wanted to add that I believe most teens still go through the awkward phase….. offline. Social media purports a certain image. However, most teens look way more put together than the ones in decades past; thanks to social media. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but social media accelerates and exacerbates the negative effects that have already been present for ages.
i agree this isnt entirely new - when i was in high school i remember saying to my friend why is everyone trying to grow up and look mature so much lets just be kids - and that was in 2014-2016
as a teen girl the pressure to "glow up" is so suffocating. 14 year olds looking 20 something is wild to me. I love being a teen and to other teens, there's no rush to grow up. be a kid.
Fr, there are so many teenagers that look so much older than they are. If someone comments on how a teenager looks like a 20-year-old, because of their clothes/makeup, some people are told that they're the weird ones for looking at them like that and that their thinking is "out of date," and how fashion for the younger generation is always changing.
That's what I told my mom once ,I'm tryna be a kid as long as I can . Like I still watch so called "childish" things and get judged for it but there are kids who are younger than me when i was in school that discussed s*x and how they be sleeping around and its just.....yeah so all of them are in such a rush to grow up not realizing growing up can be a pain
as a 15 year old, it feels like there is so much pressure to grow up faster and dress like you’re an adult. and i feel like this is happening to kids younger and younger and this is causing people to grow up WAY to fast and not have as much of a childhood with no responsibilities and expectations etc.
As a 24 yr old, you’re right on the money! I think that’s why you have so many young adults then acting more childish, less responsible for their actions- more generally immature! They didn’t give themselves the chance to be young when they were, so they inadvertently are trying to live that way, but as an adult. It’s sad. Be a kid as long as you can! Your future self will thank you💜
Exactly, there are some people who grew up in a very strict, religious or in an abusive house weren't allowed to have an "Awkward" phase or explore their identity and were forced to grow very fast for various reasons.
@@sarahc.839completely true at 19 I wish I enjoyed acting like a kid more at 12-18 instead of putting in so much pressure on myself to be mature and strong
“Cringe culture” and fear of public ridicule, definitely contributes to this issue. Nowadays, teens can’t act like teens, without the internet dog piling on them. I’ve seen teens express that they don’t want to be “cringe” like their peers. And its like…”Y’all aren’t “cringe”, y’all are children. And that’s ok.” The internet bullies children into behaving like adults, and act surprised when they do. 😞
I’m 17 currently, I was heavily bullied in middle school for simply enjoying dolls, toys, etc and I had undiagnosed autism at the time so having peers bully me for simply being “cringe” made it hard for me to express who I was for a long time
I remember playing with dolls up until I was 12/13 y/o (I remember feeling like that too) but your still technically a kid at 17…. Enjoy your childhood/teen years because it goes so fast. Many kids don’t understand this until there older. There’s nothing wrong with you hun! 🙂
don't worry im 22 yrs old and still have toys especially video games and japanese anime plushies and im not embarrass to admit it they are pretty cool plushies and i love collecting it especially nintendo video game plushies
anything and everything that a teenage girl likes has been relentlessly ridiculed and overhated that I think the internet has bullied the awkward phase out of them. Think abt it: tiktok, astrology, makeup, boy bands, sleepovers, fanfiction, romcoms and books about love. the list could go on - all of it is "cringe" and embarrassing. Even brands and creators that are aimed at young girls are hated such as justice and jojo siwa. The hate towards teenage girls, especially on the internet is so normalised that we don't even realise it - even when its this incredibly blatant. Sorry for the long, probably quite rambly paragraph 😭😭 this is just something that really boils my blood lol
Even think about how Meg was treated on adult swim. The way adult writers wrote a teenage girl to be mistreated because she was going through an awkward/developing phase of life.
this is exactly why i lost my teen years. now ironically enough, at 23, i still feel like that same traumatized teenager deep down inside. it held me back instad of helping my grow up even if that was the intention of the bullying.
To be fair I think the "awkward phase" might just look different now. There are so many young girls who glue 30 billion lashes to their eyelids and use orange spray tans and countour themselves to look 40 years old. They will look back on themselves and think of that time in their life as their awkward phase
as a 16 year old girl it's mostly because many adults in my life have told me to "grow up" or "be more mature" and because of those adults i feel as if i matured too fast for a 16 year old.
Ah I see. Adults have told me as a teen, “When you act like an adult, I’m gonna treat you like an adult,” I guess that’s why. I’m sorry you had to mature fast. I want to be a teacher when I grow up, and I hope my future kids are comfortable being kids.
You’re 16 so you’re a young woman. You should enjoy your life, plan your future, your friends and family and significant other, you can work at most places and learn how to drive but you’re never too old for Disney or toys etc im in my 30s and still like bows, cartoons etc
@@dontmindme.imjustafraidofe9327 adults tell me the same exact thing omg. and same here i just want kids in the future to be able to move slowly and enjoy their life as kids
@@dontmindme.imjustafraidofe9327have you seen that video with the kindergarten teacher saying how the children wants to listen to pound town and SKEEYEE
My daughter is almost 17 and I worry about this alot. I finally let her have a tictok account (with the agreement that I approve all posts) She thinks I'm being controlling or overprotective, but I'm just being safe. I grew up way too fast, was pregnant at 15. So it makes me sad to see teen girls wanna grow up.
Understood! It’s good that you’re monitoring what she posts and looks at. Teens have their wholeeeee lives to be adults, so you have to preserve your youth while you can!
As a 17 year old, you're doing the right thing here. Unrestricted access to the internet should be EARNED, not given. Just like any other privilege (like a later curfew or allowance).
Quarantine started when i was 15. Naturally, out of boredom i turned to social media. It's wild to me that at that time i was concerned about my baby fat on my face my lack of curves and other natural thing that a 15 year old girl who just starts developing, have or won't have. I wanted to experience the life of a 22 year old woman... Now im 18, soon to be 19 and i just embrace my age. I love being in my late teens and im excited to be 20 in my 20's and 50 in my 50's. I think every stage of life has a certain magic to it. social media will keep doing what it does best- take the magic out of life...
Exactly! I feel like Gen Z has this fear of aging, which is so sad to me bc every stage of life is such a beautiful gift. Sometimes I feel like I’m so old already but when i look with perspective I realize that I’ve only lived a quarter of my life lol. I totally agree with you! 🩷
To me its crazy that I’m only a year or two older then these “kid influencers” and I don’t act/look like them at all and I’m still in my awkward phase which often causes me to compare to them.(which I’m trying my best not to do)
I get it! It’s not easy to see so many girls around your age looking and acting so different, you start questioning if you’re doing something wrong, etc etc. but what helped me back then was recognizing that all that glitters isn’t gold! A lot of it is just looks- and it’s possible that these girls really aren’t as content/fulfilled as they look . I hope that helps ❤️
Also I want to note this starts with parents. About 15 years ago I started noticing this trend of seeing parents speak to treat their babies as if they were full grown adults. Example, being at the mall; a mom holding her infant as he squirms and coos/babbles. Her response? "Wtf are you doing? You look like a damn fool cutting up like that." I noticed it more and more that a lot of parent in that age bracket of young infants to toddlers 10-15 years ago would speak to their little ones as if instead of children with a set developmental stages, they were grown ups choosing to act up. Normal kid and baby behaviors were met and spoken to as if an adult was talking to another adult who was just acting goofy and being annoying vs an actual child or toddler speaking and acting at their developmental stage
I find that only with young parents, older couples who planned or wanted children do not speak to their children that way, has little to do with it tbh, but who knows.
I see what you mean by that. Lots of childish behavior when a kid is very little is discouraged. I do believe that when I have kids I won’t use baby talk too much, as I want them to be able to speak well and clearly from young (it’s how my parents raised me!) i may use the baby tone depending on how old they are but my words will be mature loll. I think lots of parents nowadays just don’t have patience, and they chastise their kids for being kids. I also hate when parents curse at their kids .. it irritates me so much 💀💀
@@JuliaBoateng oh i agree the baby talk thing drives me nuts! but i think what i've seen is less like speaking to them as adults and more scolding them like they're your friend cutting up and acting goofy instead of just...normal development - wiggling in a stroller, babbling, cooing, even crying. i've seen parents speak to their little ones as if the're grown adults simply acting up than actual months-old infants or little toddlers.
I graduated in 2019, and I’m pretty sure we were the last gen that could wear cat ears and be super cringy in middle school without the fear that we might be filmed for TikTok ridiculed!
Sigh. In 2022 in eighth grade I wore 😺 ears for a few months and was called a furry, crazy cat lady, weirdo. After a few months of this verbal abuse I stopped.😿 I want to wear cat ears as a freshman without losing my friends and popularity ya know?😿 😿but…..it’s……just….not……possible.
I also graduated in 2019 and I somewhat agree but we also had people posting things like that on Instagram, Snapchat, and UA-cam. TikTok has just exacerbated it.
Ugh it's just so ridiculous when people treat WEARING CAT EARS like it's some heinous crime or offense. I already commented but those kinds of people who had the confidence to be weird and different were my favorite people all throughout school (I'm in college now and that's still my crowd lol) and it breaks my heart that the kids and teens of today feel like they can't even step a toe out of line by WEARING A HEADBAND without being mercilessly bullied by strangers. Ofc if someone is being disruptive, like meowing in class or like hissing at people or something, that's a different situation. A person should be learning situational awareness of when behavior is ok and when it's not. But literally just existing peacefully, not hurting themselves or anyone else, should not be punished.
As a young adult and teacher (24), I can confirm that young pre-teens/teens are being pressured to grow up faster. I think this is happening due to the media and lack of proper pre-teen/teen content. I remember being 12/13 and watching pretty little liars because it was the “teen” thing to do. Years later after college, I watched Henry Danger and was surprised to watch content that matched the demographic it was aimed at. It’s a mixture of media, peer pressure/peer expectations. I was a freshman in high school still playing with my dolls and while some may find that weird, it was what I was into. I would even say siblings play a part. I am an eldest child but my step mom had daughters who were older than me. So when I saw them at my dad’s house, I looked up to them including what they wearing and watching. Yet when I was at home, I was the oldest and could do what I wanted to without any pressure from others and had my mom supporting my brother and I with whatever we wanted. I think the best solution is to allow young people to navigate it through their eyes with parents acting as guiders instead of enforcers or enablers. *Think of a guard rail at the bowling alley, it can support someone learning but after a while, the person no longer needs it. Hopefully this gets society discussing about education, parenting, and even the media influence on developing youth. This is such a broad topic that I didn’t even talk about social media involvement too.
I agree! There’s not enough teen content nowadays! I feel like there’s been erasure of pre teens in media lately. This conversation goes so deep it’s insane.
I wouldn’t necessarily say there isn’t enough content but it is easier to see more mature shows due to the availability with streaming. A trending show like euphoria is so easy to want to watch but actually triggering.. it’s ‘normalized’ to watch these even as a preteen while when I was growing up the horror I saw on the internet was for me and my friends. But even at those times I was aware that watching nickelodeon and disney was lame so I didn’t talk about it, but even then the pressure was there.. Also 24 by the way but living in the Netherlands where shows always were a bit later due to translation
These poor girls are so brainwashed they will say you are jealous when you point out that its dangerous to post themselves on social media literally half naked etc. I feel bad for them
My friends’ 14 year old daughter went from being a little kid to being an adult overnight. And I don’t mean metaphorically, I mean literally. So she was a child wearing sweats and playing with her skateboard, and the next day she’s wearing makeup, dying her hair, wearing tight clothes, and rolling her eyes. I feel so validated by your video because it confirms it wasn’t my imagination that she lost her childhood suddenly and not gradually.
I get your comment, but at the same time I dont, because I don't get how tight clothes and makeup make you an adult, mentally wise it does not and that 14 year old was very much still a kid......
@@cariannafriday4525 I meant visually and behaviorally. I don’t have the ability to get inside of her head or to know her feelings, because I’m a separate person than her. So I’m talking about from the perspective of a person who outside of her being.
@dorkusamericanus6660 As a millennial, we all been through the awkward stage in middle school and whatnot. But the growth of technology in today’s world has put way more pressure on today’s Genz’s to look “perfect”. Kids today, can easily filer out photos to make them look better and they have the luxury of retaking selfies on their phone until they look “good”. Bullying is also way worse for todays kids as it involves social media. Not to mention the influence and exposures.
I’m 21, and got my hair dyed and styled maybe 3 times throughout my entire childhood, while my 15 year old sister gets her monthly hair appointments, as well as nail maintenance for her acrylics… It’s baffling as to why parents do this for any 14/15 y/o. But to be fair, I was not cool in school, and my sister has a multitude of friends. As soon as I turned 14, my parents told me if I wanted anything that I need to get a job to pay for it. My $200 pay checks were never enough to make myself a hair appointment, and that wasn’t something my parents could afford. I never thought about it though. It wasn’t something we did as kids, unless your family had money or hair experience from school. I’m not sure what the fixation is with needing all these changes so young, it’s strange to me.
In many white communities girls getting their hair dyed at 14 has always been normal. For decades. Like it’s always has been a thing for teenage white girls to dye their hair blonde
@@mindingmybusiness3915 ok but it’s always been a thing for teenage white girls to dye their hair blonde when they’re young teenagers. Even in the 90’s it was super common for teenagers to dye their hair with stripy highlights and frosted tips
The point you bring up about money is interesting though. I think when we were growing up our parents also looked at money differently and were definitely not handing it over to us like they do our younger siblings and these other teens out here. Therefore we didn’t get to invest in a lot of trends that would make us look older
@@Dolphinboi I'm aware of that I heard of bottle blonde insults as well as them going to get roots touch up. I also heard some lying about being a natural blonde. It's all I heard about in the 00s.
Her mom is Shanna Moakler. She was in beauty pageants, modeled, TV personality, and a playmate. So yeah, that girl probably has influence coming from every side. I’m not judging her either. I believe women should be allowed to feel sexy and beautiful and where what they want. But women. Not little girls. Little girls don’t have the mental capacity to understand what kind of attention comes along with looking a certain way and dressing a certain way.
Agreed. Alabama’s almost 18 now- so I’m sure once she hits the age it’ll become a complete non issue to many- but it’s sad that it’s gotten to this point. She doesn’t seem like she’s enjoying it either, with her many comments on the hate she receives.
Actually a lot of them do understand the attention it brings and think they’re so cool getting older guys interested in them. They don’t have the capacity to understand those guys are pedophiles.
it’s kind of wild how different things can change within a few years. i’m probably 2-3 years younger than you & when EYE was 12-13 we were all on instagram already & being sexy was the thing. i got called childish at 17 just bc i was dressed like a girl! so insane.
Yeah! I feel like instagram really became what it became in 2016. Maybe 2015? But vine was so popular back in 2015. By 2016 I was 18. it changed so drastically in between those years!! That’s really wild , social media has warped people so much 💀
Julia ‼ This is a great topic. I've noticed this too. The era of the "Instagram Baddie" has really taken over. Social media has pressured some teens into adapting quick for how to look so to speak.
I'm 16 and I wish we still had that awkward phase normalised, I'm so tired of both consciously and subconsciously always trying to be "the coolest in the room" or like sexualising myself so guys can like me, I just want to be a silly teenage girl is that too much to ask 😓😭
I'm 16 too so I feel you. Whenever I find myself wondering if I should start sexualizing myself so boys can like me more or try to glow up faster, I just remind my self to give me some more time to grow and to not be afraid of being a little cringe and silly because I will never be a teenager again so now is the time ❤
😿I feel you. I am a popular girl in school as a freshman and have a longing for cat ears😿. I wish I could just wear them all the time without losing everything😿. I wore them a lot in eighth grade from September to February and got a lot of annoying verbal microaggressions from people on the bus in my elementary school. It was from JK-8. I was the weird cat ear wearing aggressive girl who constantly opened the window to stare out of it. The cat ears and staring out of the window was an addiction, a time to daydream and think in an aesthetic, quiet atmosphere. I was on my knees on my seat staring out. I was called creepy for that. Sorry I’m ranting😹 I just want this emoji to 🐱 not mean a girl’s privates ya know! I just want it to mean a cat!!!
Here's some advice coming from a 21 year old woman for all of you in the comments. Don't bother sexualizing yourself for a guy. Let me guess, the boys in your class don't bother going to hair appointments, nails appointments, or wearing tailored suits everyday. If they won't put in the effort to make themselves as attractive as possible for girls, then why should girls put in effort that won't be reciprocated?
You can definitely be that just stay away from people that make you feel awkward really don't let anyone to stop you from enjoying your teenage days cause they're like the best time to your life you don't want to look back tomorrow when you're an adult and regret not enjoying your teenage days enough it's not cringe and there's nothing wrong with it okay sending hugs ❤️
As a middle schooler, I feel like the influence of social media and Gen Z culture over the past decade or so have many girls like me stuck. I to sometimes feel the need that I have to grow up faster because the way the world is spiriling and so are my hormones 😂
@@psychedelicyeti6053 Oh it's just because I've always been very good at reading and writing, to the point where I'm in a special class 😂 Or we're probably just different generations... (I'm also 11 btw)
Teen girls nowadays don’t have a space for them. Back then teen girls had Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel etc. Those things aren’t relevant anymore…so these girls go and look up to IG models, female rappers and adult UA-camrs
I think what has happened is there used to be a "tween" phase which was that in between stage between kid and teen age. But that no longer exists. So it feels like many kids are skipping this phase straight into a teen and then into adulthood. Society used to cater to the tween phase. There used to media for the "tween". Now there's either media for kids or media for adults. There is no in-between anymore and it has shaped the way kids see themselves today.
You are 💯 right. I'm 23 from India. I got Instagram back in 2013. That first year was good and simple, but in 2014 when Kylie Jenner's selfie got viral and Kim Kardashians waist training selfies were everywhere, that genuinely affected my body image so much so that I used to tie my waist all day with a shawl to get an hourglass figure. 2014 is when it all changed, plastic surgery, lip fillers, bbls that's when it all exalarated.
I’m 15 and I wish I looked older but now I’ve become content. People think I am 13 but I think I’ll enjoy it when I’m older and look young. I think it may also be because I dress modestly but idk
Saw a 7 year old wearing clothes that a 16 year old would wear (crop top, short shorts, makeup, etc) and I definitely think that a huge part of the problem now is the parents. The mom was on the younger side and when you truly look at the difference between older parents and younger ones, the social norms are completely different. Some of these kids are getting handed an ideal at the age of 5 on how to look, it’s suffocating to see me little sister trying to fit into how a young adult looks. It’s literally terrifying to know that when I was 10 I wanted a monster high doll house. She’s 10 and she wants the newest iPhone, makeup, crop tops, etc. - It’s just scary how these kids are growing up now
11:06 THIS IS WHAT I KEEP SAYING!! im a flat 14 year old and i always wanted to be more curvy. people tell me that im part of the trend now but it doesn’t change anything since the effect of the bbl trend was so heavy on me. i don’t think i’ll ever be happy to be flat as a teen. the effect was to big and pushed!!!
Girl!! Please know that you’re gorgeous the way you are. I said this in another comment, but a lot of girls who have these figures/got BBL’s, aren’t even happy with themselves. That’s why they feel like they have to keep changing with these trends, because they don’t know themselves and are not secure within their own individuality. They’re not content or fulfilled. Your body is not a trend. My best advice is do what makes you feel like your best self. Eat right, workout, drink your water. You’ll be good! 💕
I’m 28 and I am always saying this!! I’m so thankful I was a kid/teen before social media blew up how it did even if it did make me have a bad awkward phase lol. Once again a great video!
I want to add, I feel like a lot of teenagers are scared of getting older, and I’m not talking about “ugh I don’t want to be old and wrinkly” like their scared to even touch 20. So I feel like alot of them are trying to do everything while they’re teenagers, until they realize they have a whole life ahead of them. Social media doesn’t help when you see young people getting their own apts, buying luxury cars, being young parents and showing only the good parts, which makes it look easy, etc.
Honestly as a 15yr old. I find it ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! That a PARENT would let their daughters act so womanish at my age. Its mentally affects them in ways that you can’t even believe. 99% of the time I talk to a girl my age she has no interest in school, no interest in respecting herself, no interest in knowing her place. It’s so damn cringy and it ain’t cute. Cardi B and Conner from 5th period won’t get you a job. Connor doesn’t even look at you. Nor does Cardi lol. Know you place and know your age. You are a girl who is yet to become a woman.
I know right! It’s literally insane to me. Social media’s standards has literally pressured them into Caring about their looks 24/7. They’re afraid to be a child because social media says it’s “Cringey”. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. I wish parents could comfort their child and remind them that it’s okay to be themselves, to explore and figure out what they like which will help them grow up to be a well rounded person.
@@Beautifulm3rcy well millennials are to blame. They are supposed to show us the way but instead they sit in their over priced apartments with 6 months of backed rents due next week chasing fame that will never happen and in the process TRASHING our generation.
I'm a boy and I don't get girls at all... like even if they know you they just stare straight ahead walking down the hall and look angry. They don't say anything to you even if you've talked to them before. It's like they have to force themselves to act a certain way and it really is sad, I feel for them. You can just tell so many are under peer pressure/social media pressure to never smile so they don't get wrinkles (heard that one straight from a girl-friend)
I’m 14 and It’s not that I don’t want to I enjoy a lot of stuff that is considered cringy and awkward But all the girls my age are so pretty and mature and I don’t want to look babyish
Enjoy being young 😭 life comes at you VERY fast. You will have plenty of time to work and struggle and grind in a few years. And you will pray to god that you could go back to being a teenager with somebody else paying your bills
i’m 16, a junior in hs, and i’ve vaguely known some of the freshmen since elementary school- lots of them wear tons of makeup & have their hair done well & are just super pretty in general, and they’re only 2 years younger than me & i know they weren’t just born that way. i had a similar experience when i was a 14yo too, but people were basically just alt 2020 “egirl” and i always thought that looked bad so i felt fine. i wasn’t hideous in freshman year but compared to now, i didn’t have my “look” together AT ALL, and how would i have figured that out that early??? i would be so insecure if i was in the class of 2027 rn. freshmen even make me feel insecure NOW. i’m not that much older than you so i’m not the best person to give advice but try your best not to judge yourself too hard because you’ll figure it all out eventually… idk how easy that’ll be if your school is anything like mine but just give yourself some grace
You don't want to look mature! You're still a teen. This is because... The only ones who care how "mature" freshmen girls in high school look are creepy adult men who have no business interacting with high schoolers. Enjoy whatever you want. Anybody who judges can get their ass back to their own life.
Yeah but ask yourself do you really want those girls to be in your circle? You just are the way you need to be, nothing wrong with you at all. Everybody else probably feels the same way. You're trying to get approval in the wrong places fr a lot of those girls can turn on you just to look good for their friends and you won't see it coming
i'm in my 30s and when i was in high school i think this was just beginning. i remember going to a dance and a friend and i had so much fun together. we were having fun and being silly and dancing goofy. we were like...13/14? anyway the next day at school a lot of kids came up to us and made fun of us. we hadn't been obnoxious, we were just having fun together but because we didn't stand perfectly still and just "sway" to the music, we were weird. i remember volunteering with 2nd graders and it was starting even that young. little girls would do things being just little girls and the popular girl would give her a disgusted look and say "ugh why are you acting like this." meanwhile the popular girl/s would act like little mini teenagers. it's like they weren't allowed to just be kids. it was really very sad.
Middle school was my awkward phase and everyone else too. Today, teens don’t need to feel scared and awkward about taking pictures because of filters and they have the luxury of seeing a picture after its been taken, unlike the disposable cameras.
oh no as a 16 yo, born in 07, I had an awkward phase when I was 12-14 and most of my friends did too. Messy eyeliner, haircuts and hair colours that didn't rlly flatter us, doubting of how we wanted to present ourselvesregarding gender bc we just went thru puberty and felt weird, not knowing how we wanted to dress like... etc
Same!!!! Its problem w teenagers that started being a teenagers after pandemia, after 2022 tbh. I think 2007-2008 were the last to experience such phase without judging
lemme just say as a girl who is currently a teenager, we still have an awkward phase and most of us don't wear makeup it's just that those who do are the popular kids so there is a lot of pressure to wear a lot of make up anr have perfect hair, similar to how teen guys are pressured into working out and dieting a lot.
This. im 14 rn and i think im still going through an awkward phase, im aware but that doesn’t mean I’ll rush it 😭. People see teens on the internet and make assumptions about all of us, that’s the problem 🤨 or atleast that’s what it look like.
something i noticed that’s a huge difference between my generation (millennial) and my youngest sister’s generation ( specifically 2005 & up gen z ) is that with millennials the “expectation” of looking older was on a much smaller scale, mostly contained in your high school/middle school. whereas younger generations now have to compete with the entire internet, and being bombarded not only with curated images of people but also their own peers curating their own image. as a millennial, i was ( and am 🙈 ) in the emo/goth/scene groups and there was an “expectation” of looking more mature/thinner/a specific way, except when looking back it seems those influences were on a much smaller scale. especially since my primary inspo was specifically from myspace or going to concerts. whereas now, i can see multiple images across various social media sites of emo/scene/goth curated inspiration and people. everything is just so much more wide spread and available for consumption compared pre-2010 internet. idk if any of that made sense, i just needed to talk about it 🤓🤓
I feel like the awkward phase still kind of exists? I mean don’t get me wrong the pressure to grow up is insane, but considering how I, and my friends dressed at 12-14, it was definitely a “pre-teen”, “young” aesthetic. Mind you I’m nearly 18 so some might have changed in the last couple years, but i don’t think the “awkward phase” is in real danger of disappearing.
Nah I agree with you! I just think now with social media, the awkward phase is hidden way more. From my vantage point, I feel like lots of teens looked way more put together now then when I was their age lol- the “baddie” aesthetic is pushed way more now
@@JuliaBoateng that’s definitely true! There is a notable lack of “younger-teen” clothes at all, so kids have to look at older styles. But why would companies bother wasting money making appropriate clothes if kids will wear adult things? It’s a bit gross that 13 year olds are considered in the same market as 21 year olds.
@@tenor1190 The other day I walked into the zara kids section and it was all basically the women’s clothes but in petite. I was seeing bodycon dresses, crop tops etc for ages 6-12 🙆♀️😭
Me: Who's nearly 18, yet still has a baby face and a voice that is still high pitch. I'm still in my awkward phase, could because i'm asian xD On a serious note though, I think the concept of "glow up," (at a young age) can be quite toxic. In this particular generation, there are literally 12-year-olds wearing makeup, crop tops, and really risky clothing, some of them even have fillers. It's okay to have an awkward phase. The human body doesn't actually finish developing until a person is of age of 25, so it's quite problematic that there are literal teenagers having plastic surgeries and fillers.
As much as I do agree with what people in the comments and what this video is saying, I also feel like these videos always come from people who haven't experienced this type of a culture shift at a young age. This is no hate to Julia, I actually felt that this video was very informed and well made however I just wanted to point that out. I'll be 16 in a few weeks, and here is my two cents on the matter: I feel that I was lucky enough to experience an awkward phase. I actually think your awkward phase doesn't end until you graduate but that's just me. My "awkward phase" that we can actually pigeonhole as being an "awkward phase" that the comments are describing it as, then I was in this phase from ages 10 - 14. It was when I had my awkward length of hair, I was at that awkward age, I didn't or didn't know how / my parents didn't let me wear any makeup, I didn't have my own style it's just what I was bought, etc. But my twist on this matter is that I actually believe that young teen girls, or "tweens" actually do have this awkward phase today; *it's just not represented to us*. Okay okay, I know what you might be thinking. "But, what about all these sephora kids we're seeing everywhere?!" And yes, it's true. But I'm struggling to put together why the blame always seems to land on these teenage girls, rather than the parents. From ages 10-14 (in this case I'm going to go further and say 9-14) parents should be keeping track and keeping tabs on their kids anyway. So why is it "omg look at that girl, how bratty!" than it being "omg look at that girl, where are her parents?" and while parents can't be held 100% responsible for the overconsumption of social media, they should be the ones protecting their kids. Furthermore, this entire situation has been created because of social media. And as we should all know by now, nothing on her is ever 100% true or honest or real. Which is what brings me to my next point; The fact that I'd say the majority of kids don't actually act or look like this. What we're being fed on social media, is most definitely true to some extent. You'll see these kids out and about, sure. However, take it from me, I go to an all girls school at an age where I can indeed justify, it's not all of us. In fact, there is a large number of us that aren't like how these comments are describing. To continue, I in fact do think and do recognise what an "awkward phase" looks like. It's only because of a huge cultral shift due to social media does it look so different than it used to. These tweens looking like adults or trying to be adults or being chronically on tiktok IS the awkward phase. The tailored shorts, the crop tops, the expensive makeup, the 10 year olds *trying* to look like they're 25; When you think about it, it's a little funny. These little girls running around thinking they're older than they are, sounds familiar, doesn't it? We've all been there whether we like to admit it or not, it just looks different for each generation. The bottom line is, kids thinking they're older than they are. Whether that is just in internal mindset, a mindset driven my social media, a mindset driven by culture like around 30+ years ago (70's, 80's, 90's, early 2000's), etc. thanks for listening to my ted talk: the perspective of an actual teenage girl
As a middle schooler part of the reason you are seeing all these teen girls looking not awkward and looking so mature is because they are the ones gaining platforms. In my day to day life I see most of the girls in my school looking they're age, not exactly that justice kind of awkward or when I see videos of the 2000's adults reminiscing about they're awkward teen years but not overly mature or overly sexualized. And also a major impact of kids not having the awkward anymore is social media because there's so much that can help you look older or just learn how to look better (ex. makeup tutorials, tips on how to dress, and how to style your hair). They are helping us all look better and its working. Also a lot of times the awkwardness we have is just simply covered up with a pretty face and hair (I'm not insulting it anyone though), all the pretty girls I know or all the girls I perceive as pretty, they still have a bit of a "quirkiness" or something that simply makes them younger, like our obsession with anime or videogames. Also the clothes, we are just emulating what we are seeing and a lot of that is skimpier tighter fitting clothes, that's what's currently popular. Also that's basically all they sell in stores, so unless we try and find not tight/cropped shirts or something 1. its not as cute. 2. its usually not our age (ex. too young/too old) so that will also age us more. Also as a teenager my awkward phase was during covid and my first year of middle school because I had acne and stuff like that and it was mostly my behavior (I was in my pick me phase but I'm over that now). I don't currently look unlike my age aside from how tall I am (14 and 5'10), but I definitely have improved my physical appearance (not as awkward and more grown into my features). So another factor could be that the awkward phase was during covid when we all had constant access to tik tok people learned how to style and do they're hair and there was a little more experimentation.
im barely 14 but i can confidently say that i an in no rush to grow up. i do look older than my age not because i try to but js bc of how i am. i dont have any social media and honestly i feel like its a good thing because yes im still exposed to stuff but i dont have the “glow up” trend up my ass. a big thing also for ppl around my age is like “oh you need a bf/gf” or “your weird if u havent had sex yet” its like im 14 im not gonna go around dating for fun and having sex whenever i want. theres also a lot of pressure to show off your body with like the “body goals” or like having to look a certain way at 14. many girls i know are made fun of for being “flat” when in reality we all know its js like a matter of development ykwis. its just amazing to me how even as a 14 year old girl, i can say that we are growing up way too fast.
You should look into the cohort effect in adolescent psychology its really interesting and shows why the phrase “back in my day” remains so relevant… loved the video 💕
omg one of my close friends found her DSi and showed me pics of us and i screamed 😂 but it reminded me of the easy days man! i think its unfortunate that younger girls are feeling pressure to glow up so fast and fit an aesthetic. we have so many years ahead of us to find ourselves and be grown lol trusttt
As a mid gen z, idk about young gen z/gen alpha but I feel like at least for people my age, we did have awkward phases but just a lot younger, and were then quickly pressured/bullied out of it by the time we got to highschool
Julia! We’re both the same age 😄 When you brought up the past experiences of being a teen in the early 2010s it brought up so many memories!! (good & bad) I do think that there’s always a push for teen girls to grow up faster than their male counterparts (aesthetically) because I definitely felt that when I was a teen, but I agree with you that a lot of us back were just focused on our little community (school friends) Now that social media platforms have algorithms that reach a larger audience, there’s more eyes on the current teen demographic than ever before, and that is really troubling imo
Agreed!!! Social media always had these issues but at least with us it was confined to who you knew in real life (mostly) now with millions of other people it’s insane!
It’s the first time I came across your channel and with this video I felt we had the same experiences growing up: the Nintendo DS photos, 2009-2010 Facebook, 2013 Instagram and the exact same pre teen/teen pictures 😂 Love the topic and I’ll subscribe to your channel 🙌🏼
Personally, i feel like this type of stuff has stunted my growth as a person. I've morphed into what people want me to be as an adult(which im working on) I was bullied heavily for doing what i think would be considered normal for a child I read books and fanfiction I ate junk food. i played outside (mostly by myself and mostly climbed a big tree in my yard) I did weird makeovers I smiled big in pictures and now i feel like everything i did is now considered cringe and i see my little sibling and every kid i know now is just trying to be what they see and its destroying them( alot of the stuff is private but just know its a combination of things but social media and its norms are both contributing factors) It's heartbreaking to see that kids aren't being kids anymore 💔
I still remember my DS and my DSI. My dad sent them to family in West Africa (he used to do that with all me and my sister’s old electronics) so my pics are all lost media. 😭 Flipnote Hatena was life though. 😂
ohhhh no! gave my DSi to my little cousin, and before i did I made sure I backed all the photos up to my SD card 😭 lol and same, all my old toys and clothes are in Ghana now
Im so glad i had an awkward phase, even if it led to me being bullied all throughout middle school. It definitely helped me grow and find my true self, my style, interests, friends & such. It also left me with green stains in my hair from blue hair dye 😭
A year or two ago, I found people our age and younger seeming to talk about how they are using the Internet less and less. I even heard that old cheap not smart phones are becoming more and more popular. In about 5 to 10 years, I predict the victims of family channels are going to create an anti-social media wave that won't last very long, but will be heard around the world.
I'm still awkward so....., but I love your videos and how you elaborate on these topics. Also yes girl I still have my Ds and hoping to get a charger so I can see all of the pics I took as a kid 😂 I also grew up in the 200s
@gali_duh As a middle schooler, I used to be ashamed of my awkward phase. But looking back, I’m actually glad awkward phases existed. It was a blessing in disguise. todays world revolves around social media and the pressure to have the most followers and likes on Instagram and Tik tok. I can’t imagine being a 13 year old 8th grader and feeling pressured to take the most perfect selfies and appearing flawless and being shamed for not having enough “likes” or content on social media. For us, My Space become a thing during my sophomore year of high school, and even then, people weren’t as obsessed with social media like they are now.
I graduated high school this year and many of the girls around me didn’t wear makeup. Like at all. Only some did. I think social media portrays a certain image.
The video soeaks volume as a sixteen year old myself. When i look at these pictures and posts, which are girls my age and even seeing kids from my school trying to and looking like these girls. It would make me insecure. Because i wanted to fit in (i was fifteen then ) because of this, i had decided ok i was going to " glow up " this summer. so i had created a schedule to exercise, saved money to buy makeup and clothes, and just tried to glow up. But in the midst of the summer, i had like a character development . I asked myself, "Who are you doing this for?"" And that made my eyes open. I decided then and there that maturing is realizing you only live once, and you only get to be a kid and a teen once, so enjoy it. I deleted instgram and tik tok and started to really work on my favorite hobbies , hanging out with my friends and bettering my relationship with the Lord. Now im sixteen, and yes, i have acne, and i dont have the perfect body. But im content and happy just being who i am.
So true about the impact of social media apps. I was a massively awkward teen when coming up in the 2000s and early 2010s. I didn’t have a facebook account until I was 17 and didn’t even use Instagram until I was in my mid twenties. I’m very thankful for my dad encouraging me to stay off social media. Thankfully all the awkward dancing I did in my room will never be seen lol. My younger cousin is a Gen Z influencer and she has really struggled with mental health issues, mainly anxiety and depression. A lot of it is due to comparison and pressure to maintain an image. She was on social media from a very young age and has experienced cyber bullying too. She’s such a beautiful girl but often doesn’t believe it. I’m just happy she has a very supportive longterm boyfriend and her family around her. I’ve heard of a lot of young girls developing an ED because of what they see on social media. It’s really sad.
I’m 21 and still struggle with my self image sometimes bc of social media. Growing up I used to be super skinny, now since im older I have bigger thighs and more curves. For the longest time I used to hate it bc I look at these girls with skinny waists and bigger legs and always wondered why my waist isn’t skinny like them. Thankfully im a lot better now but sometimes I still struggle (which is normal). I used to love posting sunsets and random memes on insta instead of always posting myself. Social media has changed so much over the years and I know it’s only going to get worse. There’s always some sort of image these people think they need to hold rather than living their life while they’re young
I feel you! Yeah I believe the hold social media has is only going to get worse .. I’m very curious to see the long term effects of social media on millennials, gen z and gen alpha. It’ll be really interesting to see how we turn out once we hit middle age and beyond.
I have to say how much I've noticed kids are now being styled and "beautified" as much as adults, from wayyy before they become teenagers. People in my own family engage in this and I'd honestly not have an issue with it if I didn't see the toxic effect it has on the kids. I do think it often originates with ideas the kids get online, but at times the parents very happily play into everything surrounding the "12 going on 25" image.
They do! Their awkward face is looking adult before adult - like when I mistake a young girl for a short girl from behind, it's so cringe and I can guarantee once they grow up, they will also find themselves dressing as adults as a child cringe too. From mining dresses to blocked and plade pants, theirs something mentally off putting to the adult gaze to see that.
As a middle-schooler, i'm concerned. I grew up quite fast, trying to rush my childhood and become more mature both physically and mentally(mentally to please my parents and adults, physically to seem more sexual since i thought it could've stopped the bullying i was going through) starting at ONLY SEVEN. I felt so much pressure, i feel like i've been cheated out of my childhood, i want it back, but when its gone, its gone. For any young girl reading, please preserve your childhood and youth as long as you can, and for any parents or caregivers raising and taking care of young girls, dont give them that much internet access, it could ruin their childhood.
Social media has ruined us, smh. I feel bad for these kids. There is ABSOLUTELY not need to rush to adulthood. It mostly sucks. Who wants to pay bills and sit in an office all day? 😅
Around 14 was when I first discovered the trend to "look older than your actual age", and I immediately began to obsess over embodying that facade. I got into heavy amounts of makeup, wore mature clothing, and changed my entire personality. I intended to over-sexualize myself online, seeking validation from others. All of this wouldn't have been possible without access to social media e.g. TikTok. Looking back I was very lucky to not have gone viral, or encounter any online creeps. Honestly, I can't help but feel a sense of regret for allowing myself to be swayed so heavily by the influences of social media. However, in the grand scheme of things, I was your average teen who was easily misguided, succumbing to the pressures of growing up faster. Conclusion: I'm now 16 years old, loving the fact that I'm just a teenager, with a little bit more wisdom than before. Not in the mood to rush the process or try and fit into a box. It saddens me to know that many people, mostly young girls, affected by the media in this way, may not have the same ending as I did. Your video truly touches on some real things, that seem to be an up-coming and multifaceted problem that many have yet to unpack. Thank you for speaking on this, and I hope my story resonates with others!
As a 15 yr old, it’s so weird being casually judged just for having acne or even not having acne anymore. ESPECIALLY by other girls, I’d get comments like “tbh I’ve been wanting to give you my skincare routine since I met you,” “omg I want to pop all your pimples so bad,” “omg I cant wait for your glow up/you’ve had such a glow up” It’s so weird to me that people can’t have flaws anymore. It’s one thing to hold yourself to unrealistic standards but to let that effect other people is soooo shitty. I’ve even noticed it in myself lately that I find flaws within myself and immediately try to fix them and follow whatever influencers say to ‘fix it’. I think the growing popularity of aesthetics and living an influencer lifestyle has created a thin line between A) Being healthy and sustainable And B) Becoming obsessive over how healthy and sustainable *you look*
I blame social media culture for sure!!!!!!….i pray for the younger girlsssss, its so much pressure these days….during that time, you dont know yourself, so it is easier….to conform instead of having your own identity
they still go through an 'awkward' stage looks wise bcos...puberty but while wearing acrylics and asking for Charlotte tilbury and drunk elephant. there is no preteen/early teen marketing and BARELY media anymore (think Disney/Nick stars, girl and boy bands) so ofc they are gonna jump onto whatever is trendy for 20 year old girls. my cousin is 12 and last year her Christmas list included a Viviane Westwood necklace and skincare 😭 they look young and ARE young but wanna be grown and consume grown media which I guess everyone did that too as a teen but now its just SO accessible and there are no other options for them.
Hi as someone currently in high-school and has been since 2020 - many people still go through their awkward phase. Everyone really. You just don't see it on social media much.
as a fourteen year old, i would LOVE to be able to just be a kid, but i feel like i can’t. a lot of people in my class dress like adults outside of school, and even in school, they wear makeup and things like that, which is fine, but i want the freedom to be able to not do that. the pressure for me having to dress older doesn’t come from them, though- it comes from my mom. she always tells me i should start wearing makeup and that i’d look better with mascara, and that i “should wear crop tops because now is when your body looks good enough for them!”, even though i’ve expressed repeatedly that i don’t feel comfortable in those types of clothes. i definitely feel like this type of stuff is changing with the times, because my sister is eight years older than me, and i feel like i never saw her wear crop tops or anything like that when she was fourteen.
Ohh, I understand the pressure!!! TBH it's the first I hear about parents telling children to do so??? It's weird, really. Just do your thing and stand up for yourself in that regard!
this is completely off topic but i really liked listening to your voice in this video. whatever microphone or audio set up you have, continue using it. A lot of other youtubers have mics that make the audio sound too strong if that makes sense. Sometimes i get headaches and my ears become sensitive to sound, but your audio here was soft and just perfect!
as a current high schooler without social media, i still feel the pressure to look a certain way even if its not to go viral. im in the theater kid clique and even then i still feel this random pressure and its mostly because kids at my middle school made fun of me for liking kids cartoons and media
the pressures of social media on this is insane, when i was 13/14 i was posting everything on instagram and it was so casual, but now peoples feeds are so curated and everything has to be perfect
I hate when people try to flip the argument and accuse you of insinuating something about a child. Like no, look at this objectively. This child is in danger. I’m sorry, why is she 5, dressed like she’s a 26 yo, doing TikTok dances to a song she has NO business dancing to as a literal child. Some like to play dumb because they hate rules and boundaries of any kind. But we need to keep calling this stuff out to protect the kids. Because I promise not everyone is watching your child dance like a tiny adult for wholesome reasons. Put that child in hip hop and put her on something from justice. Let her grow up naturally. Why is she 5 with an audience? Something else is behind it. Someone is gaining something from it and it is not the kid.
I just turned 23 some days ago. I found out ice spice is the same age as me and i was like wtf????!!! Maybe its so shocking to me because in my country, people my ahe dont typically act or dress like ice spice or even this young girls. Its like a culture shock
The other day i saw a videonhow to glow up as a 10 year old and that's way too young to be worried avout a makeover. I remember being a tween worried about weight gain/loss but we shouldn't be pressuring kids either way.
I have a best friend who wears pastel tank tops, paired with lounge shorts, UGG boots, and scrunchies on her arm, and this was a few days before she turned 15. In my opinion, that is normal at that stage but unfortunately everybody else is showing cleavage and wanting to look “older” and obviously I’m all for dressing how you feel the most comfortable, but sometimes I feel like it’s a bit much and it makes me sad.
They definitely do have an awkward phase. Social media makes it look like they don't. Online they glow up, but on the street, they hide it under a hoodie.
Im 21 and back as as a teen i played with dolls and was always looking rough. I still have those dolls and idc about others view on my life. Take ur time to grow up. Thers no going back when ur grown
If "family" is pushing these girls into this, those girls are being pimped out for money. The creepers and psychos they're being exposed to are real, dangerous, and prone to fixation, which can lead to stalking or worse. Not to mention the fact that this insane BS is corrupting the KIDS' innocence and childhood.
I haven’t watched this yet so I will probably edit when I am done. Honestly, this is their awkward phase. It’s much worse than what we went through because it’s also awkward but in a bad way. I am 22 years old, so I am an older gen z. At 16, I was quite awkward but in a wholesome and innocent way. This was 2017 and 2018. I think my awkward phase hit its peak at 14-15 but finally ended in 2020 lol
I enjoy your insightful commentary in your videos! In the future when you speak on some pop culture events and emerging figures, some quick context for those of us living under a rock would be helpful. I spent the whole video trying to figure out who the heck Alabama Barker is lol. Still don't know who the other mentioned girls are
Because you guys bully us into growing up faster lmao. I’m 13 and I still collect dolls(Bratz, Barbie, Rainbow High, LOL, OMG, etc.). And I get comments from adults like “You still do that…cute.” And when I was 9, I made doll videos on TikTok and on this channel and I got comments like “Ew wtf. Who plays with dolls?” So I kinda lost passion. Now I just embrace it but I’ll never really get that joy from dolls I had before.
I understand! When i was 9 in 4th grade i went to a new school and tried to make a friend so I asked her if she played with dolls and she said she was too old to play with dolls. I was thinking wtf we’re literally 9 😭
I def has an awkward phase form 5-7 I started noticing it in 5th how I dresses differently front some of the other girls like when I got into 6th I noticed how trendy everyone looked
I don't know, but I had an awkward phase. In fact, I'm 17 and I'm *still* in my awkward phase! Everyone around is so beautiful and stylish but not me... I tried to "glow up" and failed so many times that I guess I will just give up and continue to be myself - maybe "ugly", but just because I am incapable of style, makeup and fashion... I'm just a failure and that's it. But maybe I have brains to compensate this.
You’re not a failure sis. I didn’t start genuinely wearing makeup until college, and those early pics were horrendous 😂 i didn’t know how to style my hair. Don’t let your glow up be reflective of society’s “glow up.” That’s a fake glow up. There’s no rush, but take your time to really learn and study yourself. What clothes fit your body shape the best, what kind of makeup fits your personality and matches you the best? You’re still soooo young and have so much time left. Don’t feel pressure to have it all together. I’m 25 now and I’m still figuring out what hairstyles best for my face, how to do different eyeshadow looks 😂 growth is a beautiful thing- embrace it and don’t fight it. God bless ! 💕
You’re probably more beautiful than you realize. I look back at photos when I was that age, when I believed myself to be the odd one out and ugly duckling of the group. In reality, it was in my head because I couldn’t appear as the popular girls + insta baddies. But I was/am beautiful nonetheless. I see that now. But high school me could not see it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may need to change your mind about yourself 💜
wanted to add that I believe most teens still go through the awkward phase….. offline. Social media purports a certain image. However, most teens look way more put together than the ones in decades past; thanks to social media. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but social media accelerates and exacerbates the negative effects that have already been present for ages.
i agree this isnt entirely new - when i was in high school i remember saying to my friend why is everyone trying to grow up and look mature so much lets just be kids - and that was in 2014-2016
really? i would think even things posted online still "count" but yea it wouldnt ALL be posted people choose what they share@@80sCanadian
even in the early 00s yea its normal for teens to not be adults yet but not be younger kids anymore either. it's like in between.@@seamsungg
as a teen girl the pressure to "glow up" is so suffocating. 14 year olds looking 20 something is wild to me. I love being a teen and to other teens, there's no rush to grow up. be a kid.
Good for you! And well said 👏🏿☺️
Fr, there are so many teenagers that look so much older than they are. If someone comments on how a teenager looks like a 20-year-old, because of their clothes/makeup, some people are told that they're the weird ones for looking at them like that and that their thinking is "out of date," and how fashion for the younger generation is always changing.
@@MochieeeMoonwell I personally feel like you can still tell when it's a kid despite the makeup hut I know some people can't
@@dawnwinter-wi4ps to an extent yes, but there are some teenagers that look like a 20 year old
That's what I told my mom once ,I'm tryna be a kid as long as I can . Like I still watch so called "childish" things and get judged for it but there are kids who are younger than me when i was in school that discussed s*x and how they be sleeping around and its just.....yeah so all of them are in such a rush to grow up not realizing growing up can be a pain
as a 15 year old, it feels like there is so much pressure to grow up faster and dress like you’re an adult. and i feel like this is happening to kids younger and younger and this is causing people to grow up WAY to fast and not have as much of a childhood with no responsibilities and expectations etc.
As a 24 yr old, you’re right on the money! I think that’s why you have so many young adults then acting more childish, less responsible for their actions- more generally immature! They didn’t give themselves the chance to be young when they were, so they inadvertently are trying to live that way, but as an adult. It’s sad. Be a kid as long as you can! Your future self will thank you💜
as a 16yo i heavily agree
Exactly, there are some people who grew up in a very strict, religious or in an abusive house weren't allowed to have an "Awkward" phase or explore their identity and were forced to grow very fast for various reasons.
@@sarahc.839completely true at 19 I wish I enjoyed acting like a kid more at 12-18 instead of putting in so much pressure on myself to be mature and strong
@@tedhynes5297they didn’t say that 💀💀
“Cringe culture” and fear of public ridicule, definitely contributes to this issue. Nowadays, teens can’t act like teens, without the internet dog piling on them.
I’ve seen teens express that they don’t want to be “cringe” like their peers. And its like…”Y’all aren’t “cringe”, y’all are children. And that’s ok.” The internet bullies children into behaving like adults, and act surprised when they do. 😞
thanks for sharing, this is a really good point!!
Well yea some things are cringe lol
@@oooh19 Ok..? But their kids, that should be expected
*they're@@OneWithZionz
As a teenager I would also like to avoid being weird at all cost I mean I am weird but I don’t wanna be weird to the point where it’s just gross😂
I’m 17 currently, I was heavily bullied in middle school for simply enjoying dolls, toys, etc and I had undiagnosed autism at the time so having peers bully me for simply being “cringe” made it hard for me to express who I was for a long time
I remember playing with dolls up until I was 12/13 y/o (I remember feeling like that too) but your still technically a kid at 17…. Enjoy your childhood/teen years because it goes so fast. Many kids don’t understand this until there older. There’s nothing wrong with you hun! 🙂
Don’t feel bad girl. You know your age and you know your place. You will succeed in life far more than those who grow up to fast.
don't worry im 22 yrs old and still have toys especially video games and japanese anime plushies and im not embarrass to admit it they are pretty cool plushies and i love collecting it especially nintendo video game plushies
Middle schoolers are especially mean for some reason, I'm sorry you had to go through that.
girl im about to be 18 and i still wanna play with dolls😭 they’re cute im obsessed with bratz and monster high
anything and everything that a teenage girl likes has been relentlessly ridiculed and overhated that I think the internet has bullied the awkward phase out of them. Think abt it: tiktok, astrology, makeup, boy bands, sleepovers, fanfiction, romcoms and books about love. the list could go on - all of it is "cringe" and embarrassing. Even brands and creators that are aimed at young girls are hated such as justice and jojo siwa. The hate towards teenage girls, especially on the internet is so normalised that we don't even realise it - even when its this incredibly blatant.
Sorry for the long, probably quite rambly paragraph 😭😭 this is just something that really boils my blood lol
this is a great point. Teen girls can’t just be teens without being called cringey every second. Then when they act older, it’s a problem.
Even think about how Meg was treated on adult swim. The way adult writers wrote a teenage girl to be mistreated because she was going through an awkward/developing phase of life.
this is exactly why i lost my teen years. now ironically enough, at 23, i still feel like that same traumatized teenager deep down inside. it held me back instad of helping my grow up even if that was the intention of the bullying.
That’s so terrible tbh
To be fair I think the "awkward phase" might just look different now. There are so many young girls who glue 30 billion lashes to their eyelids and use orange spray tans and countour themselves to look 40 years old. They will look back on themselves and think of that time in their life as their awkward phase
Thats a very interesting point.
nah cuz our awkward phases was braces and acne or some no way.
as a 16 year old girl it's mostly because many adults in my life have told me to "grow up" or "be more mature" and because of those adults i feel as if i matured too fast for a 16 year old.
Ah I see. Adults have told me as a teen, “When you act like an adult, I’m gonna treat you like an adult,” I guess that’s why. I’m sorry you had to mature fast. I want to be a teacher when I grow up, and I hope my future kids are comfortable being kids.
You’re 16 so you’re a young woman. You should enjoy your life, plan your future, your friends and family and significant other, you can work at most places and learn how to drive but you’re never too old for Disney or toys etc im in my 30s and still like bows, cartoons etc
@@dontmindme.imjustafraidofe9327 adults tell me the same exact thing omg. and same here i just want kids in the future to be able to move slowly and enjoy their life as kids
@@oooh19 thank you !! many people have told me to stop dressing so girly because i am 16, so this is extremely validating.
@@dontmindme.imjustafraidofe9327have you seen that video with the kindergarten teacher saying how the children wants to listen to pound town and SKEEYEE
My daughter is almost 17 and I worry about this alot. I finally let her have a tictok account (with the agreement that I approve all posts) She thinks I'm being controlling or overprotective, but I'm just being safe. I grew up way too fast, was pregnant at 15. So it makes me sad to see teen girls wanna grow up.
Understood! It’s good that you’re monitoring what she posts and looks at. Teens have their wholeeeee lives to be adults, so you have to preserve your youth while you can!
As someone one year older than your daughter who had unregulated access to the internet, bless your soul.
As a 17 year old, you're doing the right thing here. Unrestricted access to the internet should be EARNED, not given. Just like any other privilege (like a later curfew or allowance).
Quarantine started when i was 15. Naturally, out of boredom i turned to social media. It's wild to me that at that time i was concerned about my baby fat on my face my lack of curves and other natural thing that a 15 year old girl who just starts developing, have or won't have. I wanted to experience the life of a 22 year old woman... Now im 18, soon to be 19 and i just embrace my age. I love being in my late teens and im excited to be 20 in my 20's and 50 in my 50's. I think every stage of life has a certain magic to it. social media will keep doing what it does best- take the magic out of life...
Exactly! I feel like Gen Z has this fear of aging, which is so sad to me bc every stage of life is such a beautiful gift. Sometimes I feel like I’m so old already but when i look with perspective I realize that I’ve only lived a quarter of my life lol. I totally agree with you! 🩷
Even grown women not everyone can have curves. Some people are naturally built a certain way
@@JuliaBoatengexactly same here lol
To me its crazy that I’m only a year or two older then these “kid influencers” and I don’t act/look like them at all and I’m still in my awkward phase which often causes me to compare to them.(which I’m trying my best not to do)
I get it! It’s not easy to see so many girls around your age looking and acting so different, you start questioning if you’re doing something wrong, etc etc. but what helped me back then was recognizing that all that glitters isn’t gold! A lot of it is just looks- and it’s possible that these girls really aren’t as content/fulfilled as they look . I hope that helps ❤️
@@JuliaBoateng your comment did help thank you so much ❤️❤️
Hi! Trust me , once you get into you 19-20s nothing will matter 😊 be YOU and dont care what ANYONE says
Same sis😔🤝
@@BookWormBunch ❤️❤️
Also I want to note this starts with parents. About 15 years ago I started noticing this trend of seeing parents speak to treat their babies as if they were full grown adults. Example, being at the mall; a mom holding her infant as he squirms and coos/babbles. Her response? "Wtf are you doing? You look like a damn fool cutting up like that." I noticed it more and more that a lot of parent in that age bracket of young infants to toddlers 10-15 years ago would speak to their little ones as if instead of children with a set developmental stages, they were grown ups choosing to act up. Normal kid and baby behaviors were met and spoken to as if an adult was talking to another adult who was just acting goofy and being annoying vs an actual child or toddler speaking and acting at their developmental stage
Parents play a role! But society and social media too!
I find that only with young parents, older couples who planned or wanted children do not speak to their children that way, has little to do with it tbh, but who knows.
I see what you mean by that. Lots of childish behavior when a kid is very little is discouraged. I do believe that when I have kids I won’t use baby talk too much, as I want them to be able to speak well and clearly from young (it’s how my parents raised me!) i may use the baby tone depending on how old they are but my words will be mature loll.
I think lots of parents nowadays just don’t have patience, and they chastise their kids for being kids. I also hate when parents curse at their kids .. it irritates me so much 💀💀
@@JuliaBoateng oh i agree the baby talk thing drives me nuts! but i think what i've seen is less like speaking to them as adults and more scolding them like they're your friend cutting up and acting goofy instead of just...normal development - wiggling in a stroller, babbling, cooing, even crying. i've seen parents speak to their little ones as if the're grown adults simply acting up than actual months-old infants or little toddlers.
@@JuliaBoatenglol I’ve been cursed at as a kid it’s not just nowadays lol
I graduated in 2019, and I’m pretty sure we were the last gen that could wear cat ears and be super cringy in middle school without the fear that we might be filmed for TikTok ridiculed!
Sigh. In 2022 in eighth grade I wore 😺 ears for a few months and was called a furry, crazy cat lady, weirdo. After a few months of this verbal abuse I stopped.😿 I want to wear cat ears as a freshman without losing my friends and popularity ya know?😿
😿but…..it’s……just….not……possible.
I also graduated in 2019 and I somewhat agree but we also had people posting things like that on Instagram, Snapchat, and UA-cam. TikTok has just exacerbated it.
Ugh it's just so ridiculous when people treat WEARING CAT EARS like it's some heinous crime or offense. I already commented but those kinds of people who had the confidence to be weird and different were my favorite people all throughout school (I'm in college now and that's still my crowd lol) and it breaks my heart that the kids and teens of today feel like they can't even step a toe out of line by WEARING A HEADBAND without being mercilessly bullied by strangers. Ofc if someone is being disruptive, like meowing in class or like hissing at people or something, that's a different situation. A person should be learning situational awareness of when behavior is ok and when it's not. But literally just existing peacefully, not hurting themselves or anyone else, should not be punished.
maybe, but kids like me wore cat ears and stuff in elementary to like 6th grade 😭 in 7th grade were all "emo" and listening to xxxtentacion
Girl this stuff is talked every year since 2016 that teenagers dont have teen awkward look anymore. Yall are just brainwashed by social media
As a young adult and teacher (24), I can confirm that young pre-teens/teens are being pressured to grow up faster. I think this is happening due to the media and lack of proper pre-teen/teen content. I remember being 12/13 and watching pretty little liars because it was the “teen” thing to do. Years later after college, I watched Henry Danger and was surprised to watch content that matched the demographic it was aimed at.
It’s a mixture of media, peer pressure/peer expectations. I was a freshman in high school still playing with my dolls and while some may find that weird, it was what I was into. I would even say siblings play a part. I am an eldest child but my step mom had daughters who were older than me. So when I saw them at my dad’s house, I looked up to them including what they wearing and watching. Yet when I was at home, I was the oldest and could do what I wanted to without any pressure from others and had my mom supporting my brother and I with whatever we wanted.
I think the best solution is to allow young people to navigate it through their eyes with parents acting as guiders instead of enforcers or enablers. *Think of a guard rail at the bowling alley, it can support someone learning but after a while, the person no longer needs it. Hopefully this gets society discussing about education, parenting, and even the media influence on developing youth. This is such a broad topic that I didn’t even talk about social media involvement too.
I agree! There’s not enough teen content nowadays! I feel like there’s been erasure of pre teens in media lately. This conversation goes so deep it’s insane.
12-13 is normal to try teen things I mean 13 is the beginning of teen years and 12 is close to it.
We loved limited too in my tween and early teen years but it became justice. Many stores are going out of business now.
I'm 23 and also a teacher, and I 100% agree with everything you've said
I wouldn’t necessarily say there isn’t enough content but it is easier to see more mature shows due to the availability with streaming.
A trending show like euphoria is so easy to want to watch but actually triggering.. it’s ‘normalized’ to watch these even as a preteen while when I was growing up the horror I saw on the internet was for me and my friends. But even at those times I was aware that watching nickelodeon and disney was lame so I didn’t talk about it, but even then the pressure was there..
Also 24 by the way but living in the Netherlands where shows always were a bit later due to translation
These poor girls are so brainwashed they will say you are jealous when you point out that its dangerous to post themselves on social media literally half naked etc. I feel bad for them
What I find more disturbing is that sometimes they will take it and even feed it into some narcissistic complex
THISSS this.
When they do not realize self objectification is not power. It is not it!
No one is jealous, sis you’re 16. You’re being used.
My friends’ 14 year old daughter went from being a little kid to being an adult overnight. And I don’t mean metaphorically, I mean literally. So she was a child wearing sweats and playing with her skateboard, and the next day she’s wearing makeup, dying her hair, wearing tight clothes, and rolling her eyes. I feel so validated by your video because it confirms it wasn’t my imagination that she lost her childhood suddenly and not gradually.
I get your comment, but at the same time I dont, because I don't get how tight clothes and makeup make you an adult, mentally wise it does not and that 14 year old was very much still a kid......
@@cariannafriday4525 I meant visually and behaviorally. I don’t have the ability to get inside of her head or to know her feelings, because I’m a separate person than her. So I’m talking about from the perspective of a person who outside of her being.
dyeing your hair doesnt amake you an adult wtf
i think it has a ton to do with social media, that's why we see so many kids at stores that are usually for adults, or at least older teens.
@dorkusamericanus6660
As a millennial, we all been through the awkward stage in middle school and whatnot. But the growth of technology in today’s world has put way more pressure on today’s Genz’s to look “perfect”. Kids today, can easily filer out photos to make them look better and they have the luxury of retaking selfies on their phone until they look “good”. Bullying is also way worse for todays kids as it involves social media. Not to mention the influence and exposures.
I’m 21, and got my hair dyed and styled maybe 3 times throughout my entire childhood, while my 15 year old sister gets her monthly hair appointments, as well as nail maintenance for her acrylics… It’s baffling as to why parents do this for any 14/15 y/o. But to be fair, I was not cool in school, and my sister has a multitude of friends. As soon as I turned 14, my parents told me if I wanted anything that I need to get a job to pay for it. My $200 pay checks were never enough to make myself a hair appointment, and that wasn’t something my parents could afford. I never thought about it though. It wasn’t something we did as kids, unless your family had money or hair experience from school. I’m not sure what the fixation is with needing all these changes so young, it’s strange to me.
In many white communities girls getting their hair dyed at 14 has always been normal. For decades. Like it’s always has been a thing for teenage white girls to dye their hair blonde
@@DolphinboiI didn't dye my hair til I was almost 20 and by then I booked an appt. and was the one paying for it.
@@mindingmybusiness3915 ok but it’s always been a thing for teenage white girls to dye their hair blonde when they’re young teenagers. Even in the 90’s it was super common for teenagers to dye their hair with stripy highlights and frosted tips
The point you bring up about money is interesting though. I think when we were growing up our parents also looked at money differently and were definitely not handing it over to us like they do our younger siblings and these other teens out here. Therefore we didn’t get to invest in a lot of trends that would make us look older
@@Dolphinboi I'm aware of that I heard of bottle blonde insults as well as them going to get roots touch up. I also heard some lying about being a natural blonde. It's all I heard about in the 00s.
Her mom is Shanna Moakler. She was in beauty pageants, modeled, TV personality, and a playmate.
So yeah, that girl probably has influence coming from every side. I’m not judging her either. I believe women should be allowed to feel sexy and beautiful and where what they want. But women. Not little girls. Little girls don’t have the mental capacity to understand what kind of attention comes along with looking a certain way and dressing a certain way.
Agreed. Alabama’s almost 18 now- so I’m sure once she hits the age it’ll become a complete non issue to many- but it’s sad that it’s gotten to this point. She doesn’t seem like she’s enjoying it either, with her many comments on the hate she receives.
shes not a little girl shes an adult
@@izziethetortilla5547 18 years old is not an adult, it's a teen. It's called eight-teen for a reason.......
@@izziethetortilla5547 Anything at school age is little; and I’m saying this as a uni student btw. Frontal lobe doesn’t develop until you’re 25
Actually a lot of them do understand the attention it brings and think they’re so cool getting older guys interested in them. They don’t have the capacity to understand those guys are pedophiles.
it’s kind of wild how different things can change within a few years. i’m probably 2-3 years younger than you & when EYE was 12-13 we were all on instagram already & being sexy was the thing. i got called childish at 17 just bc i was dressed like a girl! so insane.
Yeah! I feel like instagram really became what it became in 2016. Maybe 2015? But vine was so popular back in 2015. By 2016 I was 18. it changed so drastically in between those years!! That’s really wild , social media has warped people so much 💀
Julia ‼ This is a great topic. I've noticed this too. The era of the "Instagram Baddie" has really taken over. Social media has pressured some teens into adapting quick for how to look so to speak.
Hey Tony!! 😌😌 yes exactly! Teens have always faced pressure but it’s accelerated x1000 w social media!
You are absolutely right about teen girls in the 2020s dressing up like grown adults instead of being kids. Look at Lil Tay for example. 😢 So sad.
Yup!! Really disappointing 💀
I wasn’t surprised but I was extremely disgusted by the amount of pedos making weird comments about her. She is still getting abused
It’s more than just dressing like adults. These kids are dressing like baby prostitutes. Not just your average grown woman.
That is the result of abuse, so this comparison is only proving the point of societal and parental pressure
I'm 16 and I wish we still had that awkward phase normalised, I'm so tired of both consciously and subconsciously always trying to be "the coolest in the room" or like sexualising myself so guys can like me, I just want to be a silly teenage girl is that too much to ask 😓😭
I'm 16 too so I feel you. Whenever I find myself wondering if I should start sexualizing myself so boys can like me more or try to glow up faster, I just remind my self to give me some more time to grow and to not be afraid of being a little cringe and silly because I will never be a teenager again so now is the time ❤
😿I feel you. I am a popular girl in school as a freshman and have a longing for cat ears😿. I wish I could just wear them all the time without losing everything😿. I wore them a lot in eighth grade from September to February and got a lot of annoying verbal microaggressions from people on the bus in my elementary school. It was from JK-8. I was the weird cat ear wearing aggressive girl who constantly opened the window to stare out of it. The cat ears and staring out of the window was an addiction, a time to daydream and think in an aesthetic, quiet atmosphere. I was on my knees on my seat staring out. I was called creepy for that.
Sorry I’m ranting😹
I just want this emoji to 🐱 not mean a girl’s privates ya know! I just want it to mean a cat!!!
Here's some advice coming from a 21 year old woman for all of you in the comments.
Don't bother sexualizing yourself for a guy.
Let me guess, the boys in your class don't bother going to hair appointments, nails appointments, or wearing tailored suits everyday.
If they won't put in the effort to make themselves as attractive as possible for girls, then why should girls put in effort that won't be reciprocated?
As a 15 year old boy you do you don’t worry about other people think of you ain’t gotta be the coolest girl in the room you just gotta be YOU
You can definitely be that just stay away from people that make you feel awkward really don't let anyone to stop you from enjoying your teenage days cause they're like the best time to your life you don't want to look back tomorrow when you're an adult and regret not enjoying your teenage days enough it's not cringe and there's nothing wrong with it okay sending hugs ❤️
As a middle schooler, I feel like the influence of social media and Gen Z culture over the past decade or so have many girls like me stuck. I to sometimes feel the need that I have to grow up faster because the way the world is spiriling and so are my hormones 😂
I definitely didn't talk like this at 12 💀
@@psychedelicyeti6053 Oh it's just because I've always been very good at reading and writing, to the point where I'm in a special class 😂 Or we're probably just different generations... (I'm also 11 btw)
@@t3ad10r😂
My life is an awkward phase
Same
Same
Mood, Bitch, Mood
Same x 3. See you aren't alone. Group hug ❤❤❤
When I was 13, Lizzie McGuire was my idol.
Today, 13 year olds idolize Kim Kardashian🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️
Teen girls nowadays don’t have a space for them. Back then teen girls had Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel etc. Those things aren’t relevant anymore…so these girls go and look up to IG models, female rappers and adult UA-camrs
I think what has happened is there used to be a "tween" phase which was that in between stage between kid and teen age. But that no longer exists. So it feels like many kids are skipping this phase straight into a teen and then into adulthood. Society used to cater to the tween phase. There used to media for the "tween". Now there's either media for kids or media for adults. There is no in-between anymore and it has shaped the way kids see themselves today.
You are 💯 right. I'm 23 from India. I got Instagram back in 2013. That first year was good and simple, but in 2014 when Kylie Jenner's selfie got viral and Kim Kardashians waist training selfies were everywhere, that genuinely affected my body image so much so that I used to tie my waist all day with a shawl to get an hourglass figure. 2014 is when it all changed, plastic surgery, lip fillers, bbls that's when it all exalarated.
I’m 15 and I wish I looked older but now I’ve become content. People think I am 13 but I think I’ll enjoy it when I’m older and look young. I think it may also be because I dress modestly but idk
Saw a 7 year old wearing clothes that a 16 year old would wear (crop top, short shorts, makeup, etc) and I definitely think that a huge part of the problem now is the parents. The mom was on the younger side and when you truly look at the difference between older parents and younger ones, the social norms are completely different. Some of these kids are getting handed an ideal at the age of 5 on how to look, it’s suffocating to see me little sister trying to fit into how a young adult looks. It’s literally terrifying to know that when I was 10 I wanted a monster high doll house. She’s 10 and she wants the newest iPhone, makeup, crop tops, etc. - It’s just scary how these kids are growing up now
11:06 THIS IS WHAT I KEEP SAYING!! im a flat 14 year old and i always wanted to be more curvy. people tell me that im part of the trend now but it doesn’t change anything since the effect of the bbl trend was so heavy on me. i don’t think i’ll ever be happy to be flat as a teen. the effect was to big and pushed!!!
Girl!! Please know that you’re gorgeous the way you are. I said this in another comment, but a lot of girls who have these figures/got BBL’s, aren’t even happy with themselves. That’s why they feel like they have to keep changing with these trends, because they don’t know themselves and are not secure within their own individuality. They’re not content or fulfilled. Your body is not a trend. My best advice is do what makes you feel like your best self. Eat right, workout, drink your water. You’ll be good! 💕
Don’t worry. Being flat chested is great. No weights on your chest. You can workout
Beautify yourself without plastic surgery. Flats are beautiful!!!
I have a small chest and it doesn’t really bother me anymore.
I’m 28 and I am always saying this!! I’m so thankful I was a kid/teen before social media blew up how it did even if it did make me have a bad awkward phase lol. Once again a great video!
I want to add, I feel like a lot of teenagers are scared of getting older, and I’m not talking about “ugh I don’t want to be old and wrinkly” like their scared to even touch 20. So I feel like alot of them are trying to do everything while they’re teenagers, until they realize they have a whole life ahead of them. Social media doesn’t help when you see young people getting their own apts, buying luxury cars, being young parents and showing only the good parts, which makes it look easy, etc.
Honestly as a 15yr old. I find it ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! That a PARENT would let their daughters act so womanish at my age. Its mentally affects them in ways that you can’t even believe. 99% of the time I talk to a girl my age she has no interest in school, no interest in respecting herself, no interest in knowing her place. It’s so damn cringy and it ain’t cute. Cardi B and Conner from 5th period won’t get you a job. Connor doesn’t even look at you. Nor does Cardi lol. Know you place and know your age. You are a girl who is yet to become a woman.
I know right! It’s literally insane to me. Social media’s standards has literally pressured them into Caring about their looks 24/7. They’re afraid to be a child because social media says it’s “Cringey”. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. I wish parents could comfort their child and remind them that it’s okay to be themselves, to explore and figure out what they like which will help them grow up to be a well rounded person.
@@Beautifulm3rcy well millennials are to blame. They are supposed to show us the way but instead they sit in their over priced apartments with 6 months of backed rents due next week chasing fame that will never happen and in the process TRASHING our generation.
@@microwavedmetal Do you mean Gen X? Millennials typically don't have Gen Z children, that would be Gen Alpha kids.
@@Ray03595 I’m referring to *ANY* irresponsible parent.
I'm a boy and I don't get girls at all... like even if they know you they just stare straight ahead walking down the hall and look angry. They don't say anything to you even if you've talked to them before. It's like they have to force themselves to act a certain way and it really is sad, I feel for them. You can just tell so many are under peer pressure/social media pressure to never smile so they don't get wrinkles (heard that one straight from a girl-friend)
I’m 14 and It’s not that I don’t want to I enjoy a lot of stuff that is considered cringy and awkward
But all the girls my age are so pretty and mature and I don’t want to look babyish
Enjoy being young 😭 life comes at you VERY fast. You will have plenty of time to work and struggle and grind in a few years. And you will pray to god that you could go back to being a teenager with somebody else paying your bills
@@itsniquenique45 it’s fine I do a lot of I guess childish stuff like me and my friends make songs and write books and that kinda stuff
i’m 16, a junior in hs, and i’ve vaguely known some of the freshmen since elementary school- lots of them wear tons of makeup & have their hair done well & are just super pretty in general, and they’re only 2 years younger than me & i know they weren’t just born that way. i had a similar experience when i was a 14yo too, but people were basically just alt 2020 “egirl” and i always thought that looked bad so i felt fine. i wasn’t hideous in freshman year but compared to now, i didn’t have my “look” together AT ALL, and how would i have figured that out that early??? i would be so insecure if i was in the class of 2027 rn. freshmen even make me feel insecure NOW.
i’m not that much older than you so i’m not the best person to give advice but try your best not to judge yourself too hard because you’ll figure it all out eventually… idk how easy that’ll be if your school is anything like mine but just give yourself some grace
You don't want to look mature! You're still a teen. This is because...
The only ones who care how "mature" freshmen girls in high school look are creepy adult men who have no business interacting with high schoolers.
Enjoy whatever you want. Anybody who judges can get their ass back to their own life.
Yeah but ask yourself do you really want those girls to be in your circle? You just are the way you need to be, nothing wrong with you at all. Everybody else probably feels the same way. You're trying to get approval in the wrong places fr a lot of those girls can turn on you just to look good for their friends and you won't see it coming
i'm in my 30s and when i was in high school i think this was just beginning. i remember going to a dance and a friend and i had so much fun together. we were having fun and being silly and dancing goofy. we were like...13/14? anyway the next day at school a lot of kids came up to us and made fun of us. we hadn't been obnoxious, we were just having fun together but because we didn't stand perfectly still and just "sway" to the music, we were weird. i remember volunteering with 2nd graders and it was starting even that young. little girls would do things being just little girls and the popular girl would give her a disgusted look and say "ugh why are you acting like this." meanwhile the popular girl/s would act like little mini teenagers. it's like they weren't allowed to just be kids. it was really very sad.
Middle school was my awkward phase and everyone else too. Today, teens don’t need to feel scared and awkward about taking pictures because of filters and they have the luxury of seeing a picture after its been taken, unlike the disposable cameras.
ugh that’s so disappointing!!
oh no as a 16 yo, born in 07, I had an awkward phase when I was 12-14 and most of my friends did too. Messy eyeliner, haircuts and hair colours that didn't rlly flatter us, doubting of how we wanted to present ourselvesregarding gender bc we just went thru puberty and felt weird, not knowing how we wanted to dress like... etc
Same!!!! Its problem w teenagers that started being a teenagers after pandemia, after 2022 tbh. I think 2007-2008 were the last to experience such phase without judging
lemme just say as a girl who is currently a teenager, we still have an awkward phase and most of us don't wear makeup it's just that those who do are the popular kids so there is a lot of pressure to wear a lot of make up anr have perfect hair, similar to how teen guys are pressured into working out and dieting a lot.
This. im 14 rn and i think im still going through an awkward phase, im aware but that doesn’t mean I’ll rush it 😭. People see teens on the internet and make assumptions about all of us, that’s the problem 🤨 or atleast that’s what it look like.
something i noticed that’s a huge difference between my generation (millennial) and my youngest sister’s generation ( specifically 2005 & up gen z ) is that with millennials the “expectation” of looking older was on a much smaller scale, mostly contained in your high school/middle school. whereas younger generations now have to compete with the entire internet, and being bombarded not only with curated images of people but also their own peers curating their own image.
as a millennial, i was ( and am 🙈 ) in the emo/goth/scene groups and there was an “expectation” of looking more mature/thinner/a specific way, except when looking back it seems those influences were on a much smaller scale. especially since my primary inspo was specifically from myspace or going to concerts.
whereas now, i can see multiple images across various social media sites of emo/scene/goth curated inspiration and people. everything is just so much more wide spread and available for consumption compared pre-2010 internet. idk if any of that made sense, i just needed to talk about it 🤓🤓
I feel like the awkward phase still kind of exists? I mean don’t get me wrong the pressure to grow up is insane, but considering how I, and my friends dressed at 12-14, it was definitely a “pre-teen”, “young” aesthetic. Mind you I’m nearly 18 so some might have changed in the last couple years, but i don’t think the “awkward phase” is in real danger of disappearing.
Nah I agree with you! I just think now with social media, the awkward phase is hidden way more. From my vantage point, I feel like lots of teens looked way more put together now then when I was their age lol- the “baddie” aesthetic is pushed way more now
@@JuliaBoateng that’s definitely true! There is a notable lack of “younger-teen” clothes at all, so kids have to look at older styles. But why would companies bother wasting money making appropriate clothes if kids will wear adult things? It’s a bit gross that 13 year olds are considered in the same market as 21 year olds.
@@tenor1190 Yep, definitely agree!
I think it depends on how rich you are.
@@tenor1190 The other day I walked into the zara kids section and it was all basically the women’s clothes but in petite. I was seeing bodycon dresses, crop tops etc for ages 6-12 🙆♀️😭
Me: Who's nearly 18, yet still has a baby face and a voice that is still high pitch. I'm still in my awkward phase, could because i'm asian xD
On a serious note though, I think the concept of "glow up," (at a young age) can be quite toxic. In this particular generation, there are literally 12-year-olds wearing makeup, crop tops, and really risky clothing, some of them even have fillers. It's okay to have an awkward phase. The human body doesn't actually finish developing until a person is of age of 25, so it's quite problematic that there are literal teenagers having plastic surgeries and fillers.
I turned 21 over the weekend. People kept telling I look like 16😂😂😂
My sister’s 20 and she still gets offered a kid’s menu 😭😭😭
My coworker tells me I look 12 but I’m 18 😂
Same but im 22 im glad my parents told me that i look beautiful especially with my adorable baby face even thought people confused me for a 15 yrs old
Same for me at 22. Problem is that people are often a bit condescendant when they talk to you 😬
bro i’m a teen girl and at school the girls would literally make fun of others because your butt isn’t “big” enough.. (we in middle school)
As much as I do agree with what people in the comments and what this video is saying, I also feel like these videos always come from people who haven't experienced this type of a culture shift at a young age. This is no hate to Julia, I actually felt that this video was very informed and well made however I just wanted to point that out. I'll be 16 in a few weeks, and here is my two cents on the matter:
I feel that I was lucky enough to experience an awkward phase. I actually think your awkward phase doesn't end until you graduate but that's just me. My "awkward phase" that we can actually pigeonhole as being an "awkward phase" that the comments are describing it as, then I was in this phase from ages 10 - 14. It was when I had my awkward length of hair, I was at that awkward age, I didn't or didn't know how / my parents didn't let me wear any makeup, I didn't have my own style it's just what I was bought, etc. But my twist on this matter is that I actually believe that young teen girls, or "tweens" actually do have this awkward phase today; *it's just not represented to us*.
Okay okay, I know what you might be thinking. "But, what about all these sephora kids we're seeing everywhere?!" And yes, it's true. But I'm struggling to put together why the blame always seems to land on these teenage girls, rather than the parents. From ages 10-14 (in this case I'm going to go further and say 9-14) parents should be keeping track and keeping tabs on their kids anyway. So why is it "omg look at that girl, how bratty!" than it being "omg look at that girl, where are her parents?" and while parents can't be held 100% responsible for the overconsumption of social media, they should be the ones protecting their kids.
Furthermore, this entire situation has been created because of social media. And as we should all know by now, nothing on her is ever 100% true or honest or real. Which is what brings me to my next point; The fact that I'd say the majority of kids don't actually act or look like this. What we're being fed on social media, is most definitely true to some extent. You'll see these kids out and about, sure. However, take it from me, I go to an all girls school at an age where I can indeed justify, it's not all of us. In fact, there is a large number of us that aren't like how these comments are describing.
To continue, I in fact do think and do recognise what an "awkward phase" looks like. It's only because of a huge cultral shift due to social media does it look so different than it used to. These tweens looking like adults or trying to be adults or being chronically on tiktok IS the awkward phase. The tailored shorts, the crop tops, the expensive makeup, the 10 year olds *trying* to look like they're 25; When you think about it, it's a little funny. These little girls running around thinking they're older than they are, sounds familiar, doesn't it? We've all been there whether we like to admit it or not, it just looks different for each generation. The bottom line is, kids thinking they're older than they are. Whether that is just in internal mindset, a mindset driven my social media, a mindset driven by culture like around 30+ years ago (70's, 80's, 90's, early 2000's), etc.
thanks for listening to my ted talk: the perspective of an actual teenage girl
As a middle schooler part of the reason you are seeing all these teen girls looking not awkward and looking so mature is because they are the ones gaining platforms. In my day to day life I see most of the girls in my school looking they're age, not exactly that justice kind of awkward or when I see videos of the 2000's adults reminiscing about they're awkward teen years but not overly mature or overly sexualized.
And also a major impact of kids not having the awkward anymore is social media because there's so much that can help you look older or just learn how to look better (ex. makeup tutorials, tips on how to dress, and how to style your hair). They are helping us all look better and its working. Also a lot of times the awkwardness we have is just simply covered up with a pretty face and hair (I'm not insulting it anyone though), all the pretty girls I know or all the girls I perceive as pretty, they still have a bit of a "quirkiness" or something that simply makes them younger, like our obsession with anime or videogames.
Also the clothes, we are just emulating what we are seeing and a lot of that is skimpier tighter fitting clothes, that's what's currently popular. Also that's basically all they sell in stores, so unless we try and find not tight/cropped shirts or something 1. its not as cute. 2. its usually not our age (ex. too young/too old) so that will also age us more.
Also as a teenager my awkward phase was during covid and my first year of middle school because I had acne and stuff like that and it was mostly my behavior (I was in my pick me phase but I'm over that now). I don't currently look unlike my age aside from how tall I am (14 and 5'10), but I definitely have improved my physical appearance (not as awkward and more grown into my features). So another factor could be that the awkward phase was during covid when we all had constant access to tik tok people learned how to style and do they're hair and there was a little more experimentation.
im barely 14 but i can confidently say that i an in no rush to grow up. i do look older than my age not because i try to but js bc of how i am. i dont have any social media and honestly i feel like its a good thing because yes im still exposed to stuff but i dont have the “glow up” trend up my ass. a big thing also for ppl around my age is like “oh you need a bf/gf” or “your weird if u havent had sex yet” its like im 14 im not gonna go around dating for fun and having sex whenever i want. theres also a lot of pressure to show off your body with like the “body goals” or like having to look a certain way at 14. many girls i know are made fun of for being “flat” when in reality we all know its js like a matter of development ykwis. its just amazing to me how even as a 14 year old girl, i can say that we are growing up way too fast.
As a 14 year old girl, I agree
Nothing beats the whimsy and fun of nintendo ds pictures
Fr 😭😂
You should look into the cohort effect in adolescent psychology its really interesting and shows why the phrase “back in my day” remains so relevant… loved the video 💕
omg one of my close friends found her DSi and showed me pics of us and i screamed 😂 but it reminded me of the easy days man! i think its unfortunate that younger girls are feeling pressure to glow up so fast and fit an aesthetic. we have so many years ahead of us to find ourselves and be grown lol trusttt
fr!! sooooo many years 😩😩
As a mid gen z, idk about young gen z/gen alpha but I feel like at least for people my age, we did have awkward phases but just a lot younger, and were then quickly pressured/bullied out of it by the time we got to highschool
Julia! We’re both the same age 😄
When you brought up the past experiences of being a teen in the early 2010s it brought up so many memories!! (good & bad)
I do think that there’s always a push for teen girls to grow up faster than their male counterparts (aesthetically) because I definitely felt that when I was a teen, but I agree with you that a lot of us back were just focused on our little community (school friends)
Now that social media platforms have algorithms that reach a larger audience, there’s more eyes on the current teen demographic than ever before, and that is really troubling imo
Agreed!!! Social media always had these issues but at least with us it was confined to who you knew in real life (mostly) now with millions of other people it’s insane!
It’s the first time I came across your channel and with this video I felt we had the same experiences growing up: the Nintendo DS photos, 2009-2010 Facebook, 2013 Instagram and the exact same pre teen/teen pictures 😂 Love the topic and I’ll subscribe to your channel 🙌🏼
Awww yay! Those were the days. Welcome 😌😌
Personally, i feel like this type of stuff has stunted my growth as a person. I've morphed into what people want me to be as an adult(which im working on)
I was bullied heavily for doing what i think would be considered normal for a child
I read books and fanfiction
I ate junk food. i played outside (mostly by myself and mostly climbed a big tree in my yard)
I did weird makeovers
I smiled big in pictures and now i feel like everything i did is now considered cringe and i see my little sibling and every kid i know now is just trying to be what they see and its destroying them( alot of the stuff is private but just know its a combination of things but social media and its norms are both contributing factors)
It's heartbreaking to see that kids aren't being kids anymore 💔
Your Blue iPod is cute lmao. That brought back memories on the days when I had one
Awww they were the best ahaha
I still remember my DS and my DSI. My dad sent them to family in West Africa (he used to do that with all me and my sister’s old electronics) so my pics are all lost media. 😭 Flipnote Hatena was life though. 😂
ohhhh no! gave my DSi to my little cousin, and before i did I made sure I backed all the photos up to my SD card 😭 lol and same, all my old toys and clothes are in Ghana now
@@JuliaBoatengSent everyone’s old laptops and phones to Guinea, but half my relatives don’t even have internet. Make it make sense 😭
Im so glad i had an awkward phase, even if it led to me being bullied all throughout middle school. It definitely helped me grow and find my true self, my style, interests, friends & such.
It also left me with green stains in my hair from blue hair dye 😭
A year or two ago, I found people our age and younger seeming to talk about how they are using the Internet less and less. I even heard that old cheap not smart phones are becoming more and more popular. In about 5 to 10 years, I predict the victims of family channels are going to create an anti-social media wave that won't last very long, but will be heard around the world.
I'm still awkward so....., but I love your videos and how you elaborate on these topics. Also yes girl I still have my Ds and hoping to get a charger so I can see all of the pics I took as a kid 😂 I also grew up in the 200s
😂😂 I feel like we all still are to a degree . And yes you should!
@@JuliaBoateng😂 ❤
I also think it's the parents that are less into their kids'lives. And let them do what they want. And maybe there's less discipline in the household.
@gali_duh
As a middle schooler, I used to be ashamed of my awkward phase. But looking back, I’m actually glad awkward phases existed. It was a blessing in disguise.
todays world revolves around social media and the pressure to have the most followers and likes on Instagram and Tik tok.
I can’t imagine being a 13 year old 8th grader and feeling pressured to take the most perfect selfies and appearing flawless and being shamed for not having enough “likes” or content on social media. For us, My Space become a thing during my sophomore year of high school, and even then, people weren’t as obsessed with social media like they are now.
I graduated high school this year and many of the girls around me didn’t wear makeup. Like at all. Only some did. I think social media portrays a certain image.
💯💯
The video soeaks volume as a sixteen year old myself. When i look at these pictures and posts, which are girls my age and even seeing kids from my school trying to and looking like these girls. It would make me insecure. Because i wanted to fit in (i was fifteen then ) because of this, i had decided ok i was going to " glow up " this summer. so i had created a schedule to exercise, saved money to buy makeup and clothes, and just tried to glow up. But in the midst of the summer, i had like a character development . I asked myself, "Who are you doing this for?"" And that made my eyes open. I decided then and there that maturing is realizing you only live once, and you only get to be a kid and a teen once, so enjoy it. I deleted instgram and tik tok and started to really work on my favorite hobbies , hanging out with my friends and bettering my relationship with the Lord. Now im sixteen, and yes, i have acne, and i dont have the perfect body. But im content and happy just being who i am.
So true about the impact of social media apps. I was a massively awkward teen when coming up in the 2000s and early 2010s. I didn’t have a facebook account until I was 17 and didn’t even use Instagram until I was in my mid twenties. I’m very thankful for my dad encouraging me to stay off social media. Thankfully all the awkward dancing I did in my room will never be seen lol. My younger cousin is a Gen Z influencer and she has really struggled with mental health issues, mainly anxiety and depression. A lot of it is due to comparison and pressure to maintain an image. She was on social media from a very young age and has experienced cyber bullying too. She’s such a beautiful girl but often doesn’t believe it. I’m just happy she has a very supportive longterm boyfriend and her family around her. I’ve heard of a lot of young girls developing an ED because of what they see on social media. It’s really sad.
I’m 21 and still struggle with my self image sometimes bc of social media. Growing up I used to be super skinny, now since im older I have bigger thighs and more curves. For the longest time I used to hate it bc I look at these girls with skinny waists and bigger legs and always wondered why my waist isn’t skinny like them. Thankfully im a lot better now but sometimes I still struggle (which is normal). I used to love posting sunsets and random memes on insta instead of always posting myself. Social media has changed so much over the years and I know it’s only going to get worse. There’s always some sort of image these people think they need to hold rather than living their life while they’re young
I feel you! Yeah I believe the hold social media has is only going to get worse .. I’m very curious to see the long term effects of social media on millennials, gen z and gen alpha. It’ll be really interesting to see how we turn out once we hit middle age and beyond.
I have to say how much I've noticed kids are now being styled and "beautified" as much as adults, from wayyy before they become teenagers. People in my own family engage in this and I'd honestly not have an issue with it if I didn't see the toxic effect it has on the kids. I do think it often originates with ideas the kids get online, but at times the parents very happily play into everything surrounding the "12 going on 25" image.
Me and my friend group have a middle school awkward stage and we’re just seen as ugly
They do! Their awkward face is looking adult before adult - like when I mistake a young girl for a short girl from behind, it's so cringe and I can guarantee once they grow up, they will also find themselves dressing as adults as a child cringe too. From mining dresses to blocked and plade pants, theirs something mentally off putting to the adult gaze to see that.
As a middle-schooler, i'm concerned. I grew up quite fast, trying to rush my childhood and become more mature both physically and mentally(mentally to please my parents and adults, physically to seem more sexual since i thought it could've stopped the bullying i was going through) starting at ONLY SEVEN. I felt so much pressure, i feel like i've been cheated out of my childhood, i want it back, but when its gone, its gone. For any young girl reading, please preserve your childhood and youth as long as you can, and for any parents or caregivers raising and taking care of young girls, dont give them that much internet access, it could ruin their childhood.
Social media has ruined us, smh. I feel bad for these kids. There is ABSOLUTELY not need to rush to adulthood. It mostly sucks. Who wants to pay bills and sit in an office all day? 😅
Around 14 was when I first discovered the trend to "look older than your actual age", and I immediately began to obsess over embodying that facade. I got into heavy amounts of makeup, wore mature clothing, and changed my entire personality. I intended to over-sexualize myself online, seeking validation from others. All of this wouldn't have been possible without access to social media e.g. TikTok. Looking back I was very lucky to not have gone viral, or encounter any online creeps.
Honestly, I can't help but feel a sense of regret for allowing myself to be swayed so heavily by the influences of social media. However, in the grand scheme of things, I was your average teen who was easily misguided, succumbing to the pressures of growing up faster.
Conclusion: I'm now 16 years old, loving the fact that I'm just a teenager, with a little bit more wisdom than before. Not in the mood to rush the process or try and fit into a box.
It saddens me to know that many people, mostly young girls, affected by the media in this way, may not have the same ending as I did. Your video truly touches on some real things, that seem to be an up-coming and multifaceted problem that many have yet to unpack. Thank you for speaking on this, and I hope my story resonates with others!
As a 15 yr old, it’s so weird being casually judged just for having acne or even not having acne anymore. ESPECIALLY by other girls, I’d get comments like “tbh I’ve been wanting to give you my skincare routine since I met you,” “omg I want to pop all your pimples so bad,” “omg I cant wait for your glow up/you’ve had such a glow up”
It’s so weird to me that people can’t have flaws anymore. It’s one thing to hold yourself to unrealistic standards but to let that effect other people is soooo shitty.
I’ve even noticed it in myself lately that I find flaws within myself and immediately try to fix them and follow whatever influencers say to ‘fix it’.
I think the growing popularity of aesthetics and living an influencer lifestyle has created a thin line between
A) Being healthy and sustainable
And
B) Becoming obsessive over how healthy and sustainable *you look*
I blame social media culture for sure!!!!!!….i pray for the younger girlsssss, its so much pressure these days….during that time, you dont know yourself, so it is easier….to conform instead of having your own identity
Man, the algorithm is getting good, nice channel
I’m in high school and I promise there are still lots of awkward and “weird” girls and other kids, I’m one of them lol
The awkward phase is supposed to be the time you find yourself. I hope to help my child embrace their childhood and not want to grow up so fast.
First ppl were saying that us teens today look young especially compared to the ones in the 90s and 2000s, now we look older than our age
they still go through an 'awkward' stage looks wise bcos...puberty but while wearing acrylics and asking for Charlotte tilbury and drunk elephant. there is no preteen/early teen marketing and BARELY media anymore (think Disney/Nick stars, girl and boy bands) so ofc they are gonna jump onto whatever is trendy for 20 year old girls. my cousin is 12 and last year her Christmas list included a Viviane Westwood necklace and skincare 😭 they look young and ARE young but wanna be grown and consume grown media which I guess everyone did that too as a teen but now its just SO accessible and there are no other options for them.
Hi as someone currently in high-school and has been since 2020 - many people still go through their awkward phase. Everyone really. You just don't see it on social media much.
as a fourteen year old, i would LOVE to be able to just be a kid, but i feel like i can’t. a lot of people in my class dress like adults outside of school, and even in school, they wear makeup and things like that, which is fine, but i want the freedom to be able to not do that. the pressure for me having to dress older doesn’t come from them, though- it comes from my mom. she always tells me i should start wearing makeup and that i’d look better with mascara, and that i “should wear crop tops because now is when your body looks good enough for them!”, even though i’ve expressed repeatedly that i don’t feel comfortable in those types of clothes. i definitely feel like this type of stuff is changing with the times, because my sister is eight years older than me, and i feel like i never saw her wear crop tops or anything like that when she was fourteen.
Ohh, I understand the pressure!!! TBH it's the first I hear about parents telling children to do so??? It's weird, really. Just do your thing and stand up for yourself in that regard!
this is completely off topic but i really liked listening to your voice in this video. whatever microphone or audio set up you have, continue using it. A lot of other youtubers have mics that make the audio sound too strong if that makes sense. Sometimes i get headaches and my ears become sensitive to sound, but your audio here was soft and just perfect!
In middle school me and my friends would match shirts from hollister or aéropostale & we didnt have makeup tutorials it was interesting !😅
3:13 how freaking cute 😭 true bliss
this is for SURE your best video yet
me at 15 currently having another awkward phase:
as a current high schooler without social media, i still feel the pressure to look a certain way even if its not to go viral. im in the theater kid clique and even then i still feel this random pressure and its mostly because kids at my middle school made fun of me for liking kids cartoons and media
the pressures of social media on this is insane, when i was 13/14 i was posting everything on instagram and it was so casual, but now peoples feeds are so curated and everything has to be perfect
I hate when people try to flip the argument and accuse you of insinuating something about a child.
Like no, look at this objectively. This child is in danger.
I’m sorry, why is she 5, dressed like she’s a 26 yo, doing TikTok dances to a song she has NO business dancing to as a literal child.
Some like to play dumb because they hate rules and boundaries of any kind. But we need to keep calling this stuff out to protect the kids. Because I promise not everyone is watching your child dance like a tiny adult for wholesome reasons. Put that child in hip hop and put her on something from justice. Let her grow up naturally. Why is she 5 with an audience? Something else is behind it. Someone is gaining something from it and it is not the kid.
I just turned 23 some days ago. I found out ice spice is the same age as me and i was like wtf????!!! Maybe its so shocking to me because in my country, people my ahe dont typically act or dress like ice spice or even this young girls. Its like a culture shock
Happy belated ! And Yeah I was shocked when I found out Ice Spice was only 23!! I feel like she has young looking eyes, but I thought at least 26.
Omg dang she's just 6 days older than me what ☠️
As a teen girl I absolutely had an awkward phase… it’s ongoing lmao
The other day i saw a videonhow to glow up as a 10 year old and that's way too young to be worried avout a makeover. I remember being a tween worried about weight gain/loss but we shouldn't be pressuring kids either way.
Oh wow. Surprised but not surprised :/ that isn’t right at allll.
@@JuliaBoateng I love your channel!! 🥰💖🥳☀️🤣
side note: your complexion is stunning
My eight year old cousin said she was in her queen era 😭 👑 social media what are you doing to the children?!!!!!
I have a best friend who wears pastel tank tops, paired with lounge shorts, UGG boots, and scrunchies on her arm, and this was a few days before she turned 15. In my opinion, that is normal at that stage but unfortunately everybody else is showing cleavage and wanting to look “older” and obviously I’m all for dressing how you feel the most comfortable, but sometimes I feel like it’s a bit much and it makes me sad.
They definitely do have an awkward phase. Social media makes it look like they don't. Online they glow up, but on the street, they hide it under a hoodie.
Im 21 and back as as a teen i played with dolls and was always looking rough. I still have those dolls and idc about others view on my life. Take ur time to grow up. Thers no going back when ur grown
If "family" is pushing these girls into this, those girls are being pimped out for money. The creepers and psychos they're being exposed to are real, dangerous, and prone to fixation, which can lead to stalking or worse. Not to mention the fact that this insane BS is corrupting the KIDS' innocence and childhood.
I haven’t watched this yet so I will probably edit when I am done. Honestly, this is their awkward phase. It’s much worse than what we went through because it’s also awkward but in a bad way. I am 22 years old, so I am an older gen z. At 16, I was quite awkward but in a wholesome and innocent way. This was 2017 and 2018. I think my awkward phase hit its peak at 14-15 but finally ended in 2020 lol
I enjoy your insightful commentary in your videos! In the future when you speak on some pop culture events and emerging figures, some quick context for those of us living under a rock would be helpful. I spent the whole video trying to figure out who the heck Alabama Barker is lol. Still don't know who the other mentioned girls are
as a teen please enjoy it please dont rush into becoming an adult and just enjoy life
Because you guys bully us into growing up faster lmao. I’m 13 and I still collect dolls(Bratz, Barbie, Rainbow High, LOL, OMG, etc.). And I get comments from adults like “You still do that…cute.” And when I was 9, I made doll videos on TikTok and on this channel and I got comments like “Ew wtf. Who plays with dolls?” So I kinda lost passion. Now I just embrace it but I’ll never really get that joy from dolls I had before.
I understand! When i was 9 in 4th grade i went to a new school and tried to make a friend so I asked her if she played with dolls and she said she was too old to play with dolls. I was thinking wtf we’re literally 9 😭
I def has an awkward phase form 5-7 I started noticing it in 5th how I dresses differently front some of the other girls like when I got into 6th I noticed how trendy everyone looked
I don't know, but I had an awkward phase. In fact, I'm 17 and I'm *still* in my awkward phase! Everyone around is so beautiful and stylish but not me... I tried to "glow up" and failed so many times that I guess I will just give up and continue to be myself - maybe "ugly", but just because I am incapable of style, makeup and fashion...
I'm just a failure and that's it. But maybe I have brains to compensate this.
You’re not a failure sis. I didn’t start genuinely wearing makeup until college, and those early pics were horrendous 😂 i didn’t know how to style my hair. Don’t let your glow up be reflective of society’s “glow up.” That’s a fake glow up. There’s no rush, but take your time to really learn and study yourself. What clothes fit your body shape the best, what kind of makeup fits your personality and matches you the best? You’re still soooo young and have so much time left. Don’t feel pressure to have it all together. I’m 25 now and I’m still figuring out what hairstyles best for my face, how to do different eyeshadow looks 😂 growth is a beautiful thing- embrace it and don’t fight it. God bless ! 💕
You’re probably more beautiful than you realize.
I look back at photos when I was that age, when I believed myself to be the odd one out and ugly duckling of the group.
In reality, it was in my head because I couldn’t appear as the popular girls + insta baddies.
But I was/am beautiful nonetheless. I see that now. But high school me could not see it.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may need to change your mind about yourself 💜