admin
Rutendo Chidawanyika
THERE was a time when the concept of fashion was only relevant on special occasions. Though it would be pointless to compare the present generation with the older one but there is a difference between the present and the older generation.
Fashion is the key word for today’s teenagers. Fashion is everywhere; in fact, fashion has grabbed school going students under its spell as well. The bags they carry, the shoes they wear and the way they present themselves involves so much of fashion.
The teenagers seem to be more fashionable than the adults now. In fact they can be good trendsetters themselves. There are many teens that invent their own styles and aim to become an icon among their groups.
Earlier, fashion used to be found only among the affluent class of people but times have changed. Now, class doesn’t matter on the road to becoming fashionable. In fact, everybody is fashionable these days. We can hardly see anyone on the streets who isn’t fashion conscious. Today’s children are growing up too fast and are wearing make-up at earlier ages than ever before. Girls as young as six are wearing make-up and the age of consumers of make-up products is getting younger each year. Due to the make-up and the type of clothes they wear, children and teenagers look older than they really are. This is causing the current generation to grow up in a shallower world where looks are more important than personality and skills.
Children should not be concerned with how they look. They should be able to enjoy their childhood and just be kids, rather than worry about fashion or make-up trends. Encouraging young girls to look and dress older than their age can lead to many problems. Girls can easily find themselves in horrible situations, as they may be mistaken for mature adults when they are not.
One of the many factors responsible for the spread and the craze of fashion among people is the social media. Fashion is contagious because people get influenced by one who already is fashion conscious. Being fashion conscious not only makes you popular among your folks but also upgrades your confidence level. Being fashionable makes you popular on social media which results in a huge following and that makes people feel good about themselves. Teenagers want to dress like their idols (people they look up to) no matter the cost. This is a bad thing!
Teenagers are so much focused on fashion that they don’t get sufficient time for other work. Instead of reading textbooks they prefer to read fashion magazines and watch reality shows. They try hard to imitate the models. The time they ought to spend in their studies, they spend in watching programmes on TV, reading fashion articles or finding the recent trendy clothes on the Internet especially Instagram .
Unlike earlier times, now the teenagers do not go out with their parents on weekends, rather they plan their outings with their friends. For most of them the prime zones for outings have now become malls because they can do a lot of shopping there in addition to having fun.
There were times when children used to dream of becoming scientists, doctors, engineers or even teachers, but the priority and taste of the children has changed. Most of them desire to be into the glamour world. They find the fashion world better than any other job. In fact, one who is not fashion conscious doesn’t get much importance. One who looks trendy at the first appearance takes away all the limelight.
Some adults may feel it is the duty and responsibility of the parents to watch over their children. “They should know whether their children are using most of their time on fashion or their studies. Too much information regarding recent trends and styles block the minds of the children and distract them from their studies”. However, there is not much parents can do to keep their children on the straight and narrow. Even if schools become stricter, it doesn’t mean retail stores will stop selling clothes to kids because their aim is to make money.
Fashion is not bad but it can have a negative impact on teenagers and younger children. If it is all they care about and being popular then of course grades will fall. Parents just have to be mindful of fashion trends.
Email: [email protected]
Social media: eye on fashion
derick.khumalo