Like, really?Thatswhat youre concerned about right now?
Or theastoundingly high ratesof vaping among teens?Rising rates of depressionamong teens?
This is the second time Lee has tried to pass this throw in of legislation, by the way.
Getty Images
Dont get me wrong, this is far from a perfect piece of legislation.
Maybe Im being cavalier, but were not talking about cigarettes here, right?
But kidsneedto age, to grow!
Its societys responsibility to help them do that safely and healthilyand without harmful beauty standards being thrust upon them.
This law would be near-impossible to enforce anyway.
So the ban does feel a little futile, yes, but it still serves to prove a point.
Because there is real emotional danger when it comes to anti-aging marketing and the psyche of children and teenagers.
The internet is rife with this kind of content.
But kidsneedto age, to grow!
Whats that, you say?
Shouldnt parents be the ones preventing their kids from putting unnecessary chemicals on their baby skin?
Well, yeahand Im sure many are!
But these days, parents need help, maybe more than ever.
Its hard to be the only kid in middle school who isn’t allowed to have a smartphone.
I have muttered to myself more than once.
Youre on your own now, kid.)
But the real villain here is social media itself.
We (parents) need support, from someone, somewhere!
Bills such as Lees could be a baby step toward getting some of that help at the very least.
If the goal is to protect kids' skin, sure, ban the products themselves.
But to stop kids from wanting them in the first place, we need regulations on social media.
When did I learn that to age was to lessen?
When did I start believing that wrinkles were the enemy?
Ageism isnt just about missing our taut, line-free skin.
Its literallybad for usfor our hearts, ourmental health, our self-esteem, our verylife expectancy!
To me, this sends a healthy, helpful message to kids:These things are not for you.
You are too young to be dabbling in this.
Ageism isnt just about missing our taut, line-free skin.
Its literally bad for usfor our hearts, our mental health, our self-esteem, our very life expectancy.
Im old enough to remember candy cigarettes.
Internalized ageism may not cause cancer, but it does sicken us.
Its treacherous; it infects and poisons us.
Im grateful to anyone trying to put up a barrier from it taking hold of our youth.
More on Gen z and beauty:
Now, watch Brooke Shield’s 10-minute hair routine:
