“We live in a time where Millennials look younger than they are, and Generation Z looks much older,” says influencer Jordan Howlett. Tik Tok video Which has been viewed millions of times. He says he knows this, because he belongs to Generation Z and is 26 years old. “No one believes me. When I walk outside with my mother, people think she is my younger sister.”

Guess the ages

Howlett’s post caused a stir on social media and sparked controversy trend online: How old do I look? Young women especially ask this question to their followers on TikTok or Instagram. It turns out that this is not always easy to guess. Especially when they wear a lot of makeup or have visibly undergone plastic surgery, the answers often range from 20 to 45 years old.

This also happened to Taylor Donoghue, who one follower described as “in her early 30s.” It was appreciated. “I’m 23 years old! Never ask your age on social media,” she joked.

There are many theories as to why Generation Z born between 1997 and 2012 appear older than they actually are. Howlett himself believes that it is related to stress, but frequent vaping and incorrect use of skin care and especially cosmetic procedures are also mentioned.

It’s hard to say if this is true, according to Generation Z researcher Jos Ahlers. “It is indeed a living feeling, but there has not been any scientific research showing that Generation Z looks older and whether this is due to the reasons mentioned,” he explains.

all times

The desire to appear more mature when you’re young is timeless, says Ahlers. “I was trying hard to achieve that. Back then you were wearing a leather jacket, but now there are so much more options in terms of social media filters, makeup and beauty routines. The commercial sector is responding to this.”

This was also noted by KNMG plastic surgeon and researcher Tom Decates. He owns a cosmetic clinic and also works at Erasmus MC, where he has consulting hours trying to repair the damage caused by botched plastic surgery.

His 2020 research found that the number of young people undergoing cosmetic surgery has doubled compared to ten years ago. More than 8 percent of people who underwent Botox and filler treatment in 2020 were between the ages of 18 and 25. “We haven’t replicated this study yet, but I can say that this group is growing,” Dicketts says.

Subtle or intense

He believes that this is not necessarily a good or bad thing. “I think we have to accept that there are people who like to have a Botox or filler treatment every now and then. You can do it very subtly, that’s my style, but also very intensely so everyone can see what you’re doing. Let yourself mess with it.”

But no matter how many injections they get, Dicketts says, no one aims to gain a few visual years. “I’ve never had a client want to look older, but that can be a negative side effect if you use a lot of Botox and fillers.”

That’s good too, Decats thinks. “But what I personally find difficult is that social media encourages young people to do this. It is a vulnerable age group that is easy to deceive. Counter narrative For this show, I spend a lot of time on TikTok.”

But British cultural theorist Meredith Jones turns this issue on its head. Cosmetic procedures don’t make young people look older, but older people actually look younger because everyone looks the same. “So instead of thinking that everyone looks like they’re 25, we now tend to think that we all look like we’re between 45 and 75,” she says. Conversation with British lifestyle magazine Dazed.

ID card

Researcher Ahlers believes that Generation Z has a stronger desire to show that things are going well in all areas of their lives, including appearance. “Young people are already more sensitive to this, but that doesn’t apply to everyone.” Ahlers believes he lives mainly online. In his daily life, he sees a lot of Gen Zers who look exactly the same age, or who have to show ID in line at the bar.