Recently, on my podcast with psychologist Jo-Ann Finkelstein, PhD, she made a point that stuck with me: many girls are losing sleep to wake early for makeup and beauty routines. I hadn’t fully considered how this affects their rest and well-being.
Another growing concern is how young girls, some as young as 7 or 8, are becoming fixated on beauty products particularly through viewing beauty routines or GRWM (Get Ready With Me) content from similarly young creators on platforms like TikTok or YouTube.
In Screenagers Elementary School Age Edition, we show clips of elementary-aged girls talking excitedly about their favorite skin and makeup items. This beauty obsession is reaching younger ages, fueled by pervasive beauty ideals on social media.
New research from Northwestern University, led by Dr. Molly Hales, examined 100 TikTok beauty routine videos by creators ages 7 to 18. Findings included:
As a doctor, I treat young people with irritated skin, and as a mom, I’m alarmed. Peer-driven beauty content, amplified by social media, is shaping how kids see themselves. The pressure to achieve a certain look is relentless, unattainable, and a toxic cycle.
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Register your interest in bringing our new movie to your school or community
Here are ways to start meaningful, nonjudgmental conversations:
Try to understand what your child is feeling from their perspective.
To get there, ask open-ended questions like:
You might want to share an equivalent experience from your own childhood - for example, seeing beauty tips in a teen magazine.
Watch this short clip from Screenagers: Elementary School Edition together. It features young kids showcasing their skincare and makeup routines and their excitement for brands like Sephora or Evereden. This can be a powerful springboard for a shared conversation.
Reference Dr. Hale’s TikTok study, noting that many products include ingredients that can irritate young (or any) skin. Explain how rashes or reactions may be linked to these products, something that kids might not realize on their own.
Brainstorm together:
Even if your child doesn’t change their habits immediately, this kind of dialogue plants seeds. This is about nurturing critical thinking. When we show curiosity and calmly share our thoughts — without blame — we make little inroads.
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Register your interest in bringing our new movie to your school or community
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel! We add new videos regularly and you'll find over 100 videos covering parenting advice, guidance, podcasts, movie clips and more. Here's our most recent:
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Please click here to share your thoughts with us in our community survey. It only takes 5–10 minutes, and everyone who completes it will be entered to win one of five $50 Amazon vouchers.
Recently, on my podcast with psychologist Jo-Ann Finkelstein, PhD, she made a point that stuck with me: many girls are losing sleep to wake early for makeup and beauty routines. I hadn’t fully considered how this affects their rest and well-being.
Another growing concern is how young girls, some as young as 7 or 8, are becoming fixated on beauty products particularly through viewing beauty routines or GRWM (Get Ready With Me) content from similarly young creators on platforms like TikTok or YouTube.
In Screenagers Elementary School Age Edition, we show clips of elementary-aged girls talking excitedly about their favorite skin and makeup items. This beauty obsession is reaching younger ages, fueled by pervasive beauty ideals on social media.
New research from Northwestern University, led by Dr. Molly Hales, examined 100 TikTok beauty routine videos by creators ages 7 to 18. Findings included:
As a doctor, I treat young people with irritated skin, and as a mom, I’m alarmed. Peer-driven beauty content, amplified by social media, is shaping how kids see themselves. The pressure to achieve a certain look is relentless, unattainable, and a toxic cycle.
Here are ways to start meaningful, nonjudgmental conversations:
Try to understand what your child is feeling from their perspective.
To get there, ask open-ended questions like:
You might want to share an equivalent experience from your own childhood - for example, seeing beauty tips in a teen magazine.
Watch this short clip from Screenagers: Elementary School Edition together. It features young kids showcasing their skincare and makeup routines and their excitement for brands like Sephora or Evereden. This can be a powerful springboard for a shared conversation.
Reference Dr. Hale’s TikTok study, noting that many products include ingredients that can irritate young (or any) skin. Explain how rashes or reactions may be linked to these products, something that kids might not realize on their own.
Brainstorm together:
Even if your child doesn’t change their habits immediately, this kind of dialogue plants seeds. This is about nurturing critical thinking. When we show curiosity and calmly share our thoughts — without blame — we make little inroads.
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel! We add new videos regularly and you'll find over 100 videos covering parenting advice, guidance, podcasts, movie clips and more. Here's our most recent:
Sign up here to receive the weekly Tech Talk Tuesdays newsletter from Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD.
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Recently, on my podcast with psychologist Jo-Ann Finkelstein, PhD, she made a point that stuck with me: many girls are losing sleep to wake early for makeup and beauty routines. I hadn’t fully considered how this affects their rest and well-being.
Another growing concern is how young girls, some as young as 7 or 8, are becoming fixated on beauty products particularly through viewing beauty routines or GRWM (Get Ready With Me) content from similarly young creators on platforms like TikTok or YouTube.
In Screenagers Elementary School Age Edition, we show clips of elementary-aged girls talking excitedly about their favorite skin and makeup items. This beauty obsession is reaching younger ages, fueled by pervasive beauty ideals on social media.
New research from Northwestern University, led by Dr. Molly Hales, examined 100 TikTok beauty routine videos by creators ages 7 to 18. Findings included:
As a doctor, I treat young people with irritated skin, and as a mom, I’m alarmed. Peer-driven beauty content, amplified by social media, is shaping how kids see themselves. The pressure to achieve a certain look is relentless, unattainable, and a toxic cycle.
The first of 1,200+ school district lawsuits against social media companies just settled, with Meta, YouTube, Snap, and TikTok all paying out rather than face a jury. Meta points to its Teen Accounts feature as proof of safety, but a study by former Meta safety lead Arturo Bejar found only 8 of 47 advertised features actually work as described.
READ MORE >
Teen psychologist Lisa Damour breaks down three manipulative tactics online games and apps use to push kids into spending: algorithms that time pitches to when kids are tired or bored, scarcity tactics like countdown timers that trigger impulse buys, and in-app currencies (gems, coins, tokens) designed to disguise real dollar costs. Research shows teens resist these tactics better once they understand them.
READ MORE >A Los Angeles jury has found Meta and YouTube liable for designing platforms that addicted a child and harmed her mental health, the first verdict of its kind. The case shifted the legal debate away from free speech and Section 230 protections toward platform design and its impact on young users. This is being called social media's "Big Tobacco moment," and it is one worth explaining to the kids in your life.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
