With stampedes of ten-year-olds rummaging through the shelves of Sephora, trying to get their preferred Rare Beauty blush shade and Drunk Elephant tretinoin, we have reached a state of an epidemic where children want to be perceived as adults before even reaching puberty. 

Despite this odd enigma, we are simultaneously seeing a rise in teenage girls and women in their twenties and thirties regaining interest in several different accessories and shows that are commonly enjoyed by children. 

With the introduction of several heartwarming new animated children’s shows, such as Bluey, there has been a major attraction of a far more mature audience than what the producers initially expected.

However, I personally feel that an increase in a more mature audience is entirely reasonable given the familiar and modern themes within the show.

As someone with younger siblings, I personally have watched nearly the entire series and oftentimes the show feels like it is targeted more towards older audiences rather than children. For instance, there is an episode where the main character’s mother, Chili, has her sister visit them and the sister begins to feel uncomfortable and guilty for not being more involved in her niece’s lives. 

Later on, it is implied that the aunt does not come around often because she is infertile, and being around her playful and loving nieces causes her to feel upset and saddened by her inability to experience the love of her own children.

In addition to this, the show in itself is easily one of the most educational children’s shows that I have ever come across. 

While it is not a traditional educational children’s show that teaches toddlers how to spell and identify shapes, it encourages children to adopt strong morals and understand the importance of complex concepts for children, such as forgiveness and acceptance. For many of the older viewers, these familiar themes can serve as a way to unwind and relax as they are subtly reminded of the importance of simple concepts that they may often forget. 

With the stress that naturally comes with being an adult, being able to connect with something that reminds you of the warmth of childhood, as well as the familiarity of supportive parenting, the show allows the audience to feel comforted even alone in a college dorm. 

Aside from children’s shows that offer depth and complexity while connecting their audience to their childhood, there has also been an increase in teenage girls trying to reconnect to their youth through a trending accessory that is taking the internet by storm. 

Whether you did ballet as a child or your mother showered you in large Jojo-Siwa-esque bows with a slicked-back ponytail, as of recently you have likely taken a strong interest in everything bows. From putting delicate bows in your hair, pink bows on your blouses, or even buying bow-shaped jewelry, there is no question that this new tendency is reminiscent of the artistic freedom that came with youth.

Though oftentimes it can feel intimidating to wear something different and eye-catching, as children, wearing bows was a fashion choice that we often never thought twice about but as adults, it feels freeing and nostalgic.