Polly Pockets, Barbies, dollhouses, Team Umizoomi, Blue’s Clues…these might sound familiar, and may bring back a hint of nostalgia. Childhood is something that disappears in the blink of an eye, and the realization does not hit it until it is time to deal with the newfound responsibilities of being a young adult. Part of life is growing up and then wishing to become a kid again.
As time passes and generations grow up, children look for new forms of expression. They want to be a part of the latest internet trends, buy the nicest clothes and have the sought-after “golden ticket” items everybody wants. Society yearns to be a carbon copy of the favorite influencers and trying to fit the constantly changing standards only shows how fast kids grow up.
“Everybody wants to become older when they’re younger, but, you know, we didn’t have as much social media access as they did,” senior Paxton Pennington said.
Young people can be very easily influenced, especially with the effects of social media.
“I feel like anybody can be really vulnerable but especially kids nowadays, since they basically grew up with TikTok and Instagram,” junior Mariela Villegas said.
Things like YouTube, Musical.ly and Snapchat were quickly pervasive in Gen Z’s culture. Social media slithered its way into daily life, but can be a useful tool. Seeing children use products that they do not need, like expensive skincare and heavy makeup, is alarming to older people. Watching trends like “Get ready with me” and big shopping hauls have an impact on a creator’s fanbase and can influence them into buying the products that they see in videos.
“I think they should be limited [with internet access] because I feel like it’ll affect them a lot later on in life,” senior Amani Purnell said.
As 10-year-old girls run around Sephora, fiending for Drunk Elephant and Rare Beauty blushes, people should be mindful of the way they grew up. It is not their fault they grew up with social media and have been influenced by content creators. The constant push is forcing kids to become more mature versions of themselves and consuming everyday content to feel more relatable. It is easy to sit in high school classrooms with the benefit of hindsight, and wish for those younger days back, while middle schoolers look across the road and yearn for what is next.