Gen Z grew up endlessly scrolling through idealized versions of their own faces and the faces of others, Professor Engeln said. They have encountered more imagery of people with anti-aging cosmetic procedures and fewer examples of faces that have naturally aged, she added....
January 26, 2024
"There is a sense in which young people have forgotten what faces look like."
Says psychology professor Renee Engeln, quoted in "Why Does Gen Z Believe It’s ‘Aging Like Milk’? Some say they fear their generation is aging more quickly than others. But as Gen Z-ers enter their late 20s, it’s more likely that they are simply getting older" (NYT).
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17 comments:
"O brave new world, that has such people in 't" - some dead old white guy, long ago. Probably has no meaning in this modern time, eh?
Is “aging like milk” a saying? If so, it’s a bad one to use meaning aging poorly given that “skin like milk” is a saying describing beautiful flawless skin.
As for the rest, it’s hardly surprising that these fragile people think they’re aging poorly. Fragile things usually do.
One of my favorite parts about "Nyad" is that neither Annette Bening nor Jodie Foster has had plastic surgery. They look absolutely glorious. They also look slightly strange because no one in Hollywood ages naturally anymore.
Throughout human history the goal of those with wealth and means has always been to remain as young and fuckable as possible. There are frigging Egyptian hieroglyphics on tombs that describe ways to stay youthful and beautiful that are 5500 years old.
The difference between the ancient desire to remain fuckable and the modern desire to remain fuckable is that the modern desire doesn't involve actual fucking. Everyone born in the last 30 years - especially women - is in love with their own Instagram profile. It is literally mythological narcissism, as in Narcissus looking at his own reflection in water but this time the H2O is a ruby-reinforced cellphone touchscreen.
This century is going to be so weird.
If the news media and social media influencers had to actually base their stories on statistically significant examples, they would have nothing but mundane tales of everyday life to tell.
Perhaps today's young people should track down some high school prom pictures and graduation pictures from the 1930s-1950s. They'd probably think those kids were in their thirties.
I have difficulty imagining what it must be like to have crystal clear images and videos of yourself throughout the course of your life. As a 57 year old American, I would wager that there are fewer photographs of me in totality than would be the case for 99.5% of the population of the United States over the age of 20, and the vast majority of the photographs of me that do exist are from when I was under the age of 13. As I get older, I am thankful that I don't have to reminded of my younger, more vital self- especially the lack of videos.
Aged milk is cheese. Aged cheese is great!
Not too long ago there was a filter released that was good enough to not smear or tear when you put your hand to your face or moved around rapidly. There were quite a few videos made of people showing themselves before and after using it and saying things like "I feel so ugly without this. i'm havign massive self-exsteem issues now."
Several photographers made videos about the phenomenon, saying that people would come in for professional portraits and then hate them since she doesn't use filters, and the pictures she takes don't look anything like the selfies the people are used to seeing with their filters.
This appears to just be more of the same.
I've always despised the filters, even the funny ones.
tim maguire:
If so, it’s a bad one to use meaning aging poorly given that “skin like milk” is a saying describing beautiful flawless skin.
On the other hand, no one thinks "Skin like cottage cheese." is a compliment.
Speaking of filters, there wasn't a still shot of a Hollywood actor pre-1960 that wasn't filtered. Those dewy, dreamy close-ups came to us care of Vaseline on the camera lens and strategic lighting.
Mask mandates to socially distance, breed bacteria, collect viruses, and absorb particulates.
Is it my imagination, or do women use *lots* of makeup these days? I've seen so many around anymore that could drop a couple of pounds just by taking it off.
@Mason G - you're not wrong. I haven't seen makeup that theatrically applied since the 80s. I would put the blame on Instagram likes and the now clichéd selfie.
Oh, and OnlyFans.
Gen-M[ask]
They believe they have worse jobs, they have better than their predecessors. They believe they have less money, they have a little more. They think they have less house/living space, they have more. They eat fancier, and travel farther and more more cheaply. It has been hard in one way or another in every generation.
They do have less sex, fewer marriages, and fewer children. They read fewer books. They go to church less, volunteer less, give less to charity, give blood less.
They think they know more than older generations because they know the newest slang (like 20-somethings in the 20s knowing what a struggle-buggy was when their 19th-C parents were baffled. What fun!) and how to download and maintain apps.
I think there might be an obvious solution to their unhappiness.
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