If you use the internet in any capacity, you know that you cannot scroll for more than five minutes without seeing some form of anti-aging product, a 20 year old lamenting about getting older, or a literal 11-year-old with a 15-step skincare routine to avoid aging. The idea of wanting to remain youthful is nothing new, but with social media you can’t help but have it thrust in your face every day.
It doesn’t exactly do wonders for our mental health either. I have had friends asking me about crows feet by their eyes, or if the lines on their forehead are that noticeable. It is clear that avoiding aging is a topic on a lot of people’s minds, particularly young women. But is getting older really such a burden?
The reality is the fact that media has been tearing women down for showing any signs of the natural aging process. In the early 2000s this was done through celebrity magazines, with headlines critiquing women for “letting themselves go.” Nowadays it is even harder to avoid; with the huge influx of quick-fix anti-aging products that we can’t avoid on social media, the desire to stay young forever has only grown. These numerous beauty companies convince us that we “need” their products, producing new insecurities that we are encouraged to mend with their new serum. Younger women have been portrayed as the most desirable for centuries, and it is deeply rooted in misogyny, tying women’s worth to their appearance. Women feel past their prime by the age of 25, despite the fact that they are barely a third into their life. So how can we shift the perception that aging is a burden, and start to look at is as a privilege?
The mindset change is the most important part of rejecting the anti-aging agenda; you have to teach yourself you do not need to “fix” what is naturally occurring. Think critically about whether you absolutely need this new facewash to fix your pores, or if the influencer telling you that is just trying to land a brand deal. Whilst it is maybe harmless to use an anti-aging moisturiser occasionally, the obsession with fixing perceived flaws is where things become unhealthy. Try to consume less anti-aging media online, and focus on the positives of aging, away from changing looks. As you age, you grow more knowledgeable, know yourself better and possess more wonderful memories to treasure.
Getting older is not always a positive experience, but focusing on becoming a better version of yourself can help to distract from the incessant media discourse about aging. Lifespans nowadays are years longer than they used to be; the signs of aging should be looked on as something positive, rather than something we should have to manage and critique.
Illustration by Izzy McBroom.