Does Digital Pressure Fast-Track Girlhood?

COURTESY OF HAPPI AND PHYSIOQ

In the era of digital consumption — tailoring our identities to movies, shows, and Pinterest boards from a young age — it’s no wonder many young girls feel the need to grow up fast. From the Sephora tweens of today to the “Skins” fanatics of the early 2000s, the idea of “maturity” seems all the more appealing for those watching it from a glitzy, romanticized lens on social media. Whether it’s watching makeup tutorials or idolizing influencers, younger girls are being pushed to adopt adult behaviors long before they’re ready.

The pressure to grow up is visible in spaces like Sephora, a beauty haven once primarily frequented by teenagers and adults. Now, younger girls, some as young as 5th or 6th graders, are showing up in droves, loudly experimenting with makeup, much to the surprise of older customers. A senior recounted her shock, seeing a group of 5th and 6th-grade girls running through the aisles, loudly trying on products. “I was horrified,” she said, explaining how the experience, once a treat for her, was ruined by the presence of such young, immature customers. Their shock highlights a growing concern: retailers are intentionally targeting a younger demographic. As a study by Fortune points out, Gen Alpha is quickly becoming a key market for beauty brands, with entire skincare lines and makeup products designed specifically for them. The message is clear: start young, look older, and buy into the beauty industry as soon as possible.

And, the normalization of young girls rushing into adulthood isn’t happening by chance. Sephora’s approach to marketing isn’t about skincare or makeup alone — it’s about selling a fantasy of maturity. And unfortunately, that fantasy isn’t something all young girls are equipped to handle.

Health teacher Hannah Niles has noticed this trend manifesting in her classroom. “Media has long been a net negative in the experience of young girls,” Niles shared in a recent interview. “It perpetuates unhealthy standards of beauty, body size, eating habits, and relationship norms.” In her ninth-grade health classes, Niles often sees younger girls comparing themselves to older women in their lives, including her. They want to look and act grown up, even if it means skipping essential stages of adolescence. 

“The rush to grow up is skipping steps,” Niles reflected. “I remind my students that I’m 15 years older than they are, and I had to go through the discomfort of middle school, high school, and college to get where I am now.” This constant comparison, fueled by social media, creates an environment where girls feel pressure to “fast forward” into adulthood before they’re ready.

It’s not just beauty standards that are affected. Niles also pointed out how social media impacts other aspects of girls’ lives, from relationships to body image, often leaving them feeling confused and inadequate. The curated, filtered world they see online creates a damaging gap between their reality and the idealized version of womanhood they’re shown. 

Charlotte Ragones touches on another point. “I didn’t have social media during the pandemic,” she said. “When I came back, I felt like a baby. People are now having access to social media at a much younger age, following what other people are doing and the latest trends.” That post-pandemic shift seems to have accelerated a new kind of digital adolescence. The accessibility of social media and digital trends has shortened the learning curve, making tweens feel as if they need to look and act older to fit in.

So, with this rush towards maturity, what are these girls missing out on? In our pursuit of instant adulthood, are we teaching the next generation to skip essential developmental stages? Niles and others in education argue that we are. As she explains, her approach to teaching focuses on helping students critically assess the media and social norms they’re exposed to. “We spend a lot of time looking at these harmful standards and naming that they are harmful. Hopefully, students will recognize that the version of maturity they’re chasing isn’t as glamorous as it seems.”

So, next time you spot a group of young girls experimenting with highlighter and mascara, remember: they’re just kids in a world that’s pushing them to grow up faster than they should. And hopefully, more brands, parents, and educators will take a step back and recognize the value of letting kids be kids, rather than rushing them into adulthood before their time.