Growing up in the 2000-2010s, we truly didn’t know how good we had it. So much of the media at the time was geared towards tweens and teenagers, with a surge of boy bands, teen magazines and Disney Channel stars taking over the spotlight. But today, it seems like there is a lack of media for this particular age group.
Digitalization of Media
In today’s hyper-digital age, children are growing up with less physical media, like the trending magazines that Gen Z grew up reading. Popular magazines like TigerBeat and Teen Vogue have recently ended their print run, opting for a solely-online presence. I don’t know about everyone else, but when going to the grocery store as a child, my favorite thing to do was to scope out all of the teen magazines on the shelves, eyeing the latest heartthrobs and analyzing the “who wore it better” section like a true fashion critic.
Not having these physical copies out feels like a robbery of this experience for younger generations. With the already growing concerns about the negative effects of technology on children, wouldn’t it make sense to keep these forms of media, that were meant for them, offline?Â
Where are the new teen celebrities?
In these magazines, I remember seeing all of my favorite stars: from actors on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon to the newest singers and boybands in the scene. It seemed like there were so many stars in this teen realm that it almost took over the mainstream media. From celebs like Sabrina Carpenter, Zendaya and Harry Styles, I feel like I genuinely grew up alongside them. With some of the biggest stars today coming from this era of the 2010s, it begs the question: where are their replacements for Gen Alpha? Who does this age group look up to now?
The increase of younger users on platforms like TikTok has ultimately shifted the teenage perspective; The idea of who they look up to/who they should be has been skewed as they absorb content made for older viewers. TikTok’s main age range of creators is Gen Z and older, but with this lack of media specifically for tweens/teens, they are now mimicking the actions that they see the most, resulting in the disappearance of the classic teenage experience.
Because most of what these kids are seeing online is from creators in their 20’s, more and more teenagers are starting to dress more mature, and become interested in the things like makeup and skincare at a younger age. The videos of young viewers going to sephora and buying Drunk Elephant is not just a funny trend, it is a consequence of the fact that kids these days have nowhere to look for role models and experiences that align with their own stage of life.Â
A shift in the internet
This is a stark contrast to the time Gen Z was growing up, because almost all of the media we consumed was encompassing “teen” life. From boybands to ice bucket challenges and a less serious time on the internet, the atmosphere felt more playful and applicable to this age group. In the 2010s, almost all of the stars at the time were teenagers themselves, gaining popularity through TV shows, music, Youtube, and even Vine.
But today it seems like those media outlets and age range have less of a spotlight on them, and it’s causing Gen Alpha to miss out on crucial development that comes from embracing being a teen. This is forcing them to grow up faster and assimilate with what they see in the media, which is quite frankly not for them. The extinction of most teen magazines has contributed to this shift as well, and in my opinion is a great tragedy for the youth of today.Â
The 2010s were full of unserious memes and trends that made the internet feel like a community and a place to be weird, not a contest on who can be the most performative. Being your true, authentic self was the trend, from hipster glasses to the infamous mustache, kids and adults alike were free to be unapologetically themselves. Call it nostalgia, but it just felt more colorful during this time.Â
Bring Back Fangirling.
With the increased use of social media influencing clothing and behavioral trends, it seems like kids feel more of a pressure to fit the mold. At a stage in life where it is already hard to try to fit in, the media being pushed onto teens is not making this any better. In my opinion, teenagers should stop focusing on older content creators, and choose something new to obsess over.
In order to do this, I believe we must bring back boy bands. When I was growing up, this was the time to be a fangirl, with boybands and heartthrobs appearing in all forms of mainstream media. From One Direction, Justin Bieber, 5 Seconds of Summer, and countless more, my love of being a fangirl was born during this time in my early teens. I truly can’t imagine my life today without this experience, and as I’ve seen with younger generations, there is a big, gaping, boyband-shaped hole missing in their teenage life–and someone’s gotta fill it!
All in all, this is basically my plea to bring back teen media outlets, ones where kids aren’t pressured to have a 10 step skincare routine or own a Dyson Airwrap. Call me old fashioned, but I want to see a boy band comeback, a new generation of fangirls, and fashion trends that we will look back on later and laugh about. #embracetraditionrejectmodernity #yolo #2016