It is a weird, wonderful, fascinating time to be raising a little girl.
I don't have the unique fortune (at least not yet!) of raising one myself, but I do have a lot of wonderful little girls in my life. Or, to my dismay, not so little. From my nieces to my friends' kids and all the littles I've met in between, I'm fascinated by how so many things have changed in girlhood from my own experience to now.
I've always wondered what things would be like for kids who grow up online, in front of screens, cameras, and more. Their lives are the most well-documented of arguably any group of kids ever. They have access to things we didn't dream were possible at their age.
Yet some things about childhood never change. Kids still like playing with dolls and cars. They still get entranced by hours of cartoons that are over their heads.
As I watch the little girls in my life, spanning from age 9 to age 19, grow up, I'm in awe of how much more powerful they seem than the generations before them. They know what they want and they go get it unapologetically. Now they're growing up in a reality where they can see a woman command power on a world stage. It's led me to reflect on everything I'm learning from the next generation of women — these wonderful, growing girls.
They're not letting gender norms hold them back.
Even '90s kids can remember being raised in a pink or blue world. So many kids have limited themselves in their interests because they've heard that some things are just for boys or for girls. That ends with the next generation of girls. These girls are watching women smash glass ceilings in industry after industry. Not only will they not be held back by gender norms, but many already know they don't want to perpetuate them in their own families in the future.
They're not afraid of change.
The generation of young women growing up right now hasn't really had lives of stability on a world scale or a cultural one. Between natural disasters, acts of violence, governmental turmoil, and more, they recognize the fluidity of every situation. Instead of being afraid of that change, they're embracing it and what it could mean for generations to come.
They're also still comfortable with their femininity.
There's this strange belief some people have that if we stop subscribing to gender stereotypes, the concept of femininity will just disappear. It won't. Girls today reserve their right to be "girly" as much as anything else. Wearing a princess dress and changing the world are not mutually exclusive.
They still appreciate things that are old school.
The TikTok generation knows the power of a Google search and isn't afraid to use it to find all the coolest trends from yesteryear. Their love for vintage isn't ironic; it's real. It's also a great way to bond over the wonderful and absurd things we forgot we loved.
They're very aware of the importance of mental health.
Theirs is the first generation that will realize talking about big feelings pays off in a big way. As kids get a mental health education at a younger age, young women are more aware than ever of the many ways that exist to take care of themselves. They're establishing good habits early and helping each other along the way.
They pick their passions young.
Whether it's gymnastics, debate, or robotics, kids are finding the things they love at a younger and younger age. Many little girls are picking up their passions so much earlier and finding new and fun ways to explore them. It could turn into a career path for some and a lifelong hobby for others, but both provide for a rich and wonderful childhood experience that many kids in generations before missed out on.
They want to encourage each other.
There's definitely a competitive spirit in today's young ladies, but it isn't outweighed by their compassionate spirit. They're all about lifting each other up and helping other women succeed in a way that other generations have struggled to achieve.
They're much more body positive.
Today's girls are the first generation who are growing up in a society where body positivity has made significant strides. They're learning to love the skin they're in while also learning how to be less critical of one another. They're also calling out companies that ignore certain bodies without hesitation.
They're funny.
A lot of women lean on a self-deprecating sense of humor because they're used to being diminished by society as a whole. Not this generation of girls, however. Not only do they love themselves in ways we simply didn't know how, but they've hacked how to be hilarious without putting anyone down.
They'll get through to older generations by any means necessary.
TikTok teens went to some serious lengths during the 2020 election to get their points across. They've come up with creative ways to engage other generations in conversations that challenge their beliefs in a frank way without crossing over into an area of disrespect or intolerance. It's for that reason that it feels like they'll be capable of change we've only dreamed of.
