Makeup samples destroyed, rude attitudes, Drunk Elephant flying off the shelves, and employees “babysitting” young girls has become a common phenomenon the internet has highlighted when walking into a Sephora. 

An article from BBC has found that younger generations influenced by the internet are reaching age milestones faster. For girls specifically, they are beginning to use makeup at a younger age.

“I first started using makeup and really caring about my outside appearance when I was fourteen,” sophomore Sapphyre Leung said. “My younger sister is thirteen, and she’s already been wearing makeup for a few years now. She also has her hair dyed and she just completely skipped her awkward phase.”

One of the main problems with the increase in young girls purchasing makeup and skincare products is that many are too young and too inexperienced to know what products are safe for their skin. An article by Huffpost emphasizes that the additives and ingredients, many meant for anti aging results, can be harmful to young skin.

“Through Tiktok, and even when I visited Sephora, I noticed the products that they’re mainly buying,” Leung said. “I see Drunk Elephant, Summer Fridays, Glow Recipe, and Rare Beauty. Not only do most of these girls not need the products they’re buying, like certain anti-aging serums or retinoids, the ingredients in them could be damaging to their skin barrier. They’re so concerned with buying what’s trendy that they don’t take time to consider the fact that they don’t need them.”

As technology becomes more accessible to younger generations, researchers have found that it is leading to negative effects in childhood development. Specifically, National University has found a high correlation between technology and behavioral issues, decreased social development, and a shorter attention span.

“I definitely think children should stay off the internet,” junior Eloisa Valelo said. “They should be spending time exploring the world around them, learning, and playing with their friends, not coddled on their iPad at five years old. They should enjoy the time they have as kids to roam and be free because once they enter the world of social media, they may think and act like they’re older but at heart they are still a child.”

Many children are being introduced to social media at a much younger age. For junior Kyan Galan, exposure to the internet is a cause of the maturity phenomenon.

“I think it’s them wanting to fit in with what they see from our generation,” Galan said. “They want to be like us because they think we’re cool. I feel like most of us did that at their age, maybe not to the same extremity, but I think it’s a universal feeling. With the internet and social media becoming an even more prevalent thing, they’re exposed to a ‘cooler generation’ even more than we were.”

Galan believes that kids are inclined to do and want things that will make them seem like their generation’s definition of “cool”. 

“We also had things we perceived as trendy when we were their age,” Galan said. “Our Drunk Elephant skincare was EOS lip balms. Every generation has their trends. The difference is that the price for their trendy items is a lot more expensive. A ten-year-old doesn’t need a $40 bottle of sunscreen.”

Among the many differences to older techniques, accessible technology influences modern day parenting. Many families struggle to find a balance between screen time and family time, which causes kids to develop to be more independent and mature.

“With all the technology that is easily accessible, I feel like parents are starting to get lazy and just rely on technology to take care of their child rather than raising them themselves,” Valelo said. “Parents are starting to see technology as an answer to their child’s needs when really, all they need is a parent that is present.”

Parents play a crucial role in their child’s maturity. Junior Tyrah Lamay emphasizes that, like her parents, many aren’t correctly influencing their children’s behavior.

“One of the main things is that their parents allow them to be that way,” Lamay said. “Even my parents, they’re definitely a lot less strict on my sister than they were on me when I was her age. She’s grown up to be more independent and relies less on not only my parents but her older siblings, and while this upsets my parents, they don’t really do anything about it. Parents need to have a more active role in showing their kids what’s right and wrong.”

In light of this phenomenon, Lamay, like many other teenagers, are looking back at their childhood. 

“As a teenager, I miss my childhood,” Lamay said. “Kids these days are chasing maturity and they’re not valuing their childhood. Years down the line, they’re going to regret that decision when the reality of adulthood kicks in. It’s not all freedom and fun; adulthood comes with its downsides. These kids are going to be met with a rude awakening when they realize it’s not the ideal image they have in mind.”