From blowing Raspberries to Retinol, our generation has become obsessed with the construct of age. Little girls and boys are 18 by the time they are 12. But has this obsession with age pounced on our society or has it been deep rooted in what we know, consistently resurfacing?
A recent trend which has resurfaced negative views on age is output of skincare routines and skincare products. Skincare products that are specifically targeted towards older women, in an attempt to combat socially constructed physical issues, are being exploited by younger children. Already we should be discussing why products should be developed in order to combat a natural process. Why should we plaster our faces in chemicals in order to prevent the inevitable? Is a process that our ancestors embraced gracefully now demonized, and are our generation running from this process like the plague? Skincare products such as Retinol have become a heavily desired and used product among the youth, resulting in children from the age of 12 and below incorporating it into their everyday routine. Although in hindsight, incorporating certain skincare products into our routine seems beneficial, sometimes skin (especially that of a younger person) should be left to develop on its own. But are skincare products really the only factor in increased age focus?
The broad answer is no, skincare products are not the only factor in increased ageism, and furthermore they are not directly the reason for negative views on age. But if skincare products aren't the only factor, what accompanies it? Social Media.
Social media has a large role in elevating the severity of situations, through its ability to collaborate views from every individual who happens to stumble across it. From developing; and feeding individuals trends that brand aging with a negative image to embracing it. Social media as a whole goes hand in hand with the development of ferocity of society being age focused.
But was society as age-focused prior to the invention of social media? The answer is yes, society before, during and after has always had elements of age obsession; it just was not on a similar scale as of today. From avoiding sunlight to soaking in olive oil and honey baths, civilisations throughout history have always attempted to slow down the aging process
In conclusion, our contemporary society is heavily influenced by societies that came before us, each of which were conscious of the term ‘aging’ and each of which developed ways in which to prevent it. As a result, modern individuals (taking inspiration from our descendants) are obsessed with the idea of aging due to the continual idea that it can be prevented.