When scrolling through TikTok, too often we see 10-year-old girls sitting in front of their phone cameras, applying makeup. “Hey guys, get ready with me!” she says, beautifying herself for an invisible audience. She’s wearing mascara and an outfit she saw older teenagers wearing online.
After recording, she edits the video and uploads it. Within minutes, strangers are liking and commenting, with the caveat of “account managed by her parents” in the bio of her profile.
To her it might feel normal. But it shouldn’t.
Kids today are growing up too fast, and social media is one of the reasons why. Apps like TikTok and Instagram blur the line between childhood and adolescence. Growing up has turned into a performance — every moment filmed, edited and posted for others to see.
Not only are kids consuming this content and recreating it, but they’re also increasingly vulnerable to cyberbullying.
In 2025, 32.7% of kids reported being cyberbullied within the past 30 days. Among various platforms, 79% of bullying occurred on YouTube, 69% on Snapchat and 64% on TikTok.
Cyberbullying damages kids’ self worth and mental health. They carry that pain into school and their relationships. At such an impressionable age, no child should be exposed to criticism and hate from behind a screen.
It’s startling how fast things have turned to the digital world when using an iPad as a crutch was far from anything we experienced growing up.
For most of us in college, childhood meant riding bikes, watching cartoons and learning who we were without an audience. Now, many kids spend their free time filming, posting and scrolling. Playtime has been replaced by content creation.
And for those of us who had a terrible awkward phase, with braces, dramatic diary entries or “It’s not just a phase, Mom” mentalities, it’s hard to watch kids seemingly skip their cringeworthy, but developmentally necessary, phases in favor of following the most recent trends and growing up too fast.
Makeup trends highlight this shift. Young girls are following full skincare routines and using expensive products made for adults. It’s no longer about experimenting for fun — it’s about looking perfect. That kind of pressure shouldn’t exist before middle school, but social media has normalized it.
Phones are another part of the problem. Parents are giving them to kids earlier than ever, helping them stay safe and connected. But a phone is also a direct line to the internet. With just a few taps, kids can access trends, influencers and conversations they’re far too young to fully understand.
Even the media they consume has changed. Instead of cartoons or kid-friendly shows, they stream content aimed at older audiences or filled with ads. These stories introduce mature themes long before kids are ready to process them, leaving them confused and pressured to grow up faster.
TikTok, in particular, makes it nearly impossible to avoid. The app doesn’t care about age, it cares about attention. Its algorithm feeds an endless stream of videos, from makeup tutorials to dating advice, and kids naturally imitate what they see. Before long they start dressing, talking and acting like the influencers they follow.
A lot of platforms have age restrictions, asking users to input their birthdays before creating an account. But any curious 10-year-old can add a few years to their age. These weak restrictions allow kids to access a digital world that isn’t built for them.
This isn’t because kids are doing something wrong. They’re naturally curious. Their parents, older siblings and teachers are online, so they want to see what the buzz is all about.
The real issue is that we — adults, technology companies and schools — have stopped protecting childhood. We’ve accepted this “grow up fast” culture as inevitable.
But it doesn’t have to be.
We need to start drawing boundaries not to stifle creativity, but to give kids space to actually be kids. This could mean delaying phones, limiting social media access or integrating media literacy into classrooms. Kids should understand how algorithms work and how online content shapes the way they see themselves.
As college students, we understand the rush to grow up. But we’ve also learned that growth takes time. Lehigh gives us space to make mistakes and figure things out. Kids deserve that same space without the pressure of likes, filters or followers.
Childhood shouldn’t be a performance. It should be messy, curious and free. When we push kids into adult habits — makeup routines, social media trends and internet validation — we rob them of the best part of growing up: the chance to do it slowly.
If we want to protect what’s left of childhood, we have to start setting limits.
Let kids be bored. Let them be silly. Let them grow up when it’s time.
Comment Policy
Comments posted to The Brown and White website are reviewed by a moderator before being approved. Incendiary speech or harassing language, including comments targeted at individuals, may be deemed unacceptable and not published. Spam and other soliciting will also be declined.
The Brown and White also reserves the right to refuse the publication of entirely anonymous comments.