The Infographics Show delves into the reasons Gen Z often looks older than their actual age. The video explores how makeup techniques, social media influences, and cosmetic procedures contribute to this perception. Despite being in their youthful prime, many Gen Zers opt for mature adult styling, including heavy makeup and Botox, to keep up with beauty standards shaped by influencers. This obsession with youth, ironically, makes them appear older. Stress, self-induced aging practices, and misinformation about skincare and tanning exacerbate the issue, causing them to seem older than millennials at the same age. The video concludes by posing a question about whether these practices truly age Gen Z or if it's just a byproduct of societal expectations.
Highlights
Gen Z is known for their advanced makeup skills that often mimic celebrity styles, making them appear older. 🎨
Botox and fillers used by Gen Z as preventive measures against aging might actually contribute to a more aged look. 💉
The influence of social media creates pressure for Gen Z to maintain certain beauty standards, impacting their self-image. 📸
Gen Z's love for tanning beds and vaping are shocking contributors to their aged appearance. 🌞
High stress levels and anti-aging skincare regimens may ironically age Gen Z faster than any other generation. 📈
Key Takeaways
Gen Z's advanced makeup skills and heavy styling make them look older than their years. 💄
The rise of social media has led to increased pressure on Gen Z to adhere to unrealistic beauty standards. 📱
Cosmetic procedures like Botox and fillers are becoming common among Gen Z, contributing to older appearances. 🧖♀️
Stress and lifestyle choices, such as tanning and vaping, accelerate the perceived aging process in Gen Z. 🚬
Despite their efforts to appear youthful, Gen Z's beauty routines and stress levels may be causing premature aging. 😬
Overview
In a surprising twist, Generation Z—those born between 1997 and 2012—often look older than they should. The Infographics Show investigates why this is the case, pointing to factors like makeup mastery and social media pressure. Gen Z, familiar with TikTok trends, embrace makeup routines that mimic those of celebrities, using techniques like contouring that older generations learned much later in life. 🖌️
Adding to this is the increasing use of Botox and other cosmetic procedures as preventive measures. Many in Gen Z seek to fend off aging before it even begins, with procedures becoming commonplace despite advice to the contrary. The push for a flawless appearance is powered by countless influencers on platforms such as Instagram, propagating an ideal that few can maintain without intervention. 👄
However, Gen Z's determination to look young may be fast-tracking them to an older appearance. Stress, widespread tanning bed usage, and the popularity of vaping are accelerating their aging process. While attempting to preserve youth, they might inadvertently be promoting an earlier onset of age-related changes, leading us to ask whether their choices really serve them well or simply add to the age-related pressure they feel. 🤔
Chapters
00:00 - 00:30: Introduction: The Paradox of Gen Z Looking Older The chapter discusses the paradox of Generation Z individuals who appear to be older than their age. It starts with an anecdote about a coworker who plans a quiet evening with an early bedtime, which is unexpected given their youthful age. The narrator observes the coworker's skin under heavy makeup and presumes they've had cosmetic work done, guessing their age to be late 30s or early 40s. However, the coworker then reveals they are only turning 24, prompting the central question of why young individuals seem older than their actual age.
00:30 - 03:30: Exploring the Reasons Behind the Trend This chapter explores why Generation Z, people born between 1997 and 2012, often appear older than their actual age. Despite being in their youthful prime, individuals within this generation are noted to look older due to certain factors. One significant reason discussed is styling, implying that Gen Z's fashion and grooming choices can contribute to a perception of age beyond their years.
03:30 - 07:30: The Influence of Social Media on Perception The chapter explores the significant influence of social media, particularly platforms like TikTok, on the perceptions and behaviors of younger generations in regards to makeup and beauty standards. It illustrates how high schoolers are becoming skilled in complex makeup routines, such as contouring, which were relatively unknown to previous generations until they were adults. The chapter points out that while today's makeup trends aim for a "natural" look, the amount being applied suggests otherwise. Additionally, a study is mentioned that highlights how Gen Z has the highest engagement with these makeup trends.
07:30 - 12:00: Cosmetic Procedures and Their Impacts The chapter delves into the surprising trend of younger generations wearing more makeup than older ones, challenging traditional beauty norms that associate increased makeup use with aging. This shift is largely influenced by beauty and makeup influencers on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, who have popularized makeup application skills and trends among younger audiences.
12:00 - 16:30: Social Media Pressures and Aging Anxiety This chapter discusses the negative impact of social media on Gen Z's self-esteem, particularly in relation to aging anxiety. It highlights the surprising connection between social media use and perceptions of aging among Gen Z, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of this phenomenon. The demand for beauty products has significantly increased, with a 20% growth in 2023 compared to 2022. This increase is largely driven by Gen Z consumers, who are spending an average of $2,000 annually on these products, as reported by advertising company Nano and Statista.
16:30 - 21:30: Skincare Trends and Their Unintended Consequences The chapter discusses the paradoxical effects of certain beauty and skincare trends among young people, particularly Gen Z, and highlights the unintended consequences. It points out that although Gen Z tends to have less disposable income, they spend significantly on beauty products. An analysis is presented on how heavy makeup, often linked with older women, can actually accentuate signs of aging by settling into facial lines, especially when close up. Moreover, the chapter explores the perception that young individuals might appear older when wearing visible makeup due to cultural associations between makeup and adulthood. This is supported by a study referenced from the British Journal of Psychology, suggesting makeup's psychological impact on age perception.
21:30 - 26:30: Sun Exposure and Misinformation The chapter titled 'Sun Exposure and Misinformation' discusses the impact of makeup trends on different age groups, highlighting that while certain makeup techniques can make women in their 40s and 50s look younger, they have no effect on 30-year-olds and can make 20-year-olds look older. It underscores how many makeup techniques popular on platforms like TikTok are designed to look good on camera rather than in real life. The chapter also notes the influence of social media and the prevalence of 'on-camera lives,' where people tend to apply makeup intended for screen appearances more than for in-person interactions.
26:30 - 33:30: Vaping: A Modern Health Crisis The chapter discusses the adoption of advanced makeup techniques by Generation Z, which were originally designed for film and stage. Techniques such as contouring and 'baking' are used to achieve a flawless look on camera but can make individuals appear older in real life. Moreover, it addresses the growing trend of Gen Z undergoing cosmetic procedures at an early age, a trend observed by Dr. Sonia Khorana, a dermatologist and cosmetic doctor. This shift in makeup and cosmetic procedure trends is part of the broader conversation on how these practices contribute to aging Gen Z's appearance.
33:30 - 35:30: Conclusion: Are Gen Z's Practices Aging Them? The chapter discusses the growing trend of Botox usage among young people, particularly focusing on teenagers and those in their 20s. It highlights the prevalence of Botox procedures in England, where in 2020, 41,000 such procedures were done on teenagers. In response, the British government prohibited Botox for those under 18. Meanwhile, in the United States, Botox injections among people in their 20s surged by 28% from 2010 to 2020, driven by the global marketing of 'preventative' Botox, targeting young individuals without wrinkles.
Why Does Gen Z Look So Old Transcription
00:00 - 00:30 You casually ask your new coworker
about their Friday night plans, expecting something exciting. Instead,
they mention an early night- crocheting, a little Netflix, and bedtime before nine.
Wait… they’re already in their ‘early bedtime’ era? You look closely at their face, You take
a closer look at their face, surprised- ok, their skin is layered under heavy foundation and
it isn’t looking its best. And they’ve definitely had some work done. Late 30s? Maybe early 40s?
Then they mention their upcoming birthday… they’re turning 24 next month.
How is that possible?! Why do
00:30 - 01:00 they look…and act…so much older? Today on the
Infographics Show, we’re going to investigate the question media outlets and older generations have
been asking for years…why does Gen Z look so old?! Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z should still
be in their youthful prime. With most of them between 13 and 28 years old, you’d expect
them to look fresh-faced and youthful. But as many people- both online and in real life-
have noticed, that’s… not exactly the case. One reason Gen Z might appear older comes
down to styling—they actually know what
01:00 - 01:30 they’re doing. Scroll through TikTok, and you’ll
find high schoolers expertly executing hour-long makeup routines- complete with contouring,
layers of foundation, and concealer tricks that would make a celebrity makeup artist proud.
Most millennials and Gen X didn’t even know what contouring was until they were full-grown adults-
contouring only gained popularity in the 2010s, when the last millennials were in college.
Now, a lot of the makeup Gen Z wears is meant to look “natural” - though you’d never know
it from watching Euphoria. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s being piled on.
One study showed that Gen Z has the highest
01:30 - 02:00 percentage of regular makeup wearers than any
generation - 36% compared to 34% of millennials. It might seem like a small difference, but
traditionally, makeup use increases with age. Women wear more to cover up fine lines,
texture, and other so-called ‘imperfections’. Yet, ironically, it’s younger people
who are wearing the most makeup today. A lot of the increase in makeup application
knowledge, and makeup use itself, has to do with the explosion of beauty and makeup
influencers on TikTok and YouTube- two
02:00 - 02:30 platforms heavily used by Gen Z. Social media
hasn’t helped Gen Z’s self-esteem either, leading to another surprising reason they’re
looking older- but more on that later. Regardless of the reasons why, the demand
for beauty products is skyrocketing over time. Online advertising company Nano found
that beauty product demand grew 20% in the first part of 2023 compared to the same
period in 2022. And a lot of that money is coming from Gen Z. According to Statista,
the average Gen Z’er spends $2,000 per year
02:30 - 03:00 on beauty products. Considering how broke
Gen Z tends to be, that’s quite the amount. Generally, contoured makeup and foundation is not
only associated with older women, but accentuates even the smallest signs of aging. Foundation and
other skin-covering makeup settle into facial lines, emphasizing them when viewed close up.
On top of that, just wearing visible makeup can make young people seem older- not because of the
makeup itself, but because we associate it with adulthood. A study in the British Journal
of Psychology found that while makeup made
03:00 - 03:30 women in their 40s and 50s look younger to
observers, it had no effect on 30-year-olds- and actually made 20-year-olds look older.
Not to mention, many of the makeup techniques trending on TikTok are designed for the camera-
not real life. If you’ve ever swung by a film set, you know that what looks flawless on screen can
look… well, a little over-the-top in person. However, with the explosion of social
media, selfies, and more “on-camera lives”, people are doing their makeup more for the
screen rather than in-person interactions.
03:30 - 04:00 So Gen Z is adopting makeup techniques originally
designed for film and stage like contouring and “baking” -a heavy layer of setting powder to
lock everything in. The end result is makeup looks flawless on camera but way more noticeable
in real life, making them appear even older. But there are more invasive cosmetic procedures
aging Gen Z up as well. Dr. Sonia Khorana, a dermatology expert and cosmetic doctor,
says that Gen Z is more likely to undergo cosmetic procedures at an earlier age than any
other generation before them. Dr. Khorana works
04:00 - 04:30 in England, where 41,000 Botox-style
procedures were performed on teenagers in 2020. Eventually the British government
banned the use of Botox on anyone under 18. It’s not just a British thing; the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
says that Botox injections increased 28% among people in their 20s between 2010 and
2020. That’s partly because doctors around the world are marketing “preventative” Botox to
young people who don’t even have wrinkles yet.
04:30 - 05:00 It’s worth noting though that the evidence
on that ranges from shaky to non-existent. According to The Washington Post, there
haven’t been any high-quality clinical trials to determine whether preventative Botox
actually works long-term. It’s still a relatively new trend- especially among people who are
young enough to still be dealing with acne. They state that, “anecdotal evidence from
dermatologists and plastic surgeons indicates that Botox does delay the onset of wrinkles”.
But they also point out that dermatologists and
05:00 - 05:30 plastic surgeons who are selling Botox treatments
to patients may not be the most reliable sources. When cosmetic interventions become obvious,
they make people look older partly because of, once again, social norms. No one expects a woman
in her early 20s to have had extensive cosmetic procedures. That's exactly what happened when
Kylie Jenner stepped out at Paris Fashion Week in 2024. Observers- some casually, others a bit more
cruelly- remarked that she looked closer to her 40s than her actual age of 27. Jenner has opened
up about getting lip fillers since she was 15,
05:30 - 06:00 in addition to Botox, dermal fillers,
and other plastic surgery interventions. Dr. Khorana explains that Gen Z’s lifestyle
choices can make them appear older than their actual age. And as you’ll soon see, some of
these habits- some you’d never expect- are actually speeding up the aging process
and we’ll get to those factors soon. In an interview with Vogue, dermatologists
revealed that preventative Botox doesn’t just influence social perceptions- it can actually
make people look older. Manhattan dermatologist
06:00 - 06:30 Patricia Wexler explains, “If you do too much
Botox on your forehead for many, many years, the muscles will get weaker and flatter.”
This doesn’t just make the skin look thin, flat, and less vibrant- it can also cause new
wrinkles to form in surrounding areas where they normally wouldn’t. Most young people
get preventative Botox in their forehead, but their face still wants to make expressions.
Since the forehead muscles can’t move as much, other muscles- like those around the nose-
start compensating, leading to wrinkles in
06:30 - 07:00 places they were never meant to be.
That creates wrinkles that normally wouldn’t form until later in life - or at all -
giving their face a prematurely aged appearance. While Botox is supposed to be spaced out
by at least a few months, some people ignore that guideline- often with the help
of shady doctors. This speeds up both the skin weakening Botox causes, as well as
the wrinkles in the rest of their face. But why is Gen Z so obsessed
with stopping aging- to the point where they’re actually making
themselves look older in the process?!
07:00 - 07:30 Well, this brings us to another interesting
point about Gen Z aging badly. Are they freaking out because they’re aging badly? Or
are they freaking out because they’re aging? As opposed to other generations, Gen Z grew up
with social media being a central part of their lives since before they hit puberty. Excessive
use of social media led to a lot of Gen Z’ers comparing themselves to photoshopped and filtered
photos of not only others- but themselves as well. Experts have long warned about the “filter
effect” and its impact on Gen Z’s self-esteem. But that’s only part of the story. Add to that
Hollywood’s obsession with injectables, fillers,
07:30 - 08:00 and cosmetic procedures. The result is an army
of eternally youthful, nearly identical faces that flood TikTok and Instagram, shaping
what “beauty” is supposed to look like. Skincare company Curology conducted
a study of 2,000 US teenagers between the ages of 14 and 22. They found that
72% of teenagers feel pressure to look “perfect” because of social
media’s beauty standards. Furthermore, 25% of Gen Z say they’re
actually uncomfortable sharing their
08:00 - 08:30 face on social media without filters or
makeup as a result. In fact a full 37% of teenagers would prefer to “walk around
with a facial filter on” in real life. Not only are people on social media
comparing themselves to others, but they’re also comparing their faces with younger
versions of themselves. Never before have so many people had immediate access to dozens or hundreds
of chronologically sorted photos of their face. Scroll down your TikTok and Instagram feed
over just a few years, and you can see a
08:30 - 09:00 difference in your face over time. For
some people, that’s upsetting. After all, for most of human history, we weren’t meant
to regularly see ourselves at all. Plus, comparing your reflection to a ten-year-old oil
painting in the Victorian era isn’t exactly the same as spending four hours a day on Zoom and
TikTok, noticing your newly forming crow’s feet. So it’s very probable that due to these
distorted perceptions and standards, Gen Z is just freaking out over normal signs
of aging, rather than truly aging badly. Psychology professor Renee Engeln, the director
of Body and Media Lab at Northwestern University,
09:00 - 09:30 says “there is a sense in which young
people have forgotten what faces look like.” Research agrees with her, as 60% of 18-24 year olds say they feel
pressured to change their appearance. The problem is, when young people turn
to cosmetic procedures to achieve an unrealistic look- or to appear even younger-
they often get the opposite effect. Just like with Botox. Aesthetician Dr. Ahmed
El Muntasar says “dermal fillers are brilliant for adding volume to the face. But
too much filler can have the opposite effect,
09:30 - 10:00 making you look older due to the
shadows it can create on the face.” Trying to contour the face
with fillers instead of makeup, can age otherwise young women. After
a backlash to excessive filler use, many celebrities who dissolved them - including
Blac Chyna and Ariana Grande. They subsequently received widespread praise for how much
better- and younger- they looked without them. Not to mention, the facial structure of women
is still changing up until their mid-20s, as a lot of them haven’t lost the “baby fat”
covering their cheekbones. So staging cosmetic
10:00 - 10:30 interventions when your underlying facial
structure isn’t even fully visible yet can create more problems. Fillers are likely to look
odd or migrate after the face finishes undergoing its normal young adulthood changes.
Belkin has this to say about filler: it is “a great tool, but it has to be used well,
and it has to be used smartly. When it migrates, it does create that exhausted look,
which can make you look older.” Gen Z’s obsession with youth also leads to
something called “perception drift”. Basically,
10:30 - 11:00 when someone gets a little Botox here, or a
little filler there, they can start to freak out about other imperfections in their face. This can
lead to more and more procedures, until they look closer to a Real Housewife than the office intern.
Sari Botton, the editor of Oldster Magazine - which, unsurprisingly, focuses on aging
- thinks Gen Z’s freak outs about getting older might have to do with psychological expectations
as well. Members of Gen Z created a whole identity around youth, especially online, as
many new generations tend to do - but social
11:00 - 11:30 media amplified it. Trends on TikTok involved
a lot of Gen Z and Millennial comparisons, with Gen Z presenting their trends as new and exciting
while Millennial trends were “old” and done for. But now, Gen Alpha is here to overthrow them - Gen
Z won’t be the young generation the world markets to for much longer. They’ll soon be the ones who
don’t get the new trends, or be thought of as “cringe”. As Botton says, “I think it’s probably
the old quarter-life crisis, and the realization that they’re going to have to make some big adult
choices that they’re going to have to live with.”
11:30 - 12:00 So Gen Z’s anxieties about adulthood are
manifesting in feeling like they’re looking too old. But according to at least one 26-year-old
whose video about the topic went viral, all those anxieties are also making them old.
Jordan Howlett says he’s constantly mistaken for being in his 40s- even though
he’s only 26. In a viral TikTok, he shared why he thinks this is happening:
anxiety and stress are prematurely aging his entire generation. That’s right, one of the most
serious things making Gen Z look old is stress.
12:00 - 12:30 “Gen Z is so worried about turning 30,
that time when you’re supposed to have everything put together”, Howlett says. “We
live in a time nowadays where Millennials look way younger for their age while
Gen Z looks way older for their age.” One poll by the American Psychological Association
found that 91% of 3,400 Gen Z adults surveyed in 2018 admitted they experienced some kind of
physical or emotional stress. Gen Z is also the most stressed demographic in the workplace. A
survey conducted by Cigna 360, found that out of
12:30 - 13:00 12,000 workers, a whopping 98% reported burnout.
And stress can have a very real, physical effect on aging, as it affects cortisol, inflammation,
hormonal levels, and skin mast cells. Cortisol slows down collagen production, making
skin lose its elasticity. Inflammation helps create free radicals that damage cells by causing
even more inflammation. And skin mast cells, which play a huge role in supporting
the immune system, are badly damaged
13:00 - 13:30 by stress. This leads to conditions like
acne, psoriasis, and eczema, to name a few. So what’s the answer?
For a lot of Gen Z, the solution is simple: skincare! Preventative
skincare, from as young as possible, all the time! Actually… it turns out, that’s probably aging
them too. Gen Z really can’t catch a break. Last time you logged onto TikTok and saw a
14-year-old describing their anti-wrinkle routine, you may have already felt that there was something
wrong with that picture. And it turns out,
13:30 - 14:00 it was a lot more than you think.
Gen Z has been aggressively marketed to by skincare brands and influencers
since they got their first hormones. But instead of the treatments that were usually
marketed to teenagers - acne treatments, for example - they’re now getting wrinkle
treatments and anti-aging routines pushed on them. And we mean pushed. Bubble Skincare, which sells
products like eye-brightening cream, has over 2,000 13 and 14 year old youth ambassadors. It’s
common to see influencers in their sophomore year of high school showing multi-step morning and
nighttime skincare routines on social media. But
14:00 - 14:30 not only is all this skincare mostly unnecessary
at such a young age…it can actually be damaging. Retinol, a common ingredient in many anti-aging
treatments, isn’t recommended for young skin because it causes dryness. While it’s great for
rejuvenating collagen production in older people, young people don’t need that rejuvenation.
Their bodies are pretty great at producing collagen on their own. So instead, they
end up with dry-looking, dehydrated skin
14:30 - 15:00 that ages them. The ingredient also damages
the skin barrier over time, and that can help cause conditions like dermatitis.
Chemical exfoliants have similar effects. As Dr. Khorana says, “there’s peer
pressure to try the products influencers are promoting on social media, but these
often aren’t suitable for those under 30.” So what skincare does Gen Z need? According to
most dermatologists, probably nothing more than a good SPF, cleanser, and moisturizer. But that
won’t stop skincare companies from convincing Gen
15:00 - 15:30 Z they need their treatments to avoid looking old,
and Gen Z from buying it all up. Research showed that Gen Z spends more on beauty and skincare than
any other demographic, even though they need it the least. Unfortunately, even though Gen Z seems
to focus on their facial skincare routine, they seem to care less about the rest of their body.
A study carried out by Melanoma Focus found that 43% of Gen Z admitted to using sunbeds - one
of the worst things you can do for your skin. Not only does it drastically increase the risk
of skin cancer, but it also speeds up premature
15:30 - 16:00 aging, leaving skin looking older, faster.
As Seattle-based dermatologist Dr. Heather Rogers says of Gen Z, “they’re not taking
care of their skin, despite having a 15-step skin-care regimen”. Tanning bed use steeply
declined in the 2010s - by almost 30% - after science showed that sunbeds were even worse
for skin than tanning in the actual sun. So why is the anti-wrinkle-obsessed generation
tanning their skin into a leathery hide? Well, it’s because they don’t seem to be
aware how bad it is. And disinformation
16:00 - 16:30 coming through influencers on social
media has played a big part in that. The backlash against tanning was huge among
millennials - if you saw orange-tinted MySpace profile pictures circa 2004, you’d
understand why. But Gen Z has swung back in the opposite direction. Many now believe
the concerns over tanning beds are overhyped. The American Academy of Dermatology conducted a
survey in 2022 that showed Gen Z knew less about UV safety than older generations. In fact,
one-third of Gen Z respondents scored a D or
16:30 - 17:00 lower on their knowledge of sun protection.
Even those who know the risks don’t seem to care much. It highlights a bigger issue- Gen
Z’s perpetually online culture may have made them more focused on controlling how they look on
social media than on their actual health. A full 28% of Gen Z respondents said that getting a tan
was more important than not getting skin cancer. We assume that the people who actually got
skin cancer would disagree with that statement. Unfortunately, skin cancer still
follows the rules of science rather
17:00 - 17:30 than the advice of TikTok influencers. One
doctor says at this point in his practice, he’s removing skin cancer from someone under 40
almost every week. Surgical oncologist Dr. Rajesh Nair says “we’re seeing an increasing number of
young and middle aged adults with not only skin cancers, but advanced stage skin cancers.”
Other dermatologists agree that influencers sharing flat out false information about UV rays
and tanning salons don’t help the situation. Dr. Jacqueline Watchmaker, who works at US
Dermatology Partners, says “I definitely have seen
17:30 - 18:00 some 20-year-olds who come in not only tan, but
red-brown - they’re so tan, I call it mahogany.” When your tan matches your grandma’s dining
room table, perhaps it's time to stop. Celebrities with huge social media followings-
like Kristin Cavallari- have posted videos claiming they don’t wear sunscreen because it’s
not “natural.” Some even insist that sunscreen, not UV rays, is the real cause of skin cancer.
Dermatologists strongly disagree. There is
18:00 - 18:30 literally no evidence to support this claim, and
every peer-reviewed study says the exact opposite. But a lot more Gen Zers get their
health guidance from TikTok, so what doctors say doesn’t really matter.
According to the Orlando Health Cancer Institute, 1 in 7 adults in the U.S. under 35 think daily
sunscreen use is worse than direct sun exposure. Unfortunately, UV rays are not the only carcinogen
making Gen Z look like they’re on their second mortgage - a sad irony as, in this economy,
they’re probably not even gonna get a first
18:30 - 19:00 one. And young people seem really misinformed
about this next cancer-causing habit as well, perhaps explaining why it might be the
worst cause of prematuring aging yet… Vaping.
Anti-smoking campaigns have been so successful that the percentage of American adults
who smoke dropped from 42.6% in 1965 to just 11.6% in 2022- a 73% decrease, according to the American
Lung Association. But as smoking declined, so did tobacco company profits. And as they watched
their revenue shrink- alongside a suspicious rise
19:00 - 19:30 in healthy lungs- they came up with a new plan…
they invested in and promoted vaping instead. Big Tobacco didn’t disappear- it just rebranded.
British American Tobacco, the company behind Vuse, remains a major player in the e-cigarette market.
Meanwhile, Altria- the owner of Philip Morris and maker of Marlboro- once held a 35% stake
in Juul before shifting its focus to NJOY, another vaping company. Altria’s new slogan is
“moving beyond smoking”... They just conveniently
19:30 - 20:00 left out that it’s toward vaping instead.
And Gen Z has latched onto these campaigns. One University College London study
showed that between 2016 and 2023, the percent of 18-to-24-year-olds in England that
inhaled nicotine products rose from 28% to 35%. E-cigarettes that were initially intended
as a way to wean former smokers off nicotine are now being picked up by people who never
had a cigarette smoking habit to begin with.
20:00 - 20:30 The marketing of flavored vapes has made them
wildly popular with a group that was never supposed to buy nicotine in the first place -
children. And worst of all, flavored e- cigarettes have an even “safer” reputation than
regular ones. A survey found that 27% of Gen Z believes flavored vapes are less harmful
to their health than standard e-cigarettes. Meanwhile, the reality is concerning- 17% of
parents with kids aged 9 to 17 reported that their child had tried e-cigarettes, and 7% said their
child uses them regularly. And that’s just the
20:30 - 21:00 parents who know their children are vaping. Take a
minute to think about how much your parents don’t know about your teenagers years, and then realize
how many more teenagers are actually vaping. Smoking is one of the leading causes of rapid
aging. And vaping isn’t any better when it comes to creating those fine lines and wrinkles, and
generally making the skin duller and less elastic. So those are just a few of the
reasons why, on some college campuses, it’s getting harder to tell the students
from the professors. From over-the-top
21:00 - 21:30 beauty routines to skyrocketing stress levels,
tanning beds, and preventative Botox gone wrong, Gen Z’s approach to self-care might
actually be aging them faster. But what do you think? Are these factors really
making Gen Z look older, or is it all just social media exaggeration? Let us know in the comments!
In the meantime, check out Every Generation Explained in 10 minutes, or
click on this one instead!