- 3 months ago
This episode of 5Live covers the Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) election results, where the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) secured three of the four key positions.
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00:00Hi there, I'm Sorul Mehrotra Kapoor. This is 5 Live. Over the next one hour, we'll bring you
00:05five stories that demand your time and attention, five stories that should ignite you and five
00:11stories to inspire your healthiest, happiest lives. So stop scrolling, stop being on other
00:17devices, make this your primary spot of attention and let's get started and tell you why exactly.
00:24On the programme today, let's tell you what we've lined up. First up, Rahul Gandhi has
00:28talked about Gen Z. There's a debate about that now in the political circles, but the
00:34real Gen Z battle is actually playing out at the Delhi University polls. The results have
00:40just come in. We'll take you through all the details. Next up, talking about politicians,
00:46but this time of sinking second term numbers for Donald Trump, his approval ratings have
00:51dropped to a new low. What does that mean? We'll take you through that.
00:56Then on the programme, we've got Apple, which has gone orange, India, which has gone crazy.
01:04iPhone 17 frenzy has hit India. And even for a phone that goes up to 2 lakh rupees, that's
01:13the line-up. People literally fighting for it. And how? Who are these people who can afford
01:18a phone of this amount? And I'm absolutely going crazy over it. We'll talk all about that
01:24on the programme. But talking about trends, we've got another very interesting story for
01:29you. From crayons all the way to concealers. Sephora's the new-gen playground. That means
01:38these little kids are turning influencers. This is a dangerous, dangerous trend. We'll tell
01:44you what's wrong about it on the programme today. And then, towards the end, we've got
01:49the new-age brides. What are they looking for? Indian wedding trends for 2025, coming up on
01:56the programme.
01:57Rahul Gandhi today tweeted about listening to Gen Z. Their hopes, their struggles, their
02:09future. But while leaders talk, India's youngest voters are already showing their power. The
02:15results of the Delhi University Student Union elections are out and they're telling us something
02:21bigger than just who runs the campus. Because let's be clear, these are not just student
02:28polls. When attention is the biggest currency, Gen Z becomes the biggest vote bank. Campus politics
02:36becomes national politics in miniature of sorts. And if you thought it's just Delhi, they're
02:42just getting excited because it's happening right here. Hold on. Remember Nepal? Right across
02:48the border in Nepal, Gen Z has already shaken up governments, driven protests, rewritten political
02:53playbook completely. That same restlessness, the same demand to be heard is now being echoed
03:00in Indian universities as well. From TikTok to Insta, from Matcha Cafe debates to Ballot Box,
03:08this is a generation that grew up online but is now flexing its muscle offline as well. So today
03:15we ask, if Nepal's Gen Z can move mountains, what do Delhi University results tell us about
03:23the future of Indian politics? Is this just about campus power or is this a trailer of politics
03:32to come, of election results to come as well? But first up, let's tell you what exactly happened
03:40in those Doosu elections. Well, it is that ABVP has now won three out of the four positions
03:46at Doosu. It's the short form for Delhi University Student Union. It is one of the most closely
03:51watched campus polls in recent years. The student wing of the BJP, that's ABVP, swept the Doosu
03:57elections, winning three out of the four key positions of the President, Secretary and Joint
04:01Secretary. Aryan Maan, a sort of most talked about but also in some way controversial. I'll
04:08tell you why. ABVP candidate has won the presidential post. He's defeated NSUI's Jausal Choudhury.
04:13The new Doosu president has also promised subsidized metro passes, free Wi-Fi of course, and accessibility
04:19of accounts and audits for persons with disability and also promised better sporting facilities.
04:27Kunal Choudhury of the BJP has won the Secretary's post in Doosu, while ABVP's Deepika Jha is
04:33the new Joint Secretary. Rahul Jhansa has been the lone bright spot, as they say, for NSUI
04:40by securing the vice-presidential post. So in all, three out of five for ABVP, that's BJP,
04:46and one for NSUI, which is the Congress. But if you think that we're putting perhaps too much
04:53importance to these Delhi University polls, here's a thought for you. Think of all the
04:59big leaders that we have in our times. Almost all come from campus politics. The most prominent
05:09leaders of our time also, incidentally, come from Delhi University. They were all Doosu presidents
05:15or Doosu office bearers at some point. And we thought it would be interesting to give you
05:20a glimpse of that. Arun Jaitley, perhaps the most talked about politicians, right? Active
05:25during the JP movement, jailed during emergencies, senior BJP leader, former finance minister,
05:29of course, key architect of GST and demonetization reforms, comes from Doosu. Rekha Gupta, who
05:36used to be the Doosu president from 96 to 97, one of the few women to lead Doosu actually,
05:42currently, she's the Delhi chief minister. Vijay Goyal was a Doosu president back in 1977, known
05:47for his defiance during emergency, Minister of State under the Vajpayee government. But it's not
05:52just BJP, Ajay Markhan. Doosu president back in 1985, he knows a few things about campus politics,
06:00rose quickly within the Congress ranks, held portfolio of youth affairs, urban development
06:05as well, served in both Delhi and central governments. Vijayinder Gupta was also the Doosu
06:09vice president back in 1984, rose through Delhi municipal and legislative politics, became the speaker
06:15for Delhi assembly as well, known for his long-term grassroot engagement, which all started from the
06:22campus. Ashish Sooth used to be the Doosu joint secretary back in 87, president in 88, 89. He's
06:30obviously another very prominent BJP leader in Delhi, home and education's minister in the current
06:35government as well. Alkal Lamba earlier in the Ahmadi party, now with the Congress party, which was the
06:42party where she contested her elections as well. 1995, she was the Doosu president, president of
06:48the All India Mahila Congress as well, vocal on youth and women's issues till date.
06:55Alright, so that's a little bit of a background on what makes these campus elections so so exciting,
07:01but also sometimes very worrying. Let me tell you about both those aspects and let's bring our
07:07reporters to give us more dope on this. Anmol Bali is with us, he's live from the North Campus
07:11in Delhi University, also with us is Sushant Mehra, live from the North Campus. Anmol, let me come to
07:17you first. Anybody who's covered Delhi University elections like you, like me, knows that it is no
07:25child's play, knows that it can get really intense, knows that the entire way in which elections are fought
07:32in India that means freebies, promises, a lot of people campaigning, celebs doing it. It all starts
07:40with the campus. And for those of our viewers who don't know, I remember the time when I used to
07:45cover Delhi elections, there used to be free pizzas, free delivery of coke cans, free movies, free concerts,
07:53and the rest of the stuff that is perhaps unparliamentary to even speak about on national
07:57television that used to go around. Has it changed at all? Or is it just the same old playbook? Because
08:03this time I saw Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood, Randeep Huda actually come out with campaigning speeches for
08:11some of the candidates.
08:17Sonal, nothing has changed, but yeah, this year the elections were low-key because of the directions of
08:23Honourable High Court of Delhi, we have seen that people were sharing reels about that, how they are
08:28given movie theatre tickets and how they are offered very lucrative things for their vote in the
08:33DUSU elections. All political parties do this, but this year the printed posters were not seen in this
08:39DUSU elections. And even the pamphlets, students were only allowed to use the handmade pamphlets,
08:44the handmade posters. But yeah, both political outfits, Akhil Bharati Vidarthi Parishwath of RSS and NSY,
08:50the Congress Student Union, have both accused each other of freebies, of giving money, cash,
08:59liquor, movie tickets, amusement park tickets for the vote. Even we have seen that Congress has accused
09:05the ABVP, means that the NSY has accused ABVP of EVM tampering. But on the other hand,
09:10now ABVP is saying that this is answer to Rahul Gandhi's yesterday statement about the Gen Z,
09:15that Gen Z should bring change to India. And now they are saying that this is Gen Z's mandate,
09:20and this is answer to Rahul Gandhi's statement. So now politics is escalating on this. We have
09:24also seen that leaders like Kamish Shah, Varendra Sadeva, and various other leaders,
09:28those who have started their political journey from the campus politics, like you were talking about
09:32Ashish Sudh, and various other, Rekha Gupta, and various other leaders, those who are,
09:36have plum and prominent posts in Delhi, in the central government, have started their journey,
09:41from the college politics, from the university politics, are congratulating the candidates,
09:46those who have won the election. But yeah, according to ABVP, they will be analyzing
09:50that why they lost the vice president position, and they will be working on other campus
09:55elections also. Right. Sushant Mehra is also with us. Sushant,
09:59people probably don't know this, but the campus elections, there are a lot of national elections
10:07like that. We have a typical community of candidates. There are candidates who have political backing,
10:16or the government, or their families have a backup to join politics. So it's not very different,
10:25which is very sad, right? You expect campus politics, debates, actual candidates,
10:32who have no background, but it's not going to happen. And this time it's probably not going to happen.
10:38Yeah.
10:40Yeah.
10:41Yeah.
10:43Yeah.
10:45Yeah.
10:48That's true.
10:49Yeah.
10:49Yeah.
10:51Yeah.
11:08Yeah.
11:09So we can go to national politics, Arun Jetli, Ajay Mahan, Alka Lama, Raagmi Nayak, Rekha Gupta.
11:16These are all presidents in Delhi University.
11:20In 1996, 1976, Arun Jetli.
11:25So in student politics, there is a different role in the country.
11:32There are different leaders in these campaigns.
11:37Suchin Pilot, Raagmi Nayak, Bollywood stars Sanjeda, Tarandeep Huddha.
11:43This time, they were campaigning in Delhi University.
11:48This is especially because of social media.
11:51Because of high-code, handmade pamphlets, printing pamphlets,
11:58some of the guidelines they had to follow, celebrations.
12:03Sushant, tell me one thing.
12:05I am interrupting you because we have some videos about their reels
12:09that NSUI and ABVP had released.
12:11I will request my producers to put those up as well.
12:14And I want to know that the president's election, Aryan Mahan,
12:22there was a lot of controversy in their name.
12:24That their father's liquor brand has circulated.
12:29I want to tell all these allegations.
12:31So it became a very ugly election.
12:43So the name of Aryan Mahan, you will say that it is controversial?
12:48You will also have a question?
12:51Thank you very much.
13:21Thank you very much.
17:49fist fighting broke out and they were not android apple fans they were all apple fans funny enough
17:55actually just to sort of get their hands on the apple iphone first can you imagine a frenzy like
18:02that actual fist fighting broke out if the fans scrambled to get their hands on the new iphone 17
18:08and the iphone air the crowds of restless buyers were also seen shoving and shouting officials
18:14they had to step in and spot a few buyers even out the lines were equally large at other locations
18:19as well outside the apple store at select city walk in delhi buyers camped out all night look at
18:25those those are from last night this is even before sunrise and look at those cues some arrived as early
18:33as 1am the queue spanned across two floors of the mall the hype was so high that a few buyers had
18:40called in sick at work just to be there for the launch i don't want to make how to make sense of
18:48that at all and it wasn't just delhi and mumbai the situation was similar in other apple stores in
18:53india too stores in bengaluru even and interestingly in up in lucknow remained flooded with buyers through
19:02the day clearly for a few getting their hands on the new iphone is worth losing a night's sleep
19:08or even getting a black eye or getting an earful from your boss so let's understand what this frenzy
19:17is all about joining us is shivani sharma she's live with us from delhi dipesh is live with us from
19:24mumbai and with me in the studio is cyrus john cyrus has just come back and cyrus what is that that you've
19:29got in your hand again oh this this device that people were like going crazy about by the way this
19:36is the iphone 17 pro max uh i don't think people really are concerned about what is inside of the
19:43device only i think it's the outside that's caught a lot of attention because people are just going
19:49nuts about this color and it's been almost sold out remember this color by the way it can be ordered
19:55online but people it's just crazy that they're lining up outside of stores and midnight hate but
20:01they're still there and i am sure that uh by the end of the day apple will confirm that this color
20:06particularly has been sold out by the way uh viewers there are two more colors so don't feel them left
20:11out i mean that's just you stop being such an advocate of iphone okay one we will discuss all of
20:17this in just a bit let's also get some real life action coming in from our colleagues on the ground
20:22shivani sharma is with us shivani you are at saket so i want to understand have you managed to speak
20:33to some of these apple owners i mean i'm just trying to make sense of the story we talk about unemployment
20:39numbers we talk about the fact that there is rising gst we talk about the fact that salaries are not
20:46matching up uh with rising inflation and yet people are buying a two lakh rupee phone they're lining up
20:53like this so let's see it's not about the frenzy but it's about the aspiration the status it connects
21:05with it and also how the space of apple is growing in indian market i'll keep showing you the pictures
21:11also i'm right now at one of the stores where people have gathered since morning they are buying
21:17this new phone which has launched today so all of them seem to be quite exciting with their new
21:22purchase and some are still waiting for their turn to come as we've seen that the crowds have emerged
21:28on all the apple stores not only of the national capital but also in mumbai where a tussle had broken
21:34out i'll just just try and speaking i'll try and speak to one of the proud owners of this apple iphone
21:4117 17. you have bought this phone how did you feel good? i was waiting for a long time
21:47and I was booked for it but i thought we'll get the color options but they won't get the colors
21:51but they won't get the colors of your choice, which one of the colors is you can show us?
21:55yes i can show us the phone, I brought the 17 pro and we will open the camera and got the
22:03stock, because there will be a lot of stock. which one of the products you brought?
22:09So you see Sonal, this is the first choice of especially those people who've been using
22:34an iPhone and they wait desperately for the new models as we know, the new features.
22:40Here this is the complete desk for iPhone 17, here you see people are exploring these
22:45phones, they want to see and check the features and if I may try and speak to some more people
22:50you have come here to explore the new iPhone, are you interested in it?
22:55Yes, I am interested.
22:57Why does it like so much?
22:59It has a good safety quality, it has a lot of variety, it has a lot of features, it doesn't
23:08leak data.
23:10So most of them feel quite secure while they are using the iPhones and they wait for the
23:16new features that get launched with every new iPhone model and that's what is the excitement
23:22all about Sonal, you see how people are still here, they are here since morning, they have
23:26been waiting for their turn despite the fact they had booked their iPhones quite early.
23:31So this is what it looks like on ground while we are seeing these proud owners of iPhone
23:3717 now on the first day of its launch.
23:40Proud owners of an iPhone, at the end of the day it is still a depreciating asset, I just
23:45want to put that on the table.
23:47But let me bring it to Deish also.
23:49Deish, what about you?
23:51What is Mumbai feeling about it?
23:54And next time I think when we ask somebody how much they have paid for the iPhone, let's
23:59also ask them their salary.
24:00Let's try and understand what percentage of the income is actually going in on a phone.
24:06At the end of the day it is still a phone.
24:08Do you have some dope and some information for us?
24:15Ah well Sonal, the iPhone 17 series went on sale across the country today and the Mumbai
24:23iPhone store also saw extraordinary footfall.
24:27People had been camping overnight over here and this morning as you had earlier also said
24:32there was huge crowd over here and there was scuffles that happened.
24:37Security had to intervene and that is why.
24:39Now you can see behind me, this is the area where the queue was there.
24:43There was huge crowd in the morning.
24:45People had queued up since overnight.
24:47They had been waiting to get their hands on the new iPhone 17 series.
24:51But after the scuffle broke out, this area has been cleared by the security.
24:56People are not being allowed to wait in this area at the gate of the iPhone store.
25:01There are few people inside the iPhone store right now.
25:05But most of the people who had pre-booked or who had come who had been camping since overnight
25:10have already taken their iPhone.
25:13They have their iPhone.
25:14They have purchased the iPhone 17 series which starts from the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max.
25:24And the basic memory cap is of 256 GB.
25:29The memory starts at 256 GB.
25:31It has a superior display.
25:33That is what people are telling us.
25:34It has a 48 megapixel camera.
25:37And despite the heavy crowd that was there, the scuffle that broke out at Mumbai iPhone store this morning,
25:46this crowd is still there inside the iPhone store.
25:49But for security reasons, we have been requested by the iPhone store management that the life cannot happen from inside the store
25:59because they might be overcrowding and that could be another issue that could happen there.
26:05And that is why they requested us to do the life from the premises, but not inside the store.
26:12But there is still crowd inside.
26:13Thank you so much for joining us.
26:14Yeah.
26:15Thanks for that.
26:16Let me also bring in Cyrus now.
26:17Cyrus, this frenzy, I have no words.
26:19I have no words to explain or even understand what this means.
26:24I get it for people like perhaps you and me who live on our phones.
26:28Our job requires us to be on WhatsApp groups, on emails, on all social media platforms all the time.
26:34But what is this crazy?
26:36And let me start by saying this.
26:37You know, every time we do a story on Apple, the acquisition is when Samsung phones launch,
26:42you don't give such coverage.
26:44When Fold was launched, which is pretty much the biggest tech innovation we've seen in phones,
26:49we didn't go bonkers like this because people didn't go bonkers like this.
26:53So what's happening?
26:54Is this orchestrated by Apple in some way?
26:56Let me just get that out of the way.
26:58Yeah, I think it's a culture, Sonal, that has come in from the US.
27:01If you remember when the iPhone started selling, this whole culture of lining up,
27:06outside of the stores started over there where people used to camp.
27:09And that culture slowly shifted to India.
27:12Now, remember, the Indian market is very important for Apple,
27:15which is why this sort of a frenzy is good PR in a way.
27:19They recently launched two stores, one in Bangalore and one in Pune.
27:23Now, why were the stores launched?
27:24Because of exactly this.
27:25So they're trying to expand their footprint.
27:27That's also one thing.
27:28That's also one thing.
27:29But why this frenzy happens, you remember.
27:31Now, this is an old company, but they have been innovating throughout.
27:35At the time Steve Jobs was there, the iPhone came in, the innovation started coming.
27:39But in the past couple of years, a lot of people say that innovation hasn't slowed down.
27:43Yes, rightly so.
27:45Yeah, other companies like they're getting their foldable phones.
27:48They're getting phones that can, you know, run AI better.
27:51Apple has some work, some catching up to do.
27:55But in terms of the frenzy, in terms of the premium quality and that novelty that the brand brings,
28:01I think that is what attracts people.
28:03And in terms of innovation, yes, the color.
28:06I have seen some people just say, I want to buy the iPhone because of the color.
28:10We have some in the newsroom as well, I won't name them.
28:12I mean, I just fear I might get mugged because this color is running out on the street.
28:17So I wouldn't want to be like brandishing it outside.
28:19But surprisingly, the other iPhones have been overshadowed.
28:23But what's with the color?
28:24Just get a cover with that color, no?
28:26Like what difference does it make?
28:27Come on.
28:28So it's a, I would say it's a very jhatak color.
28:31A lot of the people in India are loving this, by the way, for unknown reasons, I wouldn't say.
28:36The white color and the blue color, this gentleman just said that he has,
28:39he was forced to buy the blue color because the orange ones ran out.
28:42I'm sure his preferred choice would have been the orange color.
28:46So I think Apple would reconsider its production lines and make sure that they get more of these out.
28:52But I don't know why people don't understand.
28:54It's just not about the color.
28:56Have a look at what's inside of the phone as well.
28:59Okay, what's inside?
29:00Battery, which does not match any other phone that costs this much.
29:05AI that simply doesn't match any phone or, you know, even a Google Pixel for that matter is so good with AI and Apple is far, far behind on that tech.
29:16Right?
29:17Siri is like the grandmom of any kind of assistance anymore.
29:20You know, like I said, battery, chargers not there.
29:23Like, what's happening?
29:25Yeah.
29:26It's a story that I want a marketeer to decode now.
29:28Like, what is in Apple that everything is bad then?
29:31Again, I'm not advocating for the brand in any way, but just stating what facts are.
29:37In terms of battery, Apple says that they have improved upon the battery.
29:40They are claiming 37 hours of video playback that has been enhanced.
29:45Now, I'm testing the device currently.
29:47The Pro Max especially, yes, it is giving me more battery because of the battery size has been increased.
29:53They have enhanced the cooling system inside of the phone.
29:56This camera island that you see, it's a reason that they have done this because to accommodate more cooling systems and also the camera has been bumped up.
30:03But a lot of people are concerned about the battery life on this phone, which is the iPhone Air.
30:09Now, this is the first time, by the way, Apple has like really thought out of the box and thought of a phone with a slim form factor.
30:17This one is pretty lightweight.
30:19It's garnering a lot of attention online and people are talking about its battery life.
30:24I've been using it for a day.
30:25No problem at all.
30:26But yes, in terms of innovation, Sonal, that's the problem.
30:29When other companies are folding their phones, when other companies are bending their phones,
30:34Apple is still saying, okay, I will make my phones thinner.
30:37I think the fact that artificial intelligence, AI, has been really working like clockwork on all of the devices,
30:43like you mentioned, the Google Pixel and even the Samsung devices,
30:46that AI game is something that Apple really needs to work upon to make sure that it's just not about the hardware,
30:51but also the software, what you get inside.
30:53How much did you pay for both the phone sizes?
30:56Actually, I did not pay.
30:57These are review units that I'll be testing and I'm talking about it.
31:00But if you want to spend, this one costs about 1,20,000 in India for the 256 GB.
31:06Yeah.
31:07And this one costs 1,90,000.
31:09This is the Pro Max.
31:11And it goes all the way up to…
31:13Can I just say you can buy a Cartier watch in that price.
31:18And can I just say that will actually escalate in price.
31:21It will have like an asset.
31:22You can pass it down generations compared to a phone that is a depreciating asset.
31:26I just want to say that out loud despite being the fact that I am also hooked on to Apple.
31:32Exactly.
31:33I also use it.
31:34You are using an Apple phone.
31:35Yeah.
31:36But the point is not that.
31:37The point is I want Apple to do better.
31:39Aha.
31:40And I feel like these phones are not living up to that hype.
31:43That's where I'm coming from.
31:44Great.
31:45And that is hitting them by the way, Sunil.
31:46It's not all hunky-dory for Apple.
31:48In the US, their market share has dropped.
31:50Yes.
31:51Where they were circulating around 58%.
31:52Where they were dominating, it's now coming down.
31:54It's gone down around 57%.
31:56In India, thankfully, they have been doing well year on year.
32:00Their sales have shot up.
32:02Part of the market share, around 23% of the revenue share is what Apple has right now,
32:06which is around 7-8% of the total phones sold in India.
32:10But again, this is the premium segment.
32:12Apple doesn't sell medium range or budget phones.
32:15And that's something that people, I think the fact that there is a lot of disposable income,
32:19people are getting a lot of these offers on their credit cards, 0% EMI.
32:24That's the reason, I don't think that people actually have the cash in their hand
32:28when they're going and lining up outside of these stores to buy the phones.
32:31It's all of these discounts and the opportunity to buy it that's helping them.
32:35I'm told we have to wrap up this discussion.
32:37But clearly, Cyrus and I can go on all night and talk about what is wrong with Apple
32:41or perhaps what is not.
32:42But what do you think?
32:43Leave us comments.
32:44We are live on all our social platforms as well.
32:46But thanks, Cyrus.
32:47I'll come back and check that phone out in just a bit.
32:49But talking about trends, let's switch our focus to one.
32:53That is a worrying one.
32:55Not too long ago, Sephora shelves were the domain for adults.
32:59But today, teenagers and kids talk about concealers like they're crayons.
33:04They name ingredients like niacinamide, hydraulic acid and retinol
33:08as casually as they talk about perhaps homework.
33:11Sephora has become the new generation's playground.
33:14This is the story that we really hope did not happen.
33:17But it did.
33:18So here's an explainer.
33:19This, ladies and gentlemen, is the reality of skin care today.
33:40At an age where getting their multiplication sums right as a challenge.
33:45These kids are doing something that you and I would have never done as 10, 12 year olds.
33:51This is the generation of Sephora kids.
33:54Not too long ago, skin care shelves were the domain of adults.
34:00But today, they're buzzing with teenagers and even younger kids who can't reel off ingredient names like retinol and hyaluronic acid.
34:11As casually as they can talk about trickets cause or homework.
34:16And Dr. Chaitra Vyanand, founder of Cosmo Derma Clinics is now with us.
34:20Thank you for your time.
34:21I want to ask you, why are we seeing this kind of obsession among kids?
34:26You know, what are the factors that in a way influence their decision or their choices when it comes to using these products?
34:33Dr. Chaitra.
34:35Thanks for that question, Sneha.
34:36And I think it's very pertinent to ask these questions in this day and age.
34:40I think I put it down to exposure.
34:43You know, the kids today have the world at their fingertips, so to speak, you know.
34:48And everything is about consumption of content.
34:51It's also about what they see around themselves, right?
34:54Like people around them who is in their ecosphere.
34:57They're seeing like young girls are seeing their moms putting on their makeup and they want to emulate their mom.
35:03And then they're also seeing their friends trying and testing these things out.
35:07And today all kids, even like not just tweens, right?
35:11Like even like preteens are on social media, like YouTube especially and Instagram and Pinterest.
35:19And all of this creates an ecosphere where they're looking at makeup, they're looking at trends,
35:24they're looking at mini kid influencers talking about products and they want to fit in.
35:28And so I think that's where all of this is coming from.
35:31At shopping malls and beauty counters, you'll find 11 year olds filling their baskets with sheet masks, serums, cleansers.
35:41And the reason is simple social media.
35:44On TikTok and Instagram, the so-called Blast Skin Glow has become the new standard of cool.
35:53With influencers racking up millions of views as they show off 10 step routines that look more like science experiments than skincare.
36:02The rise of social media is the biggest factor behind this trend.
36:07Nearly half of Indian kids below 12 now spend as many as four hours daily on digital devices, whether for learning or for leisure.
36:17Dr. Kiran Sethi, Medical Director, Izya Aesthetics is with us.
36:21Thank you for your time.
36:22The role of social media in, you know, sending out these messages to kids that, you know,
36:29this is how you're going to be more acceptable in society, among your peer, among your friends.
36:35That also is truly problematic, isn't it?
36:38So peer pressure is nothing new, but social media amplifies it because now it's not one person.
36:45It might be a thousand people.
36:47It's not your three friends.
36:48It's three thousand of their friends and friends going forward.
36:53So we now have amplified peer pressure using social media.
36:57And our gauge of reality is even more complex because we're not actually meeting people,
37:03ascertaining their facial expressions.
37:05It's all interpretation.
37:07And our brains, when we're younger, it's not developed to handle this.
37:11Dermatologist is sounding the alarm, warning that many of these powerful products, especially anti-aging ingredients like retinol,
37:21can actually harm young skin that really only needs soap water and sunscreen.
37:27You know, Dr. Chetra was asking you, what kind of basic care do kids really need for their skin?
37:34What are the basic things that parents can actually just take care of?
37:37I think the answer is right there in your question.
37:41Basic need.
37:42All they need to do is cleanse their skin.
37:44Typically, you want to use a soap free cleanser for young kids or a pH balanced cleanser.
37:48That's all a gentle cleanser with absolutely no actives in it.
37:52And second, sun protection.
37:54This is the only two things that kids require because, you know, the skin is in a growth phase.
38:01It heals itself.
38:02It's able to moisturize itself.
38:04It's able to take care of itself.
38:06The only time kids will need intervention is if they have a skin concern like eczema, which is extremely dry skin,
38:14or if they have early stage of acne like whiteheads and blackheads,
38:18which is when they need to see their skin doctor and get a prescription, not just try it or home remedies.
38:24Market reports show India's teen and pre-teen skin care industry is growing at double digits,
38:30and brands are happily riding the wave rolling out pastel-colored packaging, fruity fragrances,
38:36and campaigns that speak directly to kids.
38:39Data from Statista shows that the baby and child skin care market is expected to grow at 7.71% rate by 2028.
38:49The study further shows the market will reach $380 million and 160.7 million users worldwide by 2028.
39:01The global children's cosmetics market was valued at $1.72 billion in 2024,
39:08is projected to reach $2.34 billion by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 5.26% during this period.
39:17You know, there's a big growth that we're seeing in the market for, you know, these products that are specifically targeted at kids
39:24to shape their decisions really to get them to buy these products or get parents to buy these products for their kids.
39:30What do you attribute this to? You know, often it's being marketed as safe products, organic products, safe for kids.
39:37I did come across one such ad that said, you know, the makeup is so safe that you can actually eat it.
39:42So, you know, what do you have to say about this kind of marketing and the big boom that this sector really is seeing?
39:48I'd love to see that marketing company make their own kids eat that makeup in the first place.
39:53But honestly, that's what it comes down to, right? Really, it's marketing and branding and brands.
40:00We can't just blame brands. They're there to make money. It's a commerce and they're going to do that.
40:05I mean, think about it, Sneha. The market is growing at a 10% annual component of growth.
40:10That's crazy, right? Indian market is actually growing faster. Southeast Asia, India is the fastest growing market in kids' cosmetics compared to even the Western other markets.
40:21And why are they marketing this? Because they can market it because there's no rules, no regulations, nothing.
40:27I mean, tomorrow you can open something and say this is just 100% natural. But who's testing it? Who's saying it is natural?
40:35There is no regulation. So I think the government has to really clamp down on this, put in the regulations for all of this.
40:43And also, you know, there is some controls, but I think everybody finds a way around it.
40:47You know, a lot of people talk about this, you know, what's really wrong with young girls to explore their mother's makeup, for example.
40:53We've all been there, done that in a sense, you know, and beauty routines to kind of follow them, to mimic them.
40:59But what really is different today, Doctor, is that the powerful and widespread reach of the beauty industry targeting children specifically, isn't it?
41:09And online, these products are just available, like, and it's so easily available. And that's a big, big worry here.
41:17So companies are spending millions of dollars targeting this particular population. They are very sensitive to advertising.
41:25They respond to whatever you tell them on YouTube, they respond to whatever you tell them on TikTok or Instagram, and they think that they need to do it.
41:32They don't have that prefrontal cortex developed to understand the difference between marketing and truth.
41:38It's unfortunate because children are the most vulnerable population, but they get the most marketed to, and companies know it, are achieving those objectives. It's wrong.
41:49And in India and outside, this obsession with skincare is for us to see.
41:55Brands are designing and selling products meant for young girls, promising that it is safe for their tender skin.
42:02Young girls are doing tutorials on how to put makeup right. That does not beg the question.
42:08When children start equating clear skin with self-worth, it can chip away at their confidence and body image.
42:15But convincing them of that is tough when their favorite influencer swears by serums and masks.
42:21And joining us right now is Dr. Bhavna Barmi, senior clinical and child psychologist.
42:25Thank you for your time. You know, we do know that makeup has deep impact on kids in terms of the immediate impact on their skin, which obviously is harmful.
42:35It's being said that it's designed in such a way that isn't harmful.
42:39But my question has got to you, got to do really with, you know, how this product or use of these products really harm children, you know, emotionally, mentally, psychologically, the kind of impact that it leaves on them, these impressions that they need to look a certain way, that this is what is going to define them at the end of the day.
42:58That truly, doctor, is problematic, isn't it?
43:01You know, the rising trend of children, especially under the age of 12, buying and using makeup is not just a passing fashion fad.
43:11It's actually a growing mental health, public health and a psychological concern.
43:17In fact, the cosmetics industry is aggressively targeting young consumers through social media influencers, YouTube tutorials and playful packaging, creating a generation that is overly conscious.
43:30When children start using makeup too early, they develop the belief that their natural appearance isn't good enough.
43:39This can lead to low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and dependency and sometimes even an addiction on using makeup to build up their esteem and confidence.
43:51It is important to tell our kids that healthy skin doesn't come from a bathroom shelf full of bottles and to remind children that perfect skin is not what defines them.
44:02And that more than any serum or toner may be the most important lesson really in skin care.
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