When she was in fifth grade, Scarlett Goddard Strahan started to worry about getting wrinkles.
By the time she turned 10, Scarlett and her friends were spending hours on TikTok and YouTube watching influencers tout products for achieving today’s beauty aesthetic: a dewy, “glowy,” flawless complexion. Scarlett developed an elaborate skin care routine with facial cleansers, mists, hydrating masks and moisturizers.
One night, Scarlett’s skin began to burn intensely and erupted in blisters. Heavy use of adult-strength products had wreaked havoc on her skin. Months later, patches of tiny bumps remain on Scarlett’s face, and her cheeks turn red in the sun.
“I didn’t want to get wrinkles and look old,” says Scarlett, who recently turned 11. “If I had known my life would be so affected by this, I never would have put these things on my face.”
The skin care obsession offers a window into the role social media plays in the lives of today’s youth and how it shapes the ideals and insecurities of girls in particular. Girls are experiencing high levels of sadness and hopelessness. Whether social media exposure causes or simply correlates with mental health problems is up for debate. But to older teens and young adults, it’s clear: Extended time on social media has been bad for them, period.
I mean, yeah, it’s awful, but why did they use a picture of some woman in her fourties as the article banner?
not enough people in this thread are condemning the actual root problem, which is the socially constructed bullshit standard of “if you look like you’re over 35, then no one wants anything to do with you.” especially if you’re a woman. it’s been this way for many generations. way before social media or influencers.
I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect women to have the bodies of a 20 year old while displaying the intelligence and maturity of someone past their early 30s.
You either made an oopsie while writing this sentence, or you’re a real piece of shit.
Yeah, good point. They should also be totally attracted to older men and if they are with a younger guy less critical of their immaturity. And hair that is like normal hair but doesn’t clog up the drains.
And a looooooooooooooong jacket.
Wow. What makes you say that?
Virginity
I’ll get abuse for this, but there’s no escaping the fact that the other root problem in this is seriously shit parenting
How dare you tell the truth!
that’s true, but shitty parenting has been a problem since pretty much the beginning. ever read the bible? good parents will raise kids with enough confidence and self respect to not feel like they have to “modify” themselves to an excessive degree just to show their face in public
I agree with your points here but i think access to social media is exposing youth to that standard and the aceess to the products at an earlier age. This effect could also bleed into men in the sense of their standards for beauty become more unrealslistic as the top models are all they want on their screens.
While you’re right about the beauty standards the actual root problem here is
By the time she turned 10, Scarlett and her friends were spending hours on TikTok and YouTube
Thank your shitty parents, girl. They don’t give a shit what you do.
By the time she turned 10, Scarlett and her friends were spending hours on TikTok and YouTube watching influencers tout products for achieving today’s beauty aesthetic: a dewy, “glowy,” flawless complexion. Scarlett developed an elaborate skin care routine with facial cleansers, mists, hydrating masks and moisturizers.
Failure of parenting.
Knowing how expensive these products are, how can a ten y.o. afford them? And on top how can parents not have a clue what she is spending her money on?
Kids should be allowed a level of privacy and should be allowed to make mistakes. Otherwise we’re raising kids who don’t understand what conseqences really are.
That said, the parents don’t seem to be discussing important things with their daughter here … like how fucking stupid and dangerous TikTok really can be (and often is).
Don’t know about you, but preteen me wouldn’t be very impressed by an adult saying something as vague as “it can be dangerous”. We understand the danger and even then fall victim to it in some way or other, how can we expect a child to navigate that landscape of insecurities and marketing in any healthy way.
The answer is we can’t and we’re all suckers for letting predatory marketing techniques such as influencers and highly targeted ads run rampant in our daily lives.
The algorithm is working as intended.
Skin care was not on Mia’s radar until she started eighth grade last fall. It was a topic of conversation among girls her age — at school and on social media. Girls bonded over their skin care routines.
The beauty industry has been cashing in on the trend. Last year, consumers under age 14 drove 49% of drug store skin sales, according to a NielsonIQ report that found households with teens and tweens were outspending the average American household on skin care.
What the fucking fuck are parents doing? Encouraging this shit?
Scrolling their Insta rather than parenting.
Wow, that tops the most dystopian headline… for the day.
Isnt the only actual good shit retinol?
Yes and if not used properly can be really dangerous too IIRC
It can destroy your skin and your liver even when used properly.Edit:nm I’m thinking of an acne drug.
Retinol and sunscreen.
The only good shit is coming to terms with the inevitable passage of time and to not stigmatize the process of aging. We’ll all get wrinkles eventually, get used to it.
It seems like a crazy vanity project to actually spend a lot of time/money/resources on buying time for this crap. If someone doesn’t have some crows eye thingies, it often means they basically never smile and laugh
Fuck that haha
I’m fine with getting wrinkles and I still keep my skincare going. When I don’t, my skin gets very dry and fills with pimples.
There’s a middle ground here.
Oh yeah, i’m not talking about stuff for a healthy skin, dry skin is massively annoying, I have a skincare routine for that too. But the obsession with everlasting young skin is unhealthy.
Hard agree there
My plan is to rock the short gray hair and cute shirts when I get old shrug
I like crow’s feet. I like smile wrinkles. I like gray hair. I like stretch marks.
Just because people say these are bad doesn’t mean there aren’t an abundance of people who like them
All you young people need to know you’re gorgeous just as you are. You don’t need products to make yourself beautiful, don’t believe the advertising.
Nah, I was ugly as shit when I was young too
This is why you patch test things, everyone’s skin is unique
But she shouldn’t be using them in the first place at that age
Also is it confirmed that I was a skincare product and not a coincidentally timed medical issue, because medical issues should be ruled out instead of going unnoticed
Patch testing likely wouldn’t have made a difference, this is about extended use that probably broke down her skin’s barrier over time.
When I had a baby and then got COVID, I started washing my hands more often, and really too often. Using the same gentle non scented antibacterial soap I had been for years, I turned my hands into a dry cracked and bleeding mess, and when I used the same gentle non scented oatmeal moisturizer I have used for years, I ended up with insane burning on the backs of my hands, and a bright red burn/rash. This was all in about a week.
I stopped using hot water to wash, and only used soap on my palms/fingers. I waited for my skin to repair itself. Now I continue to use that same soap and lotion with no problem. It was never the products that were the problem, it was over use.
It’s not social media that is the problem. It’s capitalism. Social media is no different from the snake oil sales person, door to door sales people or Avon parties of the past. The problem is that kids aren’t educated about how to deal with capitalistic greed that will do everything to convince you something is wrong with you in order to sell you the cure and are then allowed access to the Internet without that education. And the sales people don’t face any consequences for marketing to children because they just pretend not to know and don’t have to look them in the eye, so it’s easier to be unethical without consequence.
Both things can be a problem simultaneously 🌈
Vanity doesnt have an age limit. Kids are the most impressionable members of society no matter how jaded they act. It is our adult duty to shepherd them as they learn and not condemn them for the experience or lack thereof
Kids are becoming incredibly dumb, that’s a problem. Why are kids so dumb nowadays and what can be done ?
Maybe send bad parents to prison for being so bad at parenting that they allow 10 year olds to touch computers and watch poisonous advertisements ?
Poor girl. Nobody using that stuff looks young. People are manipulated so heavily that they are not able to see that it’s BS.
