There was once a time where being between the ages of nine and 13 felt like living in a cultural world that was all your own. Tweens weren’t quite kids anymore, but they weren’t expected to act like fully developed teenagers either. Music, TV and fashion carved out space for this in-between stage, allowing young people to grow at their own pace.
In the 2000s and early 2010s, tween culture was everywhere. TV shows like Hannah Montana, That’s So Raven, Big Time Rush, iCarly and Victorious captured what it felt like to balance school, friendships and the awkward excitement of growing up. They were funny, relatable and catered directly to tweens who wanted to see themselves on screen. Even reality competitions like American Idol gave Jordin Sparks a platform, and The X Factor launched Fifth Harmony, where idol tweens could grow alongside.
Music also had its own tween wave. Justin Bieber’s rise from YouTube covers to global stardom began with middle school fans. Girl groups like Fifth Harmony, boy bands like One Direction and solo stars like Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez built their bases with tweens who sang along to lyrics about crushes, friendship and discovering yourself. These artists offered a safe bridge between children’s music and adult pop.
Fashion trends matched the moment. Justice was the go-to store for sparkly leggings and glittery tees that shouted tween identity. Claire’s sold earrings, lip gloss and phone cases that made young girls feel stylish without being pushed into adult fashion. Aeropostale, Hollister and Abercrombie created the “cool teen” look older tweens aspired to have when they hit high school. Together, these options gave tweens room to express themselves.
“When I was younger, I was super into watching toy unboxing videos, like, all the time! I also had a major Justin Bieber phase, and I was obsessed with shopping at Justice and Claire’s. But some of my best memories are from just hanging out at the park with my friends, playing Just Dance on the Wii,” said freshman Knyia White.
Television habits also shaped the tween experience.
“Growing up, I remember the excitement of rushing home to catch a show at 8/7 Central. The anticipation of waiting a whole week to see what would happen next made it feel special, almost like an event,” said sophomore Francinette Peralta. “Today, kids have a completely different experience when they get home, they can open Netflix and watch whatever they want, whenever they want.”
Today, that space has largely disappeared. Justice closed most of its stores. Claire’s is currently closing and mall culture itself has declined. On TV, the sitcoms that once defined Disney Channel and Nickelodeon have given way to less scripted shows, while streaming platforms push edgier teen dramas like Euphoria or Outer Banks, skipping over the in-between stage. In music, younger kids now listen to the same artists as adults.
The generational shift away from a dedicated tween culture has left today’s kids without music, TV or fashion made for them, pushing them straight from childhood into adult trends and forcing them to skip a crucial stage of self-discovery.
