It’s early February when I step into Sephora to restock my makeup, and as I wander the aisles, scanning the shelves for products for my mom and my teenage sister. I make my way towards the Drunk Elephant section, where I see only bare shelves and test containers with product caked around the edges. A young girl walks away with the last package of their Bronzing drops, a Lululemon cross body bag hanging around her small shoulders. Another girl with porcelain skin and her uninterested mother stand in the checkout line, her tiny hands gripping The Ordinary Niacinamide acid serum, while her mother holds the Glow Recipe toner. Her face has no blemishes, dark spots, pimples or imperfections. She doesn’t need these products marketed to give young and glowy skin because she is already blessed with such.
Most children have clear, smooth skin but still feel the need to corrupt it with products and harsh chemicals that only end up causing more harm. It is recommended by professionals to see a dermatologist if you are under the age of 12 and trying a new product, but now we see children as young as ten using such materials on their face. Do we blame their parents? Do we blame social media? Kids in this modern age are affected so much by the beauty standard that is set for adults.
Children now have completely eliminated the “awkward phase” that all of us experienced and been able to look back and laugh at. According to Antonia Kladias of Binghamton University, “A rise in technology-use and consumerism is causing kids — especially young girls — to grow up faster than they used to.” This will affect their looks, but in the long run, their behavior and self image. Insecurities are blooming more rapidly in kids, who should be living their childhood carefree. Two-thirds of parents say their child is insecure about some aspect of their appearance according to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at University of Michigan Health.
My elementary and middle school years were a time for me to experiment with the person I wanted to be. I had no phone, no social media and no makeup to influence me. I depended on my personal style and original personality that I had developed over time. I played outside, made crafts, learned lessons and ran from boys and their cooties. Looking back at my young self, I cringe, but I don’t regret who I was. I was a child and was happy. I was content with my innocence and allowed it to shape me into an interesting and independent teenager. Now when I look at children, I see kids disguised as adults, obsessed with their looks and clothes. High end makeup products have become stocking stuffers for young girls. Expensive clothes such as Lululemon cover kids from head to toe, even though they’ll grow out of them by summer. Phones are now a necessity for kids as young as five, with 53% of kids in possession of a phone by age 11 according to National Public Radio.
With technology being placed in the hands of children, along comes a truckload of responsibilities they aren’t ready for. Many are granted access to social media and the beauty standards that come with it. Trends are thrown at them, and it makes sense that they would follow them. Think about how many of us have followed the trends of good skincare, nice makeup, cute clothes and shoes. Not following these trends can cause kids to become victims of bullying or self-doubt. Seeing all of these beautiful people online influences young girls to hide what they think are flaws. A false sense of maturity is built in at a young age, and this takes away their creativity, making cookie cutter children. We want our future to run on original ideas and unique perspectives from our children. They are growing up unoriginal, and presumably unhappy.
There is nothing wrong with kids playing with makeup kits. Colorful eyeshadow and blush can blossom creativity, and can be an influential portion of a growing identity, but when makeup for kids becomes about hiding flaws that dont even exist yet and not creating art, it becomes detrimental to their growing minds. We need to reestablish what is important in their childhoods and remind children that beautiful people are created by untouched charm. We must encourage originality, learning and fun to ensure a bright future for them. This is such an odd phenomenon that we are witnessing with the youth of today, and we should all be worried. I look bad at my girlhood, I feel sad that those times have escaped me. It is heartbreaking to watch my youth slip through my fingers, but I can appreciate the process of growing up. I can’t imagine a world where I don’t experience this bittersweet feeling, yet that world is a reality for most kids now. When these kids hit their actual teen years, they will have no childhood to reminisce upon. Children now are growing up so fast, and missing their opportunity to realize their uniqueness and independence.
