Many people agree that our teenage year should be filled with overwhelming amounts of emotions, finding ourselves, and that simple sense of awkwardness. Back in 2012 when I was a teenager, I was nothing but awkward. I couldn't smile perfectly because my braces made my teeth hurt, I mixed and matched too many patterns to the point that my outfits didn't match, and the fact that stands out the most is that I was not surrounded by social media. In 2010, Instagram was all the craze but my parents hesitated for me to get my own account. By the time I was fourteen, they decided that I could make an account, but everything was going to be monitored by them. That was the cutoff- Instagram.

When we look at 2025, we see nothing but teenagers being put together. Makeup routines are found left and right on social media, clothing companies advertise their clothes and market the clothes to the younger generations, and everything is simply making it a point to have children grow up faster. No more teenage, awkward years, but instead children are being made to grow up and skip the awkward stage entirely. 

Safe to say that the teenager phase was not the most fun, yet it makes us who we are. We would not be grateful for our graceful, mature selves now if it was not for the teenager years we had filled with hashtags and peace sign poses. This is where everything gets mildly blurry. Yes, in my teenage years I had Instagram, but that was it. Now, social media platforms range from Instagram to Snapchat to TikTok to Discord to etc etc. It is endless for children nowadays and there are no problems with them getting their hands on it. Instead of innocent hashtags and mindless challenges we had, children now are dressing beyond their years and posting videos on their open TikTok accounts for anyone to see. This leads into the argument of children now having the outlet for creativity... yes that is true, but at what cost? 

In an article by Ecole Galilee titled "Are Children Growing Up Too Fast?", writers tell us that in the past, children looked at encyclopedias or television network shows... all things that are limited. Yet now, children can reach as far as they want with the tap of a button on their cell phones. "This constant and unlimited access to information is profoundly changing their relationship with childhood. It is therefore legitimate to wonder if some children may be growing up too fast when they are exposed to complex subject matter much earlier than previous generations: world news, cultural trends, influencers, etc". It is worrisome to believe that some children may be missing out on their developmental, playful years where they should be carefree and in nature yet now they are consumed by a small screen that sits in the palm of their hand. 

It is all in the palm of our hands, yet why can't we make a change if it is right in front of us?

When teenagers are going through puberty, their body is going through many changes. This is normal from a health perspective, but when it is happening to you personally, everything feels wrong. As a teenager, you feel as if you want to walk out of your own skin and stand as far away from it as possible. In a piece done by Loma Linda's Molly Smith, she accounts that "the proliferation of social media has also fueled the need for validation and social approval among young people. The number of likes, comments, and followers has become a measure of self-worth, amplifying the pressure to present an idealized version of oneself online". Seeking validation is a human tactic that many people are looking for, yet it is a stronger feeling when a teenager... and now with social media heightened in play with this, it is only worse. 

All of this to say that children are growing up too fast is from an outside perspective- the way that the world views them, but with social media, how are children now viewing the world?

With misinformation being posted in rampant times, children are also exposed to that. So now, they are being exposed to trends on TikTok that may make them think they need to look a certain way as well as seeing misinformation being spread. If it is difficult for adults to decipher what is real and not, it is only more difficult for a child to recognize it. If a child sees something related to politics being posted yet it is fake, they may feel distressed. In the same article, writers at Ecole Galilee write "At the same time, access to political debates, international crises or polarising discourse exposes children to subjects that they are not always able to understand. This premature exposure can alter their view of the world and generate unnecessary stress". 

Everybody needs to be on board to make the change. Will it be the generation that is currently going through this that will make that change or will it be us? 

“The Impacts of Social Media on Youth Self-Image.” News, 31 May 2023, news.llu.edu/health-wellness/impacts-of-social-media-youth-self-image.

Page, Agence Premiere. “Are Children Growing up Too Fast in the Digital Age?” Ecole Galilée, 11 Mar. 2025, www.ecolegalilee.fr/en/are-children-growing-up-too-fast.