While the internet has helped bridge the gap by reaching people who are miles apart from each other, it also has some negative effects.
Many children are exposed to content that is not meant for them simply because there is no filter on the internet.
With the rise of skincare influencers, many children have been exposed to skincare routines that have nothing to do with them.
According to an article published by The Guardian, children as young as ten years are pressuring their parents to buy them expensive anti-ageing products.
Of course, they do not need any of those products but because they see them trending on social media, they also want to jump on the trend.
In an attempt to save South African children from following the trend, Dove has launched a new campaign #TheFaceof10, to celebrate the innocence of children and encourage them to love and enjoy their skin as it is and know that when the time comes, they will get to use products suitable for their skin.
Lerato Dumisa, Dove Marketing Manager, explained: “Dove has championed the idea that beauty should be a source of happiness, not anxiety. It’s alarming that children are now exposed to the same trends as adults.
“It’s time to highlight the absurdity of young girls buying and using anti-ageing products before they’ve even begun to grow up, and help parents and caregivers have healthy conversations with their kids on the beauty of childhood and the importance of resisting social media pressure.”
The campaign invites social media users to share photos or videos of themselves emulating a 10-year-old’s face using playful decorations like face paint, glitter, and stickers instead of anti-ageing products.
“The premature exposure of young girls to adult skincare content is creating societal pressure for them to adopt unnecessary anti-ageing skincare regimens before they’ve even grown up.
“If young girls feel pressure to apply these anti-ageing products as young as 10, what’s next? We believe a 10-year-old’s face should be a canvas for carefree fun, not anti-ageing products,” said Dumisa.