We are entering a time when Sephora replaced the toy store, exposing skin is now normal, and skincare and makeup are the new obsessions. What happened to girlhood? Why has the phase between girlhood and womanhood vanished? Girlhood is dying, and we are letting it. Pre-teens are rushing to become women before they even have the chance to experience what being a child is like.
Girlhood used to be girls playing with Barbies, sleepovers and trips to the playground. Instead of worrying about what dress looks best on Barbie, girls now worry about which makeup or skincare brand to buy. There is now a visible contrast between what girlhood used to be and what it has evolved into. A major part of the shift was the rise of social media.
Social media is full of influencers. They are meant to influence you into buying or following what they are promoting. Unfortunately, social media algorithms don’t acknowledge a user’s age. They just show what is trending and what all the influencers are doing. Brands such as Sephora, Drunk Elephant and SHEIN are seen promoting their products to younger audiences.
The reason girls want to mature so fast is because of constant pressure, whether
it’s the wish to fit in or pressure from friends or social media influencers. Typically, it’s just the desire to fit in with the crowd or for validation from other people. Another reason is to fit in with toxic beauty standards. They could put on makeup to mimic a specific trait or hide an insecurity.
Girlhood is also typically seen as childish now. Now with makeup, skincare, and fashion being the hot topics, girlhood is seen as “immature” or “childish.” And with the majority of girls nowadays following these trends, the pressure to fit in is getting more and more intense.
This has an emotional impact on young girls. They don’t want to be described as
childish, so by following these standards, it helps them fit in. Though the more they try to fit in, the harder it is to be comfortable with your own body. Having these insecurities at a young age causes future insecurities and will motivate them to constantly hide behind something they aren’t.
That’s what most makeup companies want. At the end of the day makeup companies are businesses. They profit from these insecurities.
Because of this change, we are losing imagination and creativity in the younger generations. Wanting to grow up early will affect young girls significantly in the future.
Girlhood should be full of fun and imagination. Young girls should not be
worried about makeup and social media. We need a limit to what young girls are consuming on social media. Young girls should act their age. You’re 12, not 21.
Girlhood isn’t gone forever. It’s waiting for us to stop giving into the pressure and stop trying to be older than we are and knowing how it feels to be our age.
