ON THE FRONT LINES: Death of tween culture
These days, kids want to be older. This is not a new sentiment. When we were younger, many of us wanted to be older. It represented freedom from parents and responsibilities.
But the latest manifestation of this yearning for adulthood has taken a concerning new form.
We are witnessing a significant shift in children's behavior nowadays. They seem to be flocking to Sephora, a store geared toward teens and adults, to access Drunk Elephant products and more.
Others have also noticed that kids seem to be dressing older and have access to smartphones at an earlier age, raising questions about the changing dynamics of childhood.
In some ways, kids have skipped over the traditional tween phase. Gone are the days of the transition between childhood and teenage years. They have been replaced by nine-year-old beauty influencers and a sharper transition.
How did we get to this point? This phenomenon has been the culmination of many different societal changes in the past 60 years.
For this article, tweens are defined as those between the ages of 9 and 12. This group is usually characterized by gaining a new level of independence distinct from that of a child and experiencing growing pressure to keep up with the latest trends.
One point that does not get as much discussion regarding this topic has been the decline of third spaces. For those unaware, third spaces refer to broadly accessible community spaces separate from one's home or place of work. Some common examples of these include cafes, shopping malls and public parks.
Many traditionally popular tween spaces are these third places. Places like the arcade, movie theaters and shopping malls were areas where tweens could hang out and exercise a healthy level of independence.
Now, those spaces are almost inaccessible. Shopping malls struggle to maintain foot traffic as they compete against e-commerce giants like Amazon, and many have fallen by the wayside. If these spaces are still physically present, they usually have a high financial barrier, such as movie theaters and bowling alleys.
It also does not help that many of these spaces are actively hostile toward a tween presence.
With the decline of third spaces, many tweens have turned to social media to fill in that social interaction. This has been highly problematic.
Today, tweens have been exposed to figures like Alabama Barker and Kylie Jenner, who have large social media platforms. Even though they were teenagers, they often presented themselves in a way that made them seem much older.
Other Kardashian-esque figures have flooded social media and set up unrealistic beauty standards. This is especially harmful to young girls, who tend to be on social media more often and are generally people-focused.
If young girls are being exposed to these unrealistic beauty standards, it is no wonder that they are willing to cover their faces in makeup and have extensive skincare routines, even when medical professionals say that this can lead to contact dermatitis and hyperpigmentation.
Furthermore, social media's dominance in tweens' lives has shut off other alternatives. One example is the decline of the Young Adult (YA) genre of literature, as teens have lower attention spans. Because tweens are no longer customers, there is little demand for YA literature, thus killing the genre.
Another example is the lack of tween TV. When I was growing up, shows like iCarly, Big Time Rush and Hannah Montana were available for tweens to watch.
They were generally shows that dealt with more mature topics but were not too heavy so as to be suited to teenagers. Nowadays, channels that would be the home for this content have shifted to be more friendly to younger children.
People who read this article might think that this is a random topic that does not have any impact on the world. This is not true. As mentioned before, with the death of the YA genre, many tweens have lost interest in reading books, and it is showing in declining reading scores since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, with social media becoming the dominant force in the lives of tweens, it has been shown to have detrimental effects on mental health. This harmful effect on mental health can be seen in the rising suicide rates among teens.
If this is the case, then what is the solution? The answer would be to find ways for tweens to engage with others in healthy ways outside of technology. This would include after-school activities that are not focused on technology. These would be an excellent outlet for tweens to connect with others in their peer group without the negative impacts of social media.
The current death of tween culture reflects societal pressures to grow up faster. It is time we let kids be kids and enjoy their freedom.
Kiran Subramanian is a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in economics and political science.
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