Have you noticed an abundance of younger kids on social media? Oftentimes more active and immersed than older generations?
Social media is everywhere and available all the time. Today’s teens have not only grown up with social media, they have grown up on social media. As a member of Gen. Z, I’ve been part of this group that has always had social media and I know its impact on us. Social media has allowed us to view the lives of others, including adults, while we were young, which easily influenced us in ways that were often negative. We learned about topics meant for adults and this access influenced us to grow up faster than previous generations. This has, in turn, made many Gen. Z individuals feel as though we lost important moments in our childhood.
Social media is easy to access as apps like Instagram and TikTok require nothing more than an email to create an account and answers to a few simple questions. Once an account is created, there is little moderation on what users – even children – can see, giving them access to an endless stream of videos to watch or photos to view. Erica Coe at McKinsey Health Institute states “Younger generations tend to engage with social media regularly, in both active and passive ways.” They are exposed to these endless videos for longer periods of time compared to older generations.
While I understand the impact social media has had on Gen. Z, I am concerned about how it has started to and will continue to affect Gen. Alpha. It has impacted them to the point that they do not want to act like children even though they are kids. Megan Reshke from Basis Technologies states “43% of Gen. Alphas have a tablet before the age of 6, and 58% have a smartphone by the age of 10.” With the screens being so easily accessible, Gen. Alpha digests more content at a faster rate than other generations. Because they have these devices at younger ages, they are more influenced by what they see and try to mimic these videos. They use makeup younger, dress in older clothes, throw away their toys, and mimic older people’s behaviors.
Some of these habits they pick up can be harmful. Because Gen. Alpha mimics what they see adults do on social media, they have picked up using skincare products. While skincare can be beneficial to adults, it’s harmful to the faces of younger kids. Many products these children try using can contain potentially harmful active ingredients intended for adults only, such as exfoliating acids. Which can irritate their skin, and Dr. Galamgam from UCLA Health’s dermatology department states that he has “noticed many preteens and teens coming in with allergic contact dermatitis of the face. Contact dermatitis is a hypersensitivity reaction that can occur due to direct contact with an allergen.” In their mission to act older than they are, they are damaging their skin and harming themselves. Not to mention these skincare products are very pricey, which can be challenging for families that may be struggling economically.
Another negative that Gen. Alpha faces due to this mimicry is the way they dress. Megan Reshke mentions that “49% of kids say they trust influencers as much as their own family and friends when it comes to product recommendations.” Because they trust what they see on social media, they buy these products and mimic the videos on makeup or clothing. When I was 12, I would wear colorful shirts with fun patterns or childish images and bright accessories. However, I don’t really see that much anymore. I have observed that it’s rare to see these fun and childish styles worn by children today. Gen. Alpha ditches these fun childish stages of clothing and will wear more mature clothes, which are often fitted or cropped. Clothes like these can cause kids to compare themselves to adults and desire older bodies, all things they shouldn’t be worrying about anytime soon. This can cause low self-esteem in children and can make their mental health deteriorate in a crucial stage of their life.
Social media has done a lot of damage to Gen. Alpha, but things can be done to minimize the damage. Some steps that can be taken to reduce the negative impact social media has caused on Gen. Alpha is by raising the minimum age on many apps. By restricting their access to social media and these endless videos of adults, they can focus more on themselves and enjoy their childhood instead of trying to rush growing up. Screen-time restrictions and adult supervision can also be very beneficial steps. Instagram has already taken the initiative on this. Natasha Singer from the New York Times states that Instagram “also plans to stop notifications to minors from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. to promote sleep. In addition, Instagram will introduce more supervision tools for adults,” Steps like these can help push a wave of motion in adults to help minimize the damage social media causes.
Kids try to grow too fast and act mature, but I believe that it’s important to enjoy your childhood and act your age for as long as you can. Social media shouldn’t overwhelm children and pressure them into growing faster. They should watch videos made for kids and live without any worries about appearance or their behaviors. They should be what they are; kids.
