World News for Students of English

17-09-2026 07:00

A major generational shift is transforming childhood into an era of intense consumerism.

Today, more toys are sold to adults than to children, while kids, often referred to as Generation Alpha, are opting for iPhones, adult skincare, and expensive colognes instead.

Driven by viral TikTok trends like looksmaxxing and beauty tutorials, eight-year-olds are doing complex multi-step grooming routines. This shift has led to instances where young children apply harsh acids and retinols meant for older skin, which is causing physical damage. Corporations and beauty brands aggressively capitalize on this trend. They view young children as lifelong customers and adjust marketing strategies specifically toward them.

Meanwhile, over 60 percent of surveyed students express a desire to become influencers, and they frequently neglect formal education and creative play. While social media platforms and corporate marketing build this consumer pipeline, millennial parents finance these purchases. Critics argue that parents must intervene to restore traditional, screen-free childhood experiences.

Difficult words: consumerism (buying and wanting a lot of new things, often more than you really need), cologne (a type of nice-smelling liquid that people put on their skin or clothes), looksmaxxing (a popular internet word for trying to make your physical appearance look as good as possible), capitalize (to take advantage of a situation to make money or get a benefit).

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