unsplash/Jon Tyson
It is impossible to be a tween. From going through puberty to self-discovery, kids aged 10 to 15 have it the hardest, and the entertainment industry hasn’t made it any easier.
Whether it’s movies, shows, books or now even Halloween costumes, the line between adult and adolescent media has become dangerously thin.
“Terrifier 3” is a horror film that came out in 2024 and was extremely popular because of the gruesome gore the film presented. People online talked about how they had to walk out mid-movie because of how realistic and violent the gore scenes were. Some even threw up in the theater.
The “Terrifier Trilogy” follows a killer clown named Art and his journey of killing people in a small town in New York. Like most horror films, the clown goes on a murder rampage, gets defeated and then somehow magically appears again in the sequel.
Obviously, it’s not a movie for children.
So, when I was walking through Spirit Halloween over the weekend, I was shocked to see what sat between the “Gabby Dollhouse” and “Ms. Rachel” costumes. It was a kid’s Art the Clown costume with his signature flower sunglasses and a bloody knife.
Hopefully, kids have no idea whom the outfit is referring to, but kids are inquisitive.
All it takes is for one curious 10-year-old to use their iPad and search up Art the Clown on YouTube and immediately become traumatized, all without the parent knowing.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the average American will see at least 40,000 simulated murders and 200,000 violent acts on TV alone during their childhood.
I’ve seen firsthand how this can impact children’s behavior.
After I graduated from high school, I took a gap year and worked as an educational assistant in a special education classroom with 4-year-olds. There were already kids showing violent behaviors as a result of watching certain media. The kids who were constantly biting, hitting and screaming were often the ones who would make references to violent online content such as the rated R “Deadpool” films.
Violence isn’t the only issue.
The hit show “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is based off a three-book series that is generally recommended for readers in middle school. The plot follows a young girl and her journey of growing up, grief and a love triangle between two brothers that she has known her whole life.
Earlier this summer, the third season premiered, and I was stunned to see how many sex scenes were presented in the series. For a show based off a book targeted for kids 12 and up, it is alarming to see any display of affection past a hug or a light make-out session.
Today’s entertainment industry has failed to create age-appropriate media for preteens, leaving them to watch adult content that their brains aren’t ready to receive. Watching this type of media at such a young age can lead to depression, behavioral issues, low self-esteem and substance addiction and many other issues.
When I was a tween, I was an avid Disney Channel watcher. I would build my schedule around the latest “Descendants” movie that would come out.
But today, streaming services make it impossible for tweens to find media to fit their age. Platforms like Netflix that have designated accounts for kids only promote shows for babies, making older kids branch out to adult content.
Without specific channels for age-appropriate media, kids just search for what’s popular on social media and watch it, regardless of what type of content it presents.
We are so protective of children in the first years of their lives. As they enter the awkward preteen stages, we must also seek ways to care for their mental well-being, starting with the entertainment they consume.