You know that my mission as a teen psychologist is to keep you aware of all trending teen topics and all teen trends. Well, I have kept you up to date on issues like the elusive "thigh gap" and other unusual teen trends that leave parents scratching their collective heads in confusion. Well, today I bring you two more teen trends that appear to be taking off among teen boys and girls.
First, I'd like to address the teen trend in the United States referred to as "gallon smashing." Oh dear, you are not going to like this one particularly if you happen to be in the grocery store next to a teen who is in the midst of experimenting with this trend. There are a few steps involved in "gallon smashing."
Step 1: The teen goes to the grocery store with a friend.
Step 2: One teen smashes a gallon of milk against the floor and willingly slides into the spilled milk on the now very slippery floor.
Step 3: The other teen gets a video of this incident with the intention of uploading footage of the the slippery mess on to YouTube.
So tell me: Do you think this is something that we would have done during our teenage years? I'm thinking back and trying to think of what may have been similar when we were teens but I can't think of anything except ice skating and that was a very controlled event with proper equipment and all. So, please talk to your teens about this trend and its dangers and be careful the next time you go shopping.
"Gallon smashing" seems a bit immature and regressed, doesn't it? It doesn't seem like something an adolescent would do. Well, I have yet another teen trend to discuss with you and this one is equally regressed. I believe that this one is trending around the world. Here, teen girls are applying cosmetics with the intent to create a doll face. Just look at this tutorial that explains how to achieve this look that I thought was reserved for baby dolls. If you look around the Internet you will find all sorts of tutorials on how to create a doll-like appearance. And, yes, they are mostly created by teen girls. They create porcelain-like skin, large doe eyes with unusually long lashes, flushed cheeks, heart shaped mouths and sometimes contact lenses are inserted to change the color of the eyes.
This trend was catapulted by a teenage known as Venus Angelic who regularly posts YouTube videos in which she uses herself as a model to create a doll-like appearance. She also speaks in a babyish voice. She has gained quite a following.
I have always thought that teen trends reflect their desire to look older and to try activities that may be more appropriate for a more mature individual. I guess I am wrong. It appears to be clear that both of these trends reflect teens' desire to play more and perhaps try being a little younger for a bit. Hmm. I too, am scratching my head.