The appointment of Karoline Leavitt as the White House press secretary at the age of 27 has thrown into sharp relief a troubling trend among women in their twenties today. Instead of focusing on her achievement, people are fixated on how “old” she looks. But this isn’t really about Karoline’s appearance—it’s a reflection of a culture that has shifted so dramatically that we barely recognize what a 27-year-old woman in a position of power is supposed to look like anymore.

It’s wild that we’ve reached a point where a woman in her 20s who isn’t an influencer, an OnlyFans creator, or someone who constantly documents her nights out is automatically perceived as “old.” The young women who get the most attention today are the ones going viral for their party lifestyles, casual relationships, or chaotic personal lives. Meanwhile, someone like Karoline—who is working in one of the most high-pressure positions in the country—is being scrutinized for not looking like she just stepped off a red carpet.

Beauty Over Intellect

Our culture has created a system where young women are rewarded more for how they look than for what they contribute. It’s why viral TikToks of girls documenting their hangovers, club nights, or perfectly curated outfits get more engagement than a young woman breaking into politics, science, or business. The expectation is clear: your value is in your beauty and how effortlessly fun your life appears—not in your intelligence, ambition, or work ethic.

A Narrow Definition of Success

For women in their 20s, success isn’t measured by intelligence or impact—it’s measured by visibility. If you’re not getting likes, if you’re not part of the influencer or nightlife culture, you’re almost invisible. Someone like Karoline, who has focused her energy on achieving something meaningful rather than crafting an aesthetic, is now an outlier. She’s not a social media personality, she’s not selling a lifestyle, and she’s not marketing herself for attention—so instead of being admired, she’s labeled as “aging faster.”

Age Perception and Professionalism

Karoline Leavitt doesn’t look older than 27—she looks like a 27-year-old woman who takes herself seriously. The only reason people perceive her as older is because we’ve normalized the idea that beauty means looking as young, carefree, and unbothered as possible. The moment a woman prioritizes something beyond that—whether it’s a serious career or simply not playing into the same beauty standards—she’s suddenly “aged out.”

Karoline’s situation should make us stop and ask: What do we actually celebrate? Who are we making famous?

Diversity in Role Models

Right now, the young women who dominate social media are the ones with the most entertaining, carefree, or dramatic lives. But there’s another kind of 20-something out there—the ones who are leading, building, and making an impact. Karoline represents them, and it’s time we start recognizing them instead of pretending they don’t exist.

Encouraging Depth Over Superficiality

If we keep glorifying women for drinking, partying, and living for social media, we’re going to create an entire generation that believes their only worth is in their beauty and social status. That mindset doesn’t lead to influence, power, or long-term success—it just creates a cycle of young women chasing external validation instead of real accomplishments.

Redefining Beauty

Beauty should be about more than youth. It should include confidence, intelligence, and purpose. Karoline isn’t “aging” faster than anyone else—she’s carrying the weight of responsibility, and that comes with a certain kind of presence that some people just aren’t used to seeing in a young woman anymore.

The conversation around Karoline Leavitt’s appearance isn’t really about her—it’s about us. It’s about a culture that has made it so rare to see a 27-year-old woman in a serious role that people don’t even know how to process it. If we want to change that, we need to stop glorifying the most superficial aspects of youth and start valuing women for their intelligence, ambition, and impact. Because right now, the fact that someone like Karoline stands out says more about our culture than it does about her.