‘Sephora Kids’ spark debate about lack of teen idols

'Sephora Kids' has been a trending topic online as there has been a noticeable presence of young tweens swarming Sephora stores.

From purchasing anti-ageing skincare and makeup to being disrespectful towards customers and employees and leaving the product displays in a mess, many adults have been taking to TikTok to share their personal experiences of the 'Sephora Kids' they have encountered during their shop.

Within this subject, there has been much conversation about why this demographic of pre-teens has become particularly interested in the world of beauty.

No doubt social media has played a role in this with popular beauty influencers such as Alix Earle,Meredith Duxbury and Mikayla Nogueira receiving millions of views on their videos where they do product reviews and recommendations.

While the societal pressures of confirming to beauty standards from a young age should also not be understated either.

However, many people have also made an interesting pop culture point about this phenomenon and believe a contributing factor to the rise of 'Sephora Kids' is down to the fact that this generation of young girls do not have a teen pop icon to focus all their attention on.

"I know why all the little girls are in the Sephora, you know why? Because they don't have a teen pop icon boy to obsess over," @divinal111 said in a viral TikTok with over 1.2m views.

"When I was a kid I had Justin Bieber, One Direction, Cody Simpson, 5 Seconds of Summer, the generation before me had NSYNC, Backstreet Boys... who are the little girls getting?!"

"All I see are women and they're eating it up like Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift," she added and also mentioned Harry Styles's popularity among pre-teens but noted that despite remaining "relevant" as a solo artist, he is from the previous generation.

The TikToker recalled how she was "at that Macy's" whenever Justin Bieber or One Direction released a perfume, and added how she "knew all the words and all the choreography."

"They need this, it's important and it's ruining our kids," she concluded.

"Little girls are in Sephora because they do not have a One Direction," TikToker Annie Breen (@annie.breen) said and she also referenced @divinal111's video as she echoed similar thoughts.

"They do not have a Justin Bieber, they have a Stanley cup. We were so lucky," she continued and referred to a clip from The X Factor where judge Nicole Scherzinger was forming One Direction and held a photo up of Niall Horan and said, "Oh my God, little girls are going to love him!"

The TikToker noted how she still has a guitar pick Horan gave her as a 15-year-old and now at the age of 25 is going to see him in concert next month because she is "still that little girl."

"They [kids] don't have anything to grow up with, they don't have anything to distract from all the 20-year-olds, all the influencers on the internet, they don't have anything that is for them."

She added how it makes her sad that those kids won't have a "nostalgic memory," of the pop icon of their time when growing up - "What are they going to look back on like when their parent took them to buy a Stanley cup at Target, it's just sad."

Celebrity children's entertainer, Amanda Frolich, who (along with the lead singer of The Beautiful South, Alison Wheeler) knocked Baby Shark off the top of the iTunes chart with The Catchy Song - weighed in with her thoughts as she recalled the music idols of both her and her Gen Z daughter's generation.

"My daughter is now 19 and was brought up obsessing over Justin Bieber. My husband and I took it in turns to take her to his concerts. I am now 54 and absolutely LOVED Duran Duran, especially John Taylor," she told indy100.

"There must be so many talented young artists out there but how do they possibly breakthrough with all these teen influencers and YouTubers promoting make-up and skincare products."

Psychologist Anna Sergent told indy100 how teens can benefit mentally from being a fan and having a musical idol.

"Having a musical idol is an opportunity to meet other people interested in the band or a musician," she explained, and also referenced the fact that almost one in 10 young people in the UK feel lonely often or always, according to the Office for National Statistics last year.

"It helps to shape the identity, and sense of belonging. It also can increase social connectivity. Togetherness is so important in times when more young people report a sense of loneliness."

She added: "Perhaps going to Sephora and buying cosmetics together, exchanging beauty tips, could be some kind of a substitute for listening to a band together, having common musical interests."

Though, Sergent also acknowledged that the term "Sephora kids" does not need to be all negative and damaging as "a child’s curiosity can be stimulated" with skincare and beauty and "it can lead to an interest in chemistry or dermatology."

Meanwhile, psychotherapist and anxiety expert, Kamalyn Kaur similarly noted to indy100 that being a fangirl can create a "sense of identity and belonging with like-minded people," and this can "make us feel safe and secure, promoting good mental health."

"Fans often participate in fan communities whether online or in person which is a great way to foster a sense of community. Engaging with these types of communities can develop social skills, networking opportunities, and in some cases even friendships," she said.

In the comments sections of the videos, women recalled how "grateful" they were for being a fangirl during in their teens, and mentioned how YouTubers were also an obsession among the youngsters back in the day.

(Personally, as a One Direction fan myself from my tween years, I can also vouch how this time created some nostalgic memories for me to look back on now as an adult).

One person said: "Being a teenager during the peak era of 1D is something I’m truly grateful for. Literally shaped who I am today…could speak about their impact forever."

"This but also we had so many YouTubers who made kid-friendly videos - Zoella, ThatcherJoe, PointlessBlog, everything was fun pranks or vlogs and not the content around nowadays," another person said.

Someone else added: "They don’t know the joy of Disney Channel original movies."

However, there were some who disagreed and mentioned celebrities and artists who are popular among teens today such as K-pop groups like BTS, Stray Kids, and ATEEZ.

One person said: "They literally have Mason Thames and Walker Scobell."

"Walker Scobell is definitely gonna be the new thing very soon," another person wrote.

Someone else added: "I will not agree, because K-pop is very popular and it is very similar to when I was a fan of 1D."

"The K-pop boys. we need them to become K-pop fans," a fourth person commented.

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