America’s youth are mourning good media. Teen TV shows are becoming more artificial, and literature is more of a chick-flick cesspool than compelling and relatable for adolescents. What could possibly explain the absence of an epic teen movie released in the past decade?

Timpview junior Amelia Sanft finds the issue alarming, and reflective of the fast-paced tempo of modern trends and fads. Although the trend cycle is a major factor in media production, it doesn’t completely explain why directors and writers are shifting away from feel-good classics like Friends and New Girl that achieved popularity and cult status. 

Due to social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, compact, short form content is more appealing to youth than seasons of a coming of age story. There’s shows like Stranger Things and Bridgerton that captivate the attention of young audiences, and trending media in the past decade often reflects this generation’s yearning for the past. Stranger Things is filled with 80s nostalgia and Bridgerton portrays a drama filled, poised society that’s not entirely historically accurate. Still, the 21st century lacks a trademark show or book series that encapsulates the modern, teenage experience.

Because of short form content’s incorporation of past and present, some film fanatics claim it’s possible that American teenagers feel less of a connection to current films and more nostalgia for eras that preceded us. Additionally, modern media dramatizes the teenage experience more negatively than ever before, shattering the perfect image of high school boyfriends and friend group drama that retro media presented to audiences. When met with reality instead of an escape on Netflix, it’s reasonable that most teenagers might lean towards adult dramas and 90s love stories. 

Other film critics observe how teen TV and books nowadays struggle to latch onto the modern adolescent experience. Shows like Never Have I Ever, Ginny and Georgia, and The Summer I Turned Pretty attempt to depict true teenagehood, but are criticized for stereotypical characters, tired tropes, and mediocre comedy. While these series can be entertaining, they aren’t praised for relatability and accuracy in their portrayals of growing up. Scripted characters may not relatable to current youth, but TikTok influencers are, which could explain adolescence’s indulgence in short form videos of content creators. There isn’t a complete absence of decent 21st century teen film, and media like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before resonates with many American adolescents for its light heartedness and wholesome love.

Gen-Z’s elusiveness and love for retro fashions make it increasingly difficult to pinpoint identifiable traits for the 21st century, which are commonly defined by a revival of nostalgic trends. All in all, good teen media didn’t cease to exist– it’s buried in the past among DVD’s, denim on denim, and low rise jeans, waiting to be revisited and shown a little more appreciation for its revolutionary impact on older and current generations.