The latest TikTok trend points to Gen Z’s obsession with anti-ageing

With more social media users buying into the idea that perceived flaws must be dealt with before they’ve even begun, young people have turned their attention to a new product which promises to offset any future lip creases: a straw designed to prevent wrinkles.

It’s no secret that Gen Z is obsessed with anti-ageing.

Earlier this year, a 14-year-old went viral on TikTok for sharing a multi-step skincare routine with the sole focus of maintaining an entirely wrinkle-free complexion later down the line.

This, understandably, received widespread criticism on the Internet, with many vocalising fears that young people are feeling unnecessary pressure to conform to unattainable beauty standards.

Lambasting the ‘bleak’ nature of the industry and the increasingly harmful impact of social media on the self-esteem of impressionable Gen Zers, one Twitter user wrote at the time: ‘I hate how so many girls are losing their childhoods to social media and the beauty industry – there’s something so sinister about a 14-year-old obsessing over slowing down the ageing process.’

Unfortunately, the movement encouraging consumers with pocket money and a curfew to fixate on their appearance and buy into the idea that perceived flaws must be dealt with before they’ve even begun doesn’t seem to be abating any time soon.

This is because anti-ageing messaging remains rife on social media, the most recent example of this being a new product that’s taken TikTok by storm (leave it to the platform to introduce us to yet another thing we never knew we needed).

I’m referring here to straws which are designed to prevent wrinkles from forming around your mouth as you sip beverages, which thousands of netizens now swear are an essential addition to their anti-ageing arsenals.

Due to their shape – they curve horizontally rather than (god forbid) vertically at the top – the devices allegedly work by stopping the skin from folding, which occurs when using regular-shmegular sipping methods. To assist you with mustering up a mental image, I’d liken it to playing the flute.