Why Are 6-Year-Olds Buying Anti-Aging Cream? How Marketing Shapes Gen Alpha.
Updated: Oct 4
From toys and playgrounds to skincare, influencers, and AI—how marketing is shaping the next generation...
If you have noticed nowadays, childhood is not like what it used to be. 5-10 years ago I remember my feed being unboxing Legos and toy cars, now today I see literal 6 year olds unbox makeup and skincare products . Before, childhood was about playing with toys, going outside, or even playing video games. However, today, it has drastically changed and, in some ways, seems extremely hard to change. Children now ask their parents for literal skincare products, such as exfoliating creams or cologne to event anti-aging cream. I do think it is reasonable for teenagers or adults to care for their skin, but when literal four- and six-year-olds are doing this, something has clearly changed. They are beginning to position themselves as adults at an extremely young age. But why? Social media influencers play a major role, but behind those influencers is an even larger force: marketing. Companies recognize what captures children's attention and use advertising, branding, trends, and social media to make products feel desirable and even necessary. Marketing can have an enormous impact because it does not simply tell people what a product is—it can influence what people believe they need. When children repeatedly see beauty products presented as normal parts of growing up, they may begin to believe that looking older is something they should strive for. It has even reached the point where some children are purchasing or asking for anti-aging products, despite being nowhere near the age at which they would need them. This demonstrates the enormous power of marketing: when businesses successfully turn a product into a trend, they can change not only what people buy, but also how an entire generation thinks about itself.
A Bigger Problem
I also find it frustrating when children, especially younger generations, begin to believe that education is no longer important because they can simply use AI or become influencers. Some students may stop listening to their teachers because they believe AI can provide faster answers. This does not just hurt the student—it can make a teacher’s job significantly harder. Teachers are no longer only competing with distractions such as phones and social media; they are now competing with technology that can instantly answer almost any question; public schools in America are facing a huge problem with employment of educators. Some teachers have even expressed that their role is changing. Instead of being viewed primarily as educators, they can increasingly feel like counselors, mentors, or classroom managers, while AI is treated as the “teacher” students turn to for answers. However, AI should be a tool that supports education, not a replacement for the process of learning. Education is not simply about receiving an answer. It is about developing comprehension, critical thinking, communication, discipline, and the ability to solve problems independently.
Getting an answer isn't the same as learning.
Education is not simply about knowing the answer to a question.
It is about developing:
🧠 Comprehension
💡 Critical thinking
🗣️ Communication
🎯 Discipline
🔎 Problem-solving
📚 Independent thinking
Companies now market AI as a problem solver, something that can provide answers, complete tasks, and make life easier. How would that message not become embedded in a child’s mind? Companies constantly promote the idea that AI will do more and more in the future, and adults are already beginning to believe it. So how could children not mirror the same idea? Seriously! Marketing has an enormous impact on how people think and behave. Whether it is convincing a child that they need anti-aging cream or convincing a student that they no longer need to learn because AI can provide the answer, marketing can influence not only what people purchase, but what they believe they need. If companies marketed AI primarily as a tool for learning and improving skills, children could still see education as something important. However, the message becomes very different when AI is portrayed as something that can simply give you the answers. Why would a child spend hours studying something if they believe AI can do it instantly? The consequences could be serious. Without education, comprehension and independent thinking could become much harder, and instead of using knowledge to build a career and contribute to society, people may become increasingly dependent on technology simply to get by.
If you look at this data you can see the consumer demographics of Sephora:
I think it’s time to market more kid-friendly products—dolls, toys, clothes, and products that celebrate childhood—instead of pushing children toward adult-focused anti-aging creams and skincare. Childhood is a gift; it gives us freedom to explore, create, and simply be ourselves. When adults become the primary role models for children’s appearance and routines, the contrast becomes highly evident. These are some of the greatest examples of how marketing can leave a huge impact on society. I’m not saying marketing is always bad, but it plays a massive role in business and can influence what people believe they need. So next time you see “showertoks” or Instagram reels promoting the ideology of using anti-aging cream for children, remember: you may have just witnessed one of humanity’s most powerful creations—marketing.
Marketing works in small ways too. The psychology of pricing is another blog I wrote that talks about small techniques major retailers use to Capture your attention. https://www.genventures.net/post/the-psychology-of-pricing-why-9-99-feels-cheaper-than-10-00
Wanna read more about the Sephora Kids trend? Click on the link below
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