Sometimes, the internet can humble you very quickly. That’s why asking strangers online anything personal isn’t for the faint-hearted. When you post online, people feel free to say whatever they want, and they believe it’s justified.
One woman decided to ask a simple question online: “How old do I look?” A question out of natural curiosity led to a life lesson for her—and for everyone on the internet.
Here’s what happened…
A woman named Emily Jane posted a video on TikTok, asking viewers to guess her age. But she wasn’t ready for the responses, which she described as “wild.”
In the video, Emily wasn’t wearing any makeup or using social media filters. People guessed she was in her forties, fifties, and some even thought she was in her sixties!
“I’m 56, and I’d guess you’re around 47,” one commenter wrote.
“I’m 42, and I’d guess you’re about 51,” said another.
One comment that shocked Emily the most was from someone who thought she was 58.
“Do I really look like I’m nearly 60? Like I’m almost at retirement age?” she asked in a follow-up video.
However, many people also guessed she was in her thirties, and some thought she was still in her twenties. The guesses ranged widely.
After the comments shocked her, Emily revealed the truth about her age.
“I just turned 36 last week, so I’m only 36,” she said.
She explained that people probably thought she was older because she had stopped dyeing her naturally grey hair.
“I’ve had grey hair for a while now. I started going grey at 19, and people think I’m over 50 because of it,” she shared.
Even though she had grey hair, she was surprised people thought she looked that old.
In her original video, she explained that her eye bags were from sleepless nights with a newborn baby. She also pointed out that she wasn’t wearing makeup or using filters, but she thought she looked totally normal.
“I’ve never had any cosmetic work done. This is my face, and I think it’s what most people my age would look like without filters,” she said.
She went on to say that people’s guesses about her age likely had more to do with how social media influences the way we see women.
She suggested that people don’t know what a woman looks like naturally anymore because social media promotes cosmetic procedures and filters to change appearances.
“I think we need to remember that what we see on social media, TV, or in magazines isn’t real. What do you think?” she asked her viewers.
She also wondered, “Do we have a distorted view of age based on what we see on social media?”
Some viewers agreed that it was her grey hair making her look older.
“36 going on 60. It’s probably the hair, but you’re still gorgeous,” one person commented.
“I think you look your age. It’s just that people associate white hair with aging,” said another.
Another viewer added, “It’s just your hair that makes you look older. Your skin looks great.”
Someone else commented, “I think people are confused when a younger person is comfortable with their grey hair.”
Whatever the case, Emily Jane seems happy with who she is. Share this story with others and see if they can guess her age right!
