By Ava Moga, TIWP Student

I pride myself in being basic. I love listening to Taylor Swift and Beyonce. I love drinking flavored water out of my Stanley cup. And I love having a ten-step skincare routine. I’m the poster child for a teenage girl. And I love it. But what I do miss is my childhood. Every single day. I miss not having to care about school, shopping for sparkly tops and cheetah print leggings, and watching Disney Channel every night. But today, I don’t see that.

Today, I walk into Sephora and see 10-year-olds crowding the Drunk Elephant section looking for vitamin C serum. I teach tennis at the local swim and tennis club and see the young girls I coach swapping Snapchat usernames on their phones. I wish I could see differently, but I see these young girls how I see myself now, as a 16-year-old. And I wish that wasn’t the case.

As a 16-year-old, I stress about everything. Acne, grades, college, family, my body; everything that “defines” me. My childhood was filled with some of the most precious and sentimental moments that I carry with myself today, and I wish that life upon everybody. Especially the girls that need to grow before they dive into life. Everybody understands that trends change and girls feel pressured to act like adults way before they need to. But, this time, it’s in a way that feels like we are going backwards.

Toy stores are closing, Lululemons are soaring, and TikTok doesn’t have an age limit. Some would say that a girl’s childhood is the most important time of her life. She is exploring her creativity and creating an environment that’s right for her. She’s looking in the mirror and admiring herself, instead of putting herself down. She doesn’t think about fine lines or wrinkles. She doesn’t turn her nose up at a brand new Barbie. A girl’s childhood isn’t her time to practice being an adult. As cheesy as it sounds, it’s a passage in your life that defines who you are. New generations come and go, but do we really want girlhood to be completely erased?