There used to be a rite of passage that came with being a tween. It was awkward and cringey, but exhilarating. The tween years, that defined the liminal space between our childhood and adolescence, are currently slipping through the cultural cracks.
Remember when there used to be a time when we could explore different interests and gradually grow into our adolescence? For today’s tweens, that’s now over. They’re no longer dipping their toes into adolescence, but rather diving headfirst and the cultural impact is bigger than what we think.
We’re Losing The Ancient Texts
Since the pandemic, tween culture has been on a slow decline. As a result of quarantining, many kids were pushed online earlier and more intensely than ever before. School, social interactions and media consumption were suddenly all happening through a screen. As a result, that awkward, in-between phase where we could experiment, without fear of being ridiculed, and let our identities begin to take shape, no longer had the same allowance.
We saw in real time as the once iconic tween culture touchstones faded away. The stores, the media and just the overall energy that defined our generation’s early teen years were gone. Justice filed for bankruptcy, Claire’s lost relevance and the type of shows we grew up on now seem outdated. Without this crucial buffer phase, Gen Alpha is stepping into adolescence at hyper speed, and they’re doing it with a completely different rulebook.
A New Set Of Rules
Now, social media is the rulebook. TikTok has become the central hub of influence for the younger generations, effectively replacing the traditional multi-media ecosystem that once shaped tween life. Instead of growing up reading cheesy teen magazines or watching something on Disney Channel, kids today are immersing themselves in content that’s meant for much older audiences. One where everything is polished and performative.
Tweens are curating their identities with a hyper awareness that previous generations didn’t have, and often blur the lines between genuine self-expression and being performative. As a result, the pressure to appear “on trend” sometimes overshadows the naturally messy process of growing up. Making it much harder for kids to just be kids and not have a fear of judgment or rejection.
To Be Cringe Is To Be Free
Maybe it’s time to reclaim not the awkward moments themselves, but the freedom they gave us. The permission to not have everything figured out just yet. For those of us who lived through the messy tween years, there’s something powerful in remembering that phase. It’s a reminder that it’s okay to exist in the in-between, even as adults.
Tween culture may be fading for the next generation, but for us? It’ll serve as a vital reminder that not everything has to be perfect or go with the grain. Including you.
Have a favorite memory or photo from your tweens? Post it on your story and tag us on Instagram, @VALLEYmag, to share!
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