– You don’t have to be childish even if you like childish things. That’s what Erika Norwich (23) from Trondheim says while a Barbie movie is playing on the TV screen. – It is allowed to have several sides, such as, for example, both liking Bratz, but also being interested in politics. The 23-year-old has made a name for herself on TikTok by showing off the more childish sides of herself to a following of approximately 160,000. On TikTok, Erika Norwich faces both criticism and praise for her more child-friendly videos. She wants to show that you can have several sides as a person, and that it is permissible to hold on to your childhood. Children with adult content The influencer has made a conscious choice to go against the grain and what she sees as a disturbing trend in social media. What she reacts to is that young people on TikTok, among other things, both talk and dress more and more grown-up in the videos they post. – Today you can hardly tell the difference between a 14-year-old and a 25-year-old on social media. It is not until you meet them that you realize they are actually children. Erika Norwich shows off her mobile phone case. Photo: Lill Kristin Harøy Fenstad / news The favorite bag from Juicy Couture. Photo: Lill Kristin Harøy Fenstad / news In Erika Norwich’s drawer you can find both a Bratz movie and a small squid teddy bear. Photo: Lill Kristin Harøy Fenstad / news Various small things in Erika Norwich’s drawer Photo: Lill Kristin Harøy Fenstad / news And she is not alone in thinking this. Several have started by showing videos and photos from when they themselves were teenagers – with clips from 14-year-olds nowadays. The hashtag #NowAndThen has over 650 million views on TikTok. Videos with before and after pictures of celebrities are also posted here. Angelica Unosen (23) from Bodø is one of those who has jumped on the trend. – I see that there is much more focus on the body, make-up and clothes among young people. The demeanor and everything is more mature than when I was the same age, says Unosen. On TikTok, Angelica Unosen posts humorous videos where she shows the contrast between today’s young people and when she herself was young. Photo: Angelica Unosen In her job as a substitute teacher at a primary and secondary school, she has also noticed how grown-up and mature the young people both speak and behave. – I am really surprised, says Unosen. Great contrast She has received a great response to the videos she posts, and states herself that young people today could not post the same. – I post videos like this simply because I find them funny. I want to show people how different things have become. It is a very big contrast, says Unosen. Angelica Unosen shows her childhood videos to make the point about how great the contrasts have become. The 23-year-old used the hashtag #NowAndThen on the video above. It has received over 800,000 views and 60,000 likes. – TikTok is very contagious, it spreads quickly. When a dance video where you dance in a sensual way with little clothing goes viral, others may want to follow suit. Young people too. Clear change in young people There is no doubt that young people are influenced by social media. The experts have seen a clear change in behavior as access to professional videos has increased. – Young people get a lot of information from both Norwegian and international influencers. They pick up trends to a greater extent – both from social media and their peers. That’s what Clara Julia Reich, who researches young people’s belonging on social media, says. Clara Julia Reich is a research fellow at Oslo Met. Photo: Oslo Met – Marketing to influencers with sponsored collaboration helps young people have more information about products and services, in addition to the technological development that makes this possible. Filters on TikTok and various editing apps also give them the opportunity to post content they think looks better, explains Reich. She believes that young people influence other young people, and that the social pressure means that fewer people dare to go their own way. – Although the previous generation also used social media, young people use it to a much greater extent today. They update themselves regularly on the various platforms. Contrast between the boyfriend’s wardrobe and Erika Norwich’s wardrobe. Photo: Lill Kristin Fenstad / news – Must exaggerate a bit Erika Norwich studies pedagogy, and says that she is therefore particularly concerned that children should be allowed to be children. On social media, she shares videos where she shows off cute little things at the store, tastes candy and has a “Barbie night”. – I live a bit after the fact that you are not an adult until you dare to be a child. – You have to exaggerate a bit to get your message across. I want to show that you don’t have to be like everyone else. For Erika Norwich, it is important to respect each other regardless of what you like or how you dress. Photo: Lill Kristin Harøy Fenstad / news
ttn-69
Influencer Erika Norwich from Trondheim believes that young people act too mature in social media – news Trøndelag
