OPINION: The Death of the Female Tween

As I step into the Sephora checkout line, products in hand, I spot them out of the corner of my eye and my stomach tightens. There they are: five feet tall, foundation painted onto their faces, braces gleaming on their teeth, running vigorously towards the Drunk Elephant skincare section. If you visit any Sephora store, you know exactly who I’m talking about, but in case you are a little confused, let me clear things up. I’m referring to a new phenomenon of the 21st century: The Sephora Kids. 

In the not so distant past, but particularly pre-Covid, female tweens (those lovely years around 9-13 between being a child and a teenager) were acting more like, well, tweens. They collected everything possible, played with their American Girl dolls and bracelet sets, wore Sketchers, and put on soda-flavored Lip Smackers. Recently, though, prior activities deemed normal for a tween girl have been replaced with the hallmarks of the 9-year-old Instagram beauty influencer. Today, female tweens are acting more and more like teenagers or even young adults. The important transition stage between just being a kid and growing into a young adult is getting shorter and shorter or being blown past completely in favor of makeup and skincare, mature clothing and social media accounts. This is the death of the tween.

Sephora Kids: How are they and why are they the cause for debate on TikTok / Photo: Cortesía

The increased lack of “third places” over recent years has also contributed to the death of the tween. The term “third places” has been around for generations, initially used by sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe public locations widely accessible distinct from those designed for the home (first place) or workplace (second place). Examples are retail centers, parks, restaurants or cafes. The declining availability of these “third places” such as malls by tweens parallels the new reality: many shopping areas have shut down as a result of their inability to sustain customer numbers in the face of increasing online retail. Additionally, other locations tweens might frequent such as movie theaters and bowling alleys now have cost barriers due to inflation. These “third places” used to provide tweens with safe areas to roam with friends, maintaining a healthy degree of autonomy, crucial to their self-development and mental health. 

Photo via Nature Play.

Due to the lack of these “third places,” many tweens now search for alternative places to spend their time and involve themselves in social situations, looking toward social media as a replacement. Tiktok is a popular app for all social media users, both tweens and teens. According to Insider Intelligence, more than 2% of Tiktok’s users are 11 years of age or less, despite the fact that Tiktok demands the users of the app to be at least 13 years old. Although this may seem like a modest number, it is conceivable to estimate that around 25 million people who are 11 years old or under are using the app as it has more than one billion users globally. Tween age groups are reported to be on social media more frequently and are typically centered around social media applications, leaving them at risk of exposure from unrealistic beauty standards. These young girls have been prematurely exposed to beauty influencers, often full grown adults. These influencers have obtained large platforms, often having thousands of followers from the younger audiences. They use their platforms to display new products, almost always using words like “need” when trying to get young girls to buy these products. A young girl’s willingness to cover her face with cosmetics and engage in rigorous skincare regimens mimics the content they see online. 

There also seems to be a lack of available preteen fashion and apparel, leaving nothing to bridge the gap between what a youngster and an older adolescent may wear. As a result, tweens often look towards mature clothing really meant for late teenage or early adult years. Well loved Tiktok stars such as Charli and Dixie D'Amelio obtain partnerships with brands like American Eagle or Hollister Co., and tween audiences frequently try to imitate the looks of their favorite stars. However, these stars, who are mainly in their early 20s, wear attire that is likely inappropriate for preteen audiences. Moreover, many of the shops that used to cater to tween clothing have either transformed completely or closed down. Claire’s, an old time favorite among tweens for newest jewelry or accessories, declared bankruptcy in 2018 and shut down locations in many shopping centers. In 2020, Justice, a once-dominant retail business adored by tweens, closed permanently.   

Dixie and Charli D'Amelio Fashion via Pinterest.

Social pressure to mature more quickly is reflected in the present demise of the death of the tween. As a society, we need to make space for this important developmental phase: allowing children to experience their independence in a lower pressure environment while still being kids.

Sources

Subramanian, K. (2024, June 16). On the front lines: Death of Tween culture. The Daily Targum. https://dailytargum.com/article/2024/06/on-the-front-lines-death-of-tween-culture 

Szczesniak, A. (2024, January 25). The death of the preteen: The disappearance of a demographic. The death of the preteen: The disappearance of a demographic - The Post. https://www.thepostathens.com/article/2024/01/preteen-demographic-tiktok-influencers 

Gonzales, J. (2024, November 7). Death of the tween: Students and educators weigh in on current youth culture. The Arizona State Press. https://www.statepress.com/article/2024/11/the-echo-death-of-the-tween-672c19656d7ff