Gen Alpha influencers: Trendy or too young?

With over 490,000 followers on TikTok and a cumulative total of 9.2 million likes, Evelyn Unruh is a rising online sensation. But Unruh, known simply as Evelyn to her fans, isn’t your average macro-influencer. She’s just 13 years old. The Kansas City-based eighth grader gained internet fame last year after posting a series of “Get Ready With Me” (GRWM) videos — a popular social media trend that shows the process of getting ready for an event or activity — on her official TikTok account, @evelyngrwmofficialk. In the clips, Unruh applies cult-favorite beauty products like Summer Fridays lip balms, Glow Recipe toners, and Drunk Elephant’s Protini Polypeptide Cream, all while sharing her musings on school, friendships, wish lists, and more. Noticing her audience’s enthusiasm for her personal insights, Unruh expanded her GRWM series into themed segments like “Things That Annoy Me” and “Things That I Don’t Understand,” each of which averages around one million views. The Gen Alpha uprising Unruh isn’t an anomaly. She’s part of a growing band of tween influencers — content creators aged 9 to 12 — attempting to forge careers online. From OOTD’s (Outfit of the Day) to shopping hauls, Gen Alpha “tweenfluencers” are fluent in internet trends that have trickled down from Gen Z and millennials, as well as in what makes their chronically online age demographic tick. “This is a generation that has grown up fully immersed in social media and technology,” says Mischa Joslin, managing director of London-based influencer marketing agency Summer. “It’s second nature, and that instinctiveness often means their content feels more natural and spontaneous, resonating with audiences who value genuine interactions over polished, curated production.” Despite their youth, Joslin notes that the rise of young content creators is inevitable, as they fill a gap that Gen Z and millennial influencers can’t. “Social media is an elevated form of peer review,” Joslin says. “We seek out influencers who reflect us or who we aspire to be. Gen Alpha influencers address topics and experiences closer to their own age group, such as school life, gaming, toys, or relatable humor, which makes their content enticing to their peers who see them as akin to themselves.” According to Morning Consult, 65% of children aged eight to 10 spend up to four hours a day on social media. Meanwhile, Qustodio’s Born Connected: The Rise of the AI Generation report reveals that children aged four to 18 spent an average of 112 minutes daily on TikTok in 2023 — surpassing YouTube as the dominant platform for kids’ streaming. This surge in social media engagement has had a tangible impact. Gen Alpha’s obsession with beauty products endorsed by influencers, such as those from Drunk Elephant and Summer Fridays, led pre-teens to bombard Sephora stores earlier this year. The phenomenon caused a stir online, with the term “Sephora Kids” being hashtagged over 11,000 times on TikTok. Armed with a sharp understanding of the digital world, these youngsters aren’t just absorbing content — they’re shaping it. “The word ‘prosumer’ has been used a lot in recent years, but Alphas are already taking this concept to the next level,” Annie Corser, senior editor of Pop Culture and Media at trend forecasting and market research company Stylus, told Jing Daily earlier this year. “They consume cultural content at a clip, but it is increasingly content they have produced, designed, ideated, imagined, and built together with their peers.” Ethical dilemmas But growing up under the glare of social media stardom comes with its challenges. The rise of child content creators has sparked debate over the maturity of their lifestyles, as well as the need for stronger safeguarding measures. A case in point is the Garza Crew, a TikTok sensation featuring seven-year-old twins Koti and Haven Garza, along with their mother, Adrea Garza. With over 4.8 million followers, their daily skincare tutorials and outfit checks have sparked widespread concern about the impact of such early exposure. Countries are already taking action by implementing restrictions. Last week, Australia became the first country in the world to pass a bill imposing a social media ban for those under 16. Set to take effect in late 2025, the law will prevent young people from accessing platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and X. In 2023, China also escalated its war on children’s screen time with new regulations. Children aged eight to 15 are restricted to just one hour per day on social platforms and gaming sites, while those under eight are allowed only 40 minutes. The regulations also block access to mobile internet between 10pm and 6am for non-adult users — a move that dealt a significant blow to tech giants like ByteDance, owner of China’s TikTok equivalent Douyin, and Tencent. For influencers like Unruh, a vast online presence also comes with the increased risk of exposure to toxic comments, online harassment, predatory behavior, and inappropriate content. Should brands tap in? Even with these moral dilemmas in mind, brands are starting to partner with “tweenfluencers” to target young shoppers. For instance, earlier this year, accessories retailer Claire’s teamed up with several “Gen Zalpha” creatives as part of its year-long initiative, “The Collab.” Included in the lineup was 15-year-old designer Ashlyn So; social media chef Ariana Feygin; seven-year-old founder of fashion brand ‘Ay’ Ayla Palmer; 15-year-old drummer Caro Hecks; and 12-year-old skateboarder Junior Gutierrez. The collaboration is unsurprising, given that Gen Alpha is on track to become the largest generation to date, outnumbering both Gen Z and millennials. In terms of spending power, the demographic’s economic footprint is expected to reach $5.46 trillion by 2029, almost as much as the purchasing power of millennials and Gen Z combined. As of today, the cohort has an additional $300 billion in disposable income thanks to parents — hence why brands continue to market to adults. But Joslin argues that the pressure of consumerism on a younger generation raises questions of propriety, as tween shoppers may struggle to distinguish between advertising and organic content. “Should we be making children believe they need to buy more?” says Joslin. “By leveraging creators we know have clout, we could be making many impressionable young people feel inferior and lacking because they may not be able to purchase a product being promoted.” “Ultimately, brands want to make a profit, and, for many, Gen Alpha is an audience they want to recruit and convert to future-proof their business,” Joslin continues. “However, I would warn brands to proceed cautiously, ensuring robust protections and ethical standards are in place.”

Gen Alpha influencers: Trendy or too young?

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Published December 05, 2024

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Gen Alpha influencers: Trendy or too young?