoras for the famous Drunk Elephant skin care. This has sparked controversy and discussion on the internet since it seems as though these girls are trying to grow up at a rapid rate. Topics such as whether letting girls into makeup this young is damaging them and how can parents allow young girls to act this way have been brought up by many social media users.
Parents play a big role in children’s development and sometimes the choices they make are not always the best even if it gets the child to stop complaining. As generations change and new children enter the “tween” era, it is recognizable how different it is from when current high schoolers were in middle school. Looking back on middle school, many students realize how dorky and awkward they were. Middle school was once full of Baby Lips, PINK, Crocs, Vans and more; now it seems to be full of Lululemon, Summer Fridays and UGGs.
“It [middle school] used to be like a fun experimental time, but now it’s just so much pressure to look older and be older,” sophomore Autumn McGrath said.
Social media has become a part of everyone’s lives, including young children. With some having unsupervised access to the internet and social media platforms it can influence how young girls view themselves and how they should act. Societal norms that social media puts into place may also play a role in affecting how young girls may see themselves.
“There definitely is societal pressures and expectations for girls wearing makeup,” middle schooler Ava Dorador said. “A lot of society convinces girls that the only way to be ‘normal’ is to wear makeup. Girls choose to wear makeup because of what’s trending on the internet and what everyone around them is doing.”
Young girls may automatically look up to older females as role models and examples of how they think they should act. So, when one sees a young adult spending money on luxury makeup products they think they need the same. However, with no true knowledge of makeup, jumping headfirst into expensive and lavish products with no guidance may lead to more issues.
When people act older than they are during developmental stages of life it may cause confusion and regrets as they get older. Makeup and clothes can change how old one physically looks but only time will change one’s true maturity and age. In adolescence, one can feel a sense of wanting to go back and relive one’s childhood and a sense of nostalgia.
