There has been an obsession with aging throughout decades and up to our current moment in time. People are specifically trying to keep a youthful appearance for as long as a person can. In earlier times, people bought magazines showcasing all kinds of beautiful models with the means of selling a product.

Now the way people consume media has changed and today, the quest to stay or become beautiful rages on in the form of social media. One outcome of the birth of apps like Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok is filters, being used to hide the less desirable effects of aging. As well as viral skin care routines that deceive viewers rather than help those seeking counsel.   

Theater student Minerva Madrid speaks about the obsession with aging and why it has been such an issue with this upcoming generation.

“Apps like Instagram and TikTok are putting a standard that is not meetable, especially with females,” Madrid said. “I see a lot of these products (skincare) that are 40, 50 or 60 bucks for acne, hair or makeup, and it’s just a waste of money for these small bottles.” 

Madrid explains even when someone has enough time and money to execute the latest trend in skincare, it is not used with the rapid speed of social media usage.  

“But it’s a standard that you try to meet, and once you meet it, there’s another standard, so you don’t get to be perfect,” Madrid said. “Every single day, there’s a new trend going on, and I think the young ones are getting very obsessed with the point of not getting a wrinkle or going outside (socially) and not being perfect.” 

Madrid also points out how, at times, the faces behind the product or trend that help it become widely known can be hypocritical.  

“If you see a video on TikTok and they’re sponsoring it those people are getting money, and they don’t have to use the products,” Madrid said. “And we’re over here wasting money for something that probably won’t work.”  

Accounting student Akane Madrid details the broader effects of the aging issue and what may trigger these feelings in some young people.  

“I do a lot of skincare for myself, and I’ve seen some young girls, like ten years old, trying products like Retinol, and they’re ruining their skin,” she said. They’re young and shouldn’t be wearing those products, they don’t have any wrinkles (at that age).”

She also addresses how familial experiences with parents can shape how this new generation perceives age.  

“I think there is also a lot of trauma going on with their parents, and I feel like they just want to be completely different,” Akane said. “I mean, the older they get, that’s something they don’t want to do to get older.”  

Aging is a natural part of someone’s life, and although there are healthy ways to maintain good skincare, it’s important not to get lost in a dangerous rabbit hole. Social media trends can be fun at the moment, however, some, if not most, can be deceiving.  

H. Catching Marginot is a staff reporter and can be reached at [email protected]