Wearing high heels and a full face of makeup, kids nowadays seemed to have skipped right past the “awkward phase.” Surrounded by social media influences, there’s a lot of pressure on Generation Alpha to rise to the standards of influencers online and to fast-forward their childhood.
“Growing up, I spent a lot of time outside and playing with dolls. I never used to worry too much about looks because I never had to compare myself to others online,” junior Victoria Rowe said. “But now, scrolling on TikTok I see 10-year-old girls showing their makeup routines, talking about boy problems.”
TikTok does influence the younger generation of kids because a lot of them post videos and content that blow up, they start to mimic the older popular influencers to get the same amount of publicity. However, they may not yet have the maturity to properly navigate this new platform.
Social media can also cause a lot of insecurity and mental health issues as kids who are too young compare themselves to the people they see online.
“I spent a lot of time when I was younger comparing myself to models and celebrities I saw on TV,” said sophomore Natalie Soliman.
“I can’t even imagine how much kids compare themselves now, being exposed to people on social media every day.”
However, these young influencers themselves have a different view on this topic.
“I post on Tiktok because it’s a fun way for me to show my skills, and what I can do. I love doing it.” 10-year-old Humza Saeed said.
“I’m not affected by what other people say to me, I just focus on posting videos I like.”
This shows that some kids can be mature enough to handle the pressures and opinions on social media. But how do you balance the difference between kids who can and the kids who completely change themselves for a like?