Teens on Tinder, Unique (Model) Is the New Cool (Model), BookTubers, and more…
What’s it like to be a teen today? We can show you the stats, but to really get a feeling for today’s young consumers it helps to go beyond the numbers, and get immersed in the media they consume. That’s why every month we dive into the latest teen magazines, and see what, and who, is trending. Here are the five teen trends we learned this time around:
1. Teens on Tinder
Did you know you only have to be 13-years-old to download and use dating app Tinder? Teens do, and they’re using the app, and others like it, to meet people that they don’t already see everyday in the hallways. According to Teen Vogue’s math there are “well over a million users under 18 on the platform,” and dating apps are becoming more popular. Of course, being matched with someone who is lying about their own age is a danger, and teens need to be cautious.
2. Unique (Model) is the New Cool (Model)
Not so long ago, young consumers wanted nothing more than to fit in. But now, standing out is the goal, and 66% of 13-33-year-olds agree that being the same as everyone else is boring. We’re beginning to see the trend influence the pages of teen mags. Where blond-haired blue eyed models might once have dominated, more girls with unique looks are being spotlighted and held up as aspirational. Teen Vogue’s December cover girl is just one example: Fernanda Ly, a pink haired, Asian and Australian model-on-the-rise, is described glowingly as “a girl with confidence, who doesn’t look like anyone else.”
3. BookTubers
Last month, we called out the fact that a book-focused Instagram run by an 18-year-old had earned over 100,000 followers and was featured in Seventeen. Turns out this is not the only love books are getting on the internet. This issue, the magazine’s “Best Books of 2015” are curated by four “BookTubers”—vloggers who devote their channels to book reviews and other literary chat. Need more proof that books are totally cool? Ypulse’s holiday shopping data found that 16% of 13-17-year-olds say that a book is at the top of their holiday wishlist. (That’s puts it even with money on their wishlist ranking.)
4. Fandom Shopping
Teen fandoms aren’t just one of the most powerful forces on the internet, they could be a hugely powerful force in retail as well. Seventeen’s “Total Fangirl Gift Guide” shows why. The entire page is filled with products that fandoms would love, from Mean Girls themed candy to Game of Thrones stationary. It’s a reminder to every brand that products that can appeal to passionate fan groups are probably a good idea.
5. ‘90s Show Binging
The generation being raised on streaming is different in many ways, but one interesting effect of having access to almost any movie and TV show from any time is that they can become extremely attached to media that is not of their era. Seventeen tells readers, “What better way to spend a night (or a weekend…or your who winter break…) than streaming some totally addictive TV? Pick one of these totally awesome ‘90s shows…” With My So Called Life, Freaks and Geeks, and Charmed on the list, a teen today can transport themselves back decades. Then tap into the online fandom devoted to any of the ‘90s show they now love.
