We’ve all heard adults reminisce about how things were so different when they were young, but they might have a point. Nowadays, wherever you go you’re sure to find a little kid with the latest iPhone or hundreds of dollars worth of ‘preppy’ skincare. Young girls seem to be following all the latest TikTok trends too. Lululemon, Stanley cups, and high-end beauty products are replacing toys. These kids have never been told no and it shows. Should we be concerned for the next generation of adults?

The impact of social media on children’s self-image

Social media is a controversial subject. Like everything, it has positives and negatives. The main problem isn’t necessarily the social media. platform itself, but rather its users. Children, especially girls, are taught from a young age that they aren’t beautiful. Beauty standards are deeply rooted in society and if you don’t fit them you simply don’t fit in. Social media is truly a highlight reel and many influencers secretly use photoshop or have had work done. Influencers who share their ‘beauty secrets’ or spread false information on how to look like them may cause little girls to think there is something wrong with them. I think that is definitely a contributing factor to why some kids try to act older or buy products to cope with that.

Social media contributes to the overconsumption of goods

There is no doubt TikTok promotes mass consumption. Micro trends pop up each week with influencers urging you to buy their latest obsession. More and more young girls record ‘GRWMs’ showing off their expensive skincare and makeup routines. “Spending copious amounts of money on beauty is not only normalized but is also encouraged” (Maraldo 6). Additionally, I asked some students their thoughts on this topic. One said “I think kids these days aren’t experiencing the pure joy of childhood that we got to experience but rather feel pressured to be using trendy products to seem cool. Instead of Barbie dolls, they’re buying expensive Drunk Elephant skincare and it has just gotten so out of hand in the past few years.”

Recently I saw a TikTok by Emily Leah where she was ‘packing her Stanley for a walk.’ She literally attached a mini backpack to her water bottle which held her phone, a mini perfume bottle, lip gloss, sunglasses, and a hand sanitizer. In the description of her video was “everything is liked in my Amazon storefront” which means she gets a small commission on each purchase. You can’t make this up. Kids are easily influenced and when they see videos of the people they look up to the most promoting products, they want to buy them too. There’s a reason every 8-12 year old owns the same skincare and makeup.

Final thoughts

It’s important to also account for the parents who are letting their children have unlimited access to the internet. Many of these issues are easily avoidable by not giving kids access to social media. Still, some parents choose to remain blissfully unaware of the dangers of social media. Maybe it’s because they don’t care. or maybe they just don’t know.