As someone who grew up with social media as a teenager, I’m no stranger to ads hounding me with things I need to change about myself. It’s a tricky territory to navigate… and at 25 I’m still trying to figure it out myself. None of this is new though, it’s not groundbreaking for me to tell you that beauty standards and marketing have been out of hand for a long time now.
What scares me most, though, is that these standards are ageing down. Whilst I don’t wholeheartedly believe that generations can (or should) be holistically defined, it is a popular method for us to characterise generations by their proximity to tech. Gen Alpha, the first cohort born entirely in the 21st century, is still forming its identity, but one thing is clear: they’ve never known a world without iPads or Instagram, and they experience the digital world in the most all-encompassing manner. As trend cycles accelerate, beauty and aesthetic ideals are impacting young people earlier than ever.
So, let’s set the scene. Young girls are aspiring to be their favourite influencers: adopting adult beauty regimes, using anti-ageing products like retinol(!), and flocking to Sephora for expensive brands like Drunk Elephant. Boys, meanwhile, are subjected to the similar pressures from a darker, scarier, underbelly of the internet. They’re asking their parents for high-end colognes, embracing complex skincare routines, debating how to perfect their jawlines through techniques like “looksmaxxing” and mewing, or pursuing more volatile trends, such as “bonesmashing” (deliberately breaking facial bones to change their shape) and “hardmaxxing” (extreme fasting or even cosmetic procedures). A lot of this information is being consumed on dangerous forums and subreddits, often linked to the incel community and manosphere -- which is quite frankly, terrifying. Meanwhile, prescription rates for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have increased by 600% in the US amongst people aged 12-25 in the past three years alone.
It’s not all entirely bleak, though. In response to these very real, and very scary realities for children, there are a number of brands this year working to increase awareness, self-esteem, and ultimately, to let kids be kids. Dove is a trailblazer in this area, recently collaborating with Blippi as part of their Self Esteem Project in order to raise body confidence. Similarly, Maybelline launched their Brave Together initiative in a bid to reset young people’s outlook on social media and encourage open conversations. Both Kiehl’s and Dove also created poignant creative campaigns emphasising the importance of letting kids be free to simply be kids.
There has also been a rise in skincare/makeup brands tailored to children, such as Bubble, YAWN, Petite ‘n’ Pretty, and Oh Flossy, which exist primarily as play avenues for kids’ self-expression. Another standout is Starface – an extremely popular brand that aims to destigmatise the shame around acne, allowing young people to personalise their skincare and embrace their individuality through their numerous fun designs and licensing collaborations.
One thing became clear to me very quickly whilst I was doing research into what brands have been doing to negate the aesthetic pressures of social media. What about the boys?
That’s not to say there aren’t boys who won’t benefit from some of the good doings of the brands listed above – but as I mentioned earlier, there is a pretty dark force driving some of the aesthetic conversations amongst young boys right now. It’s clear to me that there needs to be more done in the area of confidence for young boys particularly. The cost, physically and mentally, to fit into beauty and aesthetic standards today, is truly terrifying. The least we can do for Gen Alpha is create a space where they feel seen, valued, and supported for who they are – not for how well they conform. This means investing in campaigns that address the unique pressures young boys face, normalising conversations around self-esteem, body positivity, and mental health, and challenging dangerous stereotypes about masculinity.
Let’s rewrite the narrative of self-worth and confidence for Gen Alpha, making them truly believe that their individuality is their superpower.
