Latest news with #teenGirls
Fast Company
24-06-2025
- Health
- Fast Company
Why we need to redefine puberty culture for Gen Z girls
The rise of misinformation aimed at young girls across digital underscores an urgent need for credible resources, empowering products, and emotionally safe communities. Today's teen girls are navigating puberty and emotional development in a world no previous generation has known, one where their bodies, confidence, and mental health are influenced as much by social media algorithms as by their own biology. And it's taking a devastating toll. Popular platforms like TikTok and Instagram are proving to be part of the problem, with one in three girls acknowledging negative feelings about their body, based on what they see in their feeds, on a weekly basis. And while this is beginning earlier and earlier each year, a U.S. study revealed that by age 13, 53% of girls report being unhappy with their bodies, a figure that by age 17, rises to an alarming 78%. All of this during the crucial period when girls' self-worth, mental health, and emotional resilience are also being developed. Lack of puberty education and practical support Major surveys show many U.S. girls feel under-prepared for puberty. In one 2021 study, 74% of menstruating students (ages 13–19) had questions about their periods, yet just 43% said schools openly discussed this puberty milestone. A 2023 poll of American women found only 15% felt prepared for their first period, 48% said they were not prepared, and 21% did not understand what was happening at their first menstruation. A 2021–22 national health survey found 31% of girls (ages 12–17) reported anxiety symptoms and 25% reported depression. Feelings of isolation and stigma are common. In a representative teen poll, 45% of girls said they'd been 'too ashamed or embarrassed' to seek help when they had questions about their bodies (e.g. puberty or menstruation). Likewise, 58% of teens agreed that society 'is not set up for them to manage puberty and menstruation with full confidence.' And here's the reality: Puberty isn't what it was 10 years ago. Menarche—a girl's first period—now arrives as young as age 9. Girls are navigating their most vulnerable stages of growth and development in a digital age with little support. Recently, Cloudstate CEO Meg Smith spent 16 months with global focus groups, conducting surveys and conversations with hundreds of Gen Z girls and their parents. By the end, one thing was clear: Girls today need a brand—and a safe space—that actually puts the needs and voices of their community first. The digital puberty space Gen Z actually wants Platforms like Cloudstate's Girl Talk Live (GTL), a first-of-its-kind digital destination designed for girls navigating puberty's emotional and social rollercoasters in today's hyper-connected world, is a necessary first step. Cloudstate understands young girls today aren't interested in a sterile medical site or a glorified product forum. Instead, they want a hype-worthy, judgment-free zone where they can ask the real stuff, connect with relatable 'big sister' mentors, and access expert-backed advice on everything from body confidence to friend drama to managing anxiety. They thrive in places that feel like their closest squad—but smarter, safer, and kinder. We are here to provide just that. But we also know that resources alone aren't enough. Some of the earliest experiences girls have with their changing bodies, like shopping for their first bra, are deeply emotional milestones too often treated as transactional. That's why we are reimagining what that moment looks and feels like. Our brand isn't just selling bras, we're creating confidence-first products designed to support a girl's emotional, physical, and mental growth. Because for girls, a bra isn't just a bra. It's an early, intimate encounter with their changing body—and it deserves care, kindness, and community to go with it. Because Gen Z girls deserve better Puberty is biologically wired to be an emotionally intense time. In the digital age, that natural vulnerability is amplified by forces girls were never meant to navigate alone. It's time brands and influencers stop offering products and advice that may be unqualified and harmful, without providing emotional support, real conversation, and a seat at the table. Gen Z girls aren't simply accepting how they should deal with puberty. They are challenging what is offered to them and demanding an experience that is better than the generations that came before. They are rewriting the rules of puberty culture…and it's time we all listen.
The Independent
19-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
New preventative shot could ‘end HIV transmission'
The Food And Drug Administration has approved lenacapavir, a new twice-yearly injectable drug for HIV prevention. This new medication is the longest-lasting type of PrEP available, offering a significant advantage over daily pills or bi-monthly shots. Studies demonstrated lenacapavir's high effectiveness, with no HIV infections in participants receiving the shot in a study involving women and teen girls, and similar efficacy in gay men and gender-nonconforming people. Advocates believe the drug has the potential to end HIV transmission by expanding prevention opportunities and improving adherence, as users only need two injections per year. Despite its effectiveness, concerns remain about widespread access due to challenges in the U.S. healthcare system, including cuts to public health agencies and foreign aid for HIV initiatives.
Fast Company
30-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
A third of Gen Z feels ‘pressure' to become social media creators—and most say their schools encourage it
Graduating from high school is a huge rite of passage, but entering the working world, especially in uncertain economic times, can be intimidating. According to a new study, a big chunk of high school graduates say they don't exactly feel prepared for post-school challenges, especially when it comes to a few necessary life skills. And many feel pressured to lean into influencer culture as a way to make ends meet. The national survey, which was commissioned by K12, an accredited online K through 12 school, asked 300 recent high school graduates and 200 parents about how confident they were upon entering the real world. Notably, less than a third (32%) of recent grads said they felt their high school years had equipped them. Teen boys felt less prepared than girls, with 23% rating their 'real world' confidence at 3 or below on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most confident. Meanwhile, 16% of female grads said the same. Questions on where their confidence was lacking highlighted a few areas where recent grads felt most insecure, which, somewhat surprisingly, seemed to be the very rites of passage that young adults once looked forward to: 34% said they didn't feel confident about managing their own money, 27% didn't feel ready to live independently, and 26% cited communicating effectively as a concern—perhaps a display of how online communication has peaked in recent years in lieu of in-person communication. Recent grads' biggest fears echoed those insecurities, with 44% saying that they were worried about becoming financially secure. In addition to a challenging job market and an uncertain economy, those grads largely felt that their high schools didn't equip them with some key life skills—mainly, financial skills. A staggering 62% said they wish they'd learned how to do their taxes, 60% said the same of being taught about credit scores and loans, and 51% also noted that they wished they had learned how to invest. Given many high school grads don't feel quite ready for the real world, it makes sense that most teens said they plan on attending college after graduation: 90% said college is in their future. However, there was another notable trend that grads are likely to lean into after high school: becoming an influencer. More than a third, or 34% said they felt pressure from social media to become content creators or entrepreneurs, which is hardly surprising given just how common the side gig, or even full-time career, has become. But interestingly, it's not just social media that's steering teens toward content creation. According to the report, 56% said their high school actually encouraged students to 'explore alternative career paths.' Those alternatives were things like trades, gig work, and yes, content creation. Given the lives of young adults today are so broadly shaped by social media and influencer culture, the pull to dive into content creation makes perfect sense. Still, teens are rightly worried about whether or not they have the financial literacy to turn influencing into income.
