The ‘disappearance of tweens’ has been gaining traction across TikTok with ‘Sephora kids’ being at the centre of the conversation. Videos depicting young teenagers swarming to Sephora and Ulta to buy skincare and makeup products have raised eyebrows. This trend has prompted many of us to question the whereabouts of the tween culture we remember from our own childhoods. It appears that the fear of aging has been prematurely passed down to Generation Alpha.
It's not uncommon for kids to emulate older teens and young adults. I’m sure many of us remember looking up to our older siblings, stealing their clothes and makeup. But this wave of kids wanting to grow up whilst simultaneously being obsessed with anti-ageing products is concerning. Insecurities are common during puberty, as we become more aware of our bodies and how we look. The outcome is often more of an interest in makeup and skincare. My first beauty bag saw Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm, matte mousse foundation, clear mascara, and face wash from Simple. Today's tweens seem to have skipped this starter pack and gone straight to products that twenty-somethings would purchase. It makes us wonder why…
Anti-ageing products are at the forefront of most skincare and beauty brand’s marketing. It is difficult to go onto TikTok without beauty influencers promoting the best anti-wrinkle cream or age- reversing face exercises. At the age of 22, I have felt the pressure to invest in a retinol or collagen supplement, so it comes as no surprise that children watching the same content feel the same. Brands such as Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe have seen a huge increase in sales from pre-teens. Unfortunately, these products are not suited for young skin. Dermatologists, beauty influencers, and Sephora workers have all taken to TikTok and Instagram to de-influence children and parents from these brands. Ingredients like retinoids and exfoliating acids are too harsh for young skin as they increase the skin's cell turnover rate, but this is unnecessary for those below the age of around 25. The market for anti-ageing products has always been more tailored towards women, and always been regarded as pretty toxic. Now brands are pushing products towards children with bright colours, fruity scents, and have ‘skinfluencers’ promoting their products. We should be breaking down the standards that women are held to, not encouraging young girls to worry about their looks.
The lack of third spaces could also be to blame for our rapidly ageing youths. Over the past decade the number of spaces where kids can interact with one another, that isn’t school, has dropped dramatically. There just aren't many spaces that are accessible to children. With shopping centre closures, the extortionate price of cinema tickets, and lack of green spaces, where is there to simply ‘hang out’? The lack of third spaces is actually an issue for everyone, not just kids with classism, racism, and inflation to blame.
Society today can be hostile towards youth culture. More and more places are becoming ‘adult only’ and when they're not, adults will often complain about noise which leads to more policing. Without these areas for kids to be with one another, we are almost forcing them to stay inside and go on social media. This takes us back to the problem of kids being easily influenced. Unfortunately, everyone on TikTok will have more or less the same feed, regardless of their age. The content isn't separated, so it's understandable why children are acting older than their age. The time spent away from people their own age forces kids to learn from and mimic those they see: their parents, and people online. There is a group of kids worldwide who spent these tween years in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. They spent their formative years inside, alone and interacting with people through a screen. It is no surprise that mental health problems are rife amongst young people: one in five adolescents have a mental health disorder.
Alongside the pull of social media and lack of spaces for teens, there is another issue: there is a huge lack of media made for pre-teens. Movies, TV shows, and music are all involved, with barely any focus on the tween age. There was a definite ‘tween chick flick’ genre of movie when I was growing up, featuring ‘St. Trinians’, ‘Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging’ and ‘Wild Child’. These movies were that sweet spot between a children’s movie and a movie for older teens and adults. Funny, cheeky, coming of age movies that weren't too serious. Where did these movies go? Even music with artists like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and One Direction. These were the artists for kids and teens. It makes sense that now the artists themselves have grown up, that their music has matured, but where are the replacements? Without them, kids are watching shows and movies meant for older audiences and listening to more explicit music. It’s no wonder they are growing up too fast. In the odd teen show that does exist, adults are cast to play the so-called fifteen year olds. No teenager looks the way Sydney Sweeney or Alexa Demie do in Euphoria. It’s unbelievably unrealistic, and damaging to present these unattainable standards to kids.
Tweens need to be able to have media content relatable to their age and third spaces. Without it, they are looking to adults for how to act and dress. There should be a focus on creating accessible spaces for everyone to enjoy. If brands are going to target their young consumers, they should be putting out products meant for young skin and setting realistic standards of what skin going through puberty will look like.
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Sources
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Taylor, M. (2024). ‘Sephora kids’ and the booming business of beauty products for children. [online] www.bbc.com. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240119-sephora-kids-and-the-booming-business-of-beauty-products-for-children.