14 is the New 30
The loss of the adolescent market is affecting how kids grow up…
“Kids aren’t acting like kids anymore.” Although the holiday wave of 10-year-olds to Sephora and Lululemon highlighted this situation, it’s been a controversial topic on social media for several years. Tweens and teens aren’t dressing, acting or buying like they used to. As kids age out of the children’s demographic, they seem to be skipping the adolescent phase and heading directly to adult products, entertainment and styles. While on the surface this just seems like an odd market shift, it does beg the question of why. Is it overconsumption of social media? Bad parenting? Culture shifts? While none of these answers are necessarily wrong, I would argue that the real issue is much simpler - or maybe more complex: There is no adolescent market anymore.
Until recently, adolescence had its own consumer culture. Even 10 years ago, the industry's marketing towards teens was a completely different place. Movies and TV aimed at this demographic were popular and, although they might not have been cinematic masterpieces, they were well-made. Similarly, styles catered towards teenagers– and adolescent influencers and celebrities looked and acted like teens. Adult and teen styles will always mirror each other to a degree, but there used to be a noticeable difference between the things you might see a 14-year-old wear and what you would see on someone nearing 30.
At some point, however, the adolescent market began to vanish. Shows like Pretty Little Liars, Dawson’s Creek, or Gossip Girl are fewer and farther between, and those that do exist are less popular and lower budget than their earlier counterparts. Clothing companies aimed at preteens and teens, like Abercrombie, Justice or PINK, simply no longer exist the way they used to. Even Urban Outfitters has started to struggle in recent years. Products labeled “for teens” (explicitly or not) aren’t selling. Instead, this demographic is increasingly shifting their purchasing power to brands aimed at adults.
This is happening for several reasons. The increasing popularity of platforms like TikTok and Instagram meld consumer bases much more rapidly than they used to. Recommendations, reviews and sponsored products are constant and often shown across various demographics, which causes a more intense and specific trend cycle. These platforms also give kids access to more information and opinions, often from influencers that tend to be in their 20s or 30s. Entertainment aimed at 8 to 18-year-olds, from Hannah Montana to 90210, featured characters their own age, even if they were unrealistic. TikTok, unlike Seventeen Magazine or Cosmo, isn’t curated based on age.
While wanting to look older probably does play a role, another more subtle effect of today’s media is that kids are increasingly smart shoppers. They are aware of quality in a way that I definitely was not when I was 12. Historically, things marketed to teens and preteens have been lower quality, and, as seen with the entertainment industry, this has only gotten worse in recent years. Companies aren’t taking the time or effort to make things that kids want, so they turn to products for adults - which, regardless of the industry, are nearly always higher quality.
This is understandable, but teenagers, especially younger ones, deserve to have things made for them. The transition from childhood to adulthood is its own phase of life, and rushing from one to the other leaves little room to figure out who you are. If companies stepped back, they might find that the demand is there. Preteens love Lululemon and Drunk Elephant because they’re colorful and fun. Shows like The Summer I Turned Pretty and Outer Banks were huge hits because of this demographic. Kids do want to be kids – they just don’t have the same options that they used to.