What’s circulating TikTok today, has everything to do with what is most popular at the moment; that can vary between makeup tutorials, to what TikTok viral products are “worth the hype” or worth their money. Essentially, a common denominator within these videos that are found over anyone’s for-you pages, no matter what side of TikTok you are on, are these makeup tutorials, and reviews of TikTok viral products being heavily marketed by children. In this aspect, children that are seen to be as young as 8-9 years old, on TikTok marketing products, doing reviews, essentially dismissing TikTok’s policy and rule of the app not being for anyone below the age of 13. Not only is this exposing children to social media at such a young age, but it’s making them go viral on the app, too. Most people would see this as being a good thing, which, it would be, if it had been for a grown adult, like Alix Earl, a very well-known influencer, who essentially has a grasp on life. However, these children, are essentially being thrown into the world of social media, as well as the delusions that coexist with them as well. With saying this, there are many things wrong with children being a part of the world of social media because they are going viral, and making money. Again, it sounds like something that may be positive. However, that isn’t the case when it comes to children. These children who are going viral on social media are making money from marketing off of these products, and essentially treating it as an unrealistic career. In addition to that, some children are making enough money to get their parents to encourage them to continue these videos, and even use it as a source of income for their child. Ultimately, it’s not all that it cuts out to be, especially if your parent is relying on their child to make money off of TikTok at 8 years old so they can buy things that they need.
In addition, children on this app will be making “get-ready-with-me” videos on TikTok, which mainly is how people go viral on this app nowadays. However, the thing that strikes the most concern, is how the children within these types of videos will be using products that are essentially made for age-reversing effects, at the ages of 8-9. This is something that stirs up not just a lot of controversy, but also concern. The stereotyped names for these children on the app vary from “Sephora Kids” to “Drunk Elephant Kids” and more. Within these nicknames, are essentially a truthful title for these children on TikTok. You see everywhere how an eight-year-old will be using various types of serums that promote age reversal, for example, the famous Drunk Elephant Eye Cream, as well as Glow Recipe’s famous Hyaluronic Serum. These products had gone viral on TikTok due to their effectiveness on people’s skin; essentially, this influenced the eight-year-olds to buy them themselves, just because they were viral and trendy. In addition to this, these kids would follow up their skincare with a makeup tutorial. Mind you, these kids would essentially be going to their sports practice or just school. This raises concern as well as controversy because these children are seen doing a full face of makeup to go to their elementary school, of course, with the most viral products. This has led to many people responding to these get-ready-with-me videos, essentially emphasizing how TikTok is preventing these children from having a kid phase like they once did. With that being said, they’re afraid for the children to be growing up too fast by throwing on a full face of makeup when they still partake in recess. Not only does this affect how they look with the skincare and makeup on their faces, but it also alters their personalities faster. We’ve all heard war stories from parents whose kids turned into a “monster” as they got older. However, these children on social media are influenced by the activity they see on social media, or from the people around them who are actively on social media, as well. By saying this, kids will be acting completely out of context, basically saying that they are wearing all of this makeup, and acting certain ways to grow up faster, as well as look and act older. This also strikes lots of concern to the rest of the general public because not only does it not give kids room to be just kids anymore, but it also allows kids to grow up rude and disrespectful based on what they’ve seen on social media as a result.
With keeping this topic in mind, it has strung up a lot of past and present thoughts about childhood. There are countless videos now that compare children today to children back then when there wasn’t a frenzy about growing up quickly. An example of this would be how there are many examples of children then who would ask for Legos for Christmas or their birthday, and if they had gotten what they asked for, they would be over the moon with their gift. In comparison, children today ask for these age-reversing products, as well as makeup for Christmas or their birthday, which get very costly very quickly. And even then, if their parents accidentally got the wrong moisturizer for them, they would have a massive fit. This doesn’t only apply to skincare or makeup, either. This has to do with every TikTok viral product, which includes but is certainly not limited to, Lululemon, Kendra Scott Jewelry, and much more.
In addition to these, the Sephora frenzy doesn’t seem to die down, and that’s because it didn’t, and hasn’t. Videos of these children aren’t the only things going viral; not only are these children posting hauls, and get-ready-with-me videos, but they don’t highlight the trouble they cause to get those products, which the rest of the internet provides and shows. Within Sephora stores today, there are countless amounts of viral videos of these children going crazy in Sephora stores, leaving the environment a disaster and hectic. A prime example of this is found through a Sephora employee who has experienced the disastrous experience herself.
Current Sephora employee, Christina S. has shared her experience with the Sephora frenzy that has been happening, and doesn’t seem to die down anytime soon. She states, “There’s a lot of 9-year-olds that come in, usually in groups, looking for drunk elephant and TikTok products. I’m like, you’re too young for this skincare!” She further states in addition, “A lot of them also steal because everything is so expensive, too.” This alone shows how children these days truly are growing up too fast because not only are they trying to get products that are completely out of their age range, but half of them aren’t even paying for them at all. Christina concluded by saying, “…because everything is so expensive, and because Alix Earle influenced everyone too with this makeup and skincare. But instead of them trying to act older, they really just look even less mature.” Not only are these children trying to grow up too fast, but ultimately they’re trying to speed up the process is having the opposite effect.
With all things having been said, of course, just like these kids today, we all wanted to grow up fast, too at some point. The thing that causes much concern is how within every generation, kids grow up faster and faster, which raises the question, will it ever slow down? Because if it doesn’t ever seem to slow down, when will kids just be kids again?
