Cultural Commentary – Madison Ayers Writes

#KidsatSephora: The tween and teen obsession with elaborate skincare

“Walk into a Sephora or an Ulta today and you might notice an influx of a new demographic of shoppers: young teens or preteens. I don’t mean high school girls shopping for new mascara and concealer (been there!), but instead a much younger girl on the lookout for expensive skincare products. From cleansers and scrubs to retinol creams and vitamin C serums, increasingly younger girls are buying it all. But where did these #kidsatsephora come from and why are they here?

Adult women are now beginning to complain about the rise of these “Sephora Babies” — the preteens rummaging through beauty store shelves and destroying tester products and displays, all in the name of creating the perfect skincare routine. Teens with nary a wrinkle are also turning to products marketed as “anti-aging,” with harsh ingredients not meant for young skin. Meanwhile, those of us in our 20s or 30s are starting to obsess over how old we look. It’s no wonder teens believe they might do good to pick up a bottle of retinol cream before they start showing smile lines, too.”

Gen Z’s Search for Fulfillment: Less Sex and More Porn—and a Deep Desire for Friendship

“Contrary to the oversexualized depictions of teenagers in shows like Euphoria and Riverdale, Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) is tired of seeing sex on screen. According to “Teens and Screens 2023,” a recent report from UCLA, nearly half of Gen Z respondents say that showing sex is not necessary to the plot of a movie or TV show. Many of them also believe romance is “overused” in media. What do these young people want to see on screen instead?

Friendship.”

Teens and sex: Rescuing a generation—how abstinence and the Success Sequence can help Gen Z experience long-term success and fulfillment

“In part I of our teens and sex series, I explained why teens have less sex now than in decades past. Now that we grasp the extent of the problem, what can we do? With destructive technologies taking the place of destructive casual sex, how exactly can Gen-Z improve their mental health and achieve success as they move into adulthood? The answer lies in the culture: we must discourage both teen sex and technology overuse, and instead urge teens to spend their middle and high school years focused on creating deep and meaningful friendships with their peers.”

Read part two of my article on teen sex and mental health at Natural Womanhood.

Teens and sex: The kids aren’t alright—the connection between decreased teen sex and mental health

“Fewer American High Schoolers Having Sex Than Ever Before” reads the headline of an article from the Institute for Family Studies. Charles Fain Lehman, the author, calls this a “cause for celebration.”. . . Is this indeed a cause for celebration? In many ways, yes. Teenagers who partake in sexual activities from a younger age will experience more negative mental health outcomes than those who wait, and the idea of a more responsible teenage generation is certainly a heartening one [1]. . . However, by the metrics of mental health and outlooks on the world around them, it does not appear that all is well in Generation Z. Though the decrease in sexual activity is largely a boon for teens and their long-term success, it doesn’t tell the full story.”

Read part one of my article on the connection between decreased teen sex and mental health at Natural Womanhood.