Over the 90s and 2000s, society acknowledged this ‘in-between’ with TV specifically tailored to pre-teens. But does ‘tween’ media even exist anymore? In recent years, this genre has completely disappeared, with children skipping straight to media intended for adults. The danger lies in exposing developing minds to themes and expectations that they are not yet ready to process, leaving them vulnerable to distorted ideas.
For decades, television offered ‘tweens’ a safe space, with shows like The Story of Tracy Beaker (2002), Sam & Cat (2013), and iCarly (2007) offering age-appropriate narratives and relatable characters. These programs allowed pre-teens to see themselves represented on screen while easing them into more mature themes at a gradual pace.
'Tweens' are being thrust into an environment that pressures them to adopt adult behaviours and ideals before they are ready.
Today, however, the television landscape has shifted dramatically, with many children now consuming reality shows and adult content such as Love Island (2015). These programmes, which are centred on romance, body image, and sexual competition, means 'tweens' are being thrust into an environment that pressures them to adopt adult behaviours and ideals before they are ready.
This shift is also reflected in the change of format for TV aimed at pre-teens. Traditional broadcast channels once centred around this age demographic are moving entirely online, for example from this year CBBC is no longer available as a live television channel and is only available on iPlayer. The same trend can be seen with other networks, such as Disney Channel UK, which shut down in 2020. While these changes reflect more broad digital consumption habits, they also create barriers for children who do not have access to streaming.
The disappearance of scheduled programming removes the shared and communal aspect and experience of coming home from school to watch TV shows, and instead, ‘tweens’ are left to navigate an endless online world that blurs the boundaries between child and adult spaces.
The decline and reshaping of ‘tween’ TV could be due to various cultural and economic factors. It is clear that media production companies value monetary income over everything else, but what makes ‘tween’ audiences unique is how impressionable they are, making them highly valuable consumers.
This exposure to adult content distorts children’s understanding of relationships, body image, and self-worth. Where ‘tweens’ once had space to experiment with cringey hairstyles and questionable fashion, they are now expected to present polished, Instagram-ready identities that mimic influencers. The messy, private trial-and-error that once defined early teenage years is now played out online and under pressure.
Children are collapsed into adult consumer roles for the sake of capitalism.
The collapse of ‘tween’ media depicts how malleable the idea of childhood is. Youth, as we understand it, is not universal; historically, and in some cultures today, children transition quickly into adult roles. ‘Tween’ emerged in late-20th-century by Western societies as a recognition of developmental needs and, arguably, as a marketing opportunity. By slowly erasing media dedicated to pre-teens, society is not reverting to back to its old ways but creating a new category where children are collapsed into adult consumer roles for the sake of capitalism.
The danger is now that a genre of TV is being replaced by a market that values profitability over the well-being of children, and there is a pressure for them to adopt adult behaviours before they are developmentally ready, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and harm.