Masuk Free Press

Entering school on the first day of my senior year was an interesting experience. Looking around, I expected to see the typical high school crowd: awkward freshmen rushing to find their classes, sophomores who are just there, juniors excited to finally be upperclassmen and seniors trying to make it through one more year. Instead, I looked around and was surprised to see a wave of students who I could not tell if they were freshmen or seniors.

When I was a freshman, I was still stuck in the awkward phase of trying to be “edgy,” and was obsessed with something geeky. Now, I overhear freshmen talking about what Sol De Janeiro scent they like or what party they are going to on the weekend. It is not only about the things younger high schoolers enjoy now, but also about appearance. Many underclassmen look a lot older than they actually are. We cannot forget that Freshmen are 14-15 years old, still very young. 

“Especially as a senior, it is funny to compare yourself to what you were or looked like in freshman year,” said Kayla Roy. “But now I cannot even point out a freshman in a crowd, they all look so grown up.”

This makes me wonder when did everyone grow up so fast? Whether it is a change in social expectations or media becoming more influential in young teens’ lives, there is one word to describe it: sad. The transition from carefree adolescence to an early embrace of adult life seems to be happening sooner than ever before.

“As an older sister, it is really surprising how grown up my younger sibling and other kids that age act versus how I was at that same age,” said Isabela Lucca.

A lot of this is due to the social pressure on teenagers today. Now, it feels like teens are expected to have everything figured out, from their career aspirations to their social media presence. There is a constant pressure to look a certain way, act a certain way and live up to unattainable standards. The rise of influencers and social media platforms has created a culture where teens are often more concerned with curating their image than just living in the moment. These pressures have seemed to start earlier in high school, as compared to during junior and senior year.

“It is really sad to me how younger teens are almost expected to act and look older,” said  Roy. “It just takes away from that last bit of childhood they have until the real world and college stuff takes over.”

The age of young adult influencers seems to keep going down. I often come across TikTok videos where kids who are not even in high school are posting “get ready with me” videos. These TikToks usually showcase expensive and trendy skincare products and makeup, which are heavily marketed by the media as the key to perfection. With influencers becoming younger and younger, it is easy for a teenager to want to relate to what they see on the internet.

Many early teens are losing the innocence and curiosity that comes with childhood. Instead of figuring out who they are through trial and error, they are conforming to a version of maturity that they are not ready for. Unfortunately,the media has normalized this. 

It is not uncommon to overhear a group of freshmen talking about dating, career paths and images in a way that I, as a freshman, never even thought about. It is as though they are skipping the more coming-of-age or experimental phase of teenage life and diving into something that feels more like being closer to 20 years old rather than 14.

“I feel like the freshmen now never went through their awkward phase,” said Tanya Hugar. “They show up with a full face of makeup and it just shocks me.”

While I understand that growing up is an inevitable part of life, I cannot help but feel nostalgic for a time when being young meant having the freedom to be weird, make mistakes and not have to worry about constantly measuring up to the perfect way of life that social media can portray. Maturity is essential, but there is also value in allowing teenagers to simply be kids, especially at the younger age of freshmen and sophomores. It is deeply concerning to witness how rapidly the younger part of the generation is losing the chance to embrace the carefree innocence and self-exploration that should define their formative years.