Teenising

Teenising is a term used to describe the practice of shaping content, branding, or communication to resemble or appeal to teenage culture. It involves adopting elements commonly associated with adolescence—such as certain aesthetics, slang, fashion references, or topics of interest—to make messages feel more relevant to young audiences or to casual observers who identify with teen culture.

The term combines the word teen with the suffix -ising, and is typically used in discussions of media strategy, advertising, and youth studies. It is not a formal developmental concept, but a descriptive label for a set of practices that aim to imitate or invoke teen sensibilities in order to engage viewers, readers, or consumers beyond actual teenage audiences.

In practice, teenising can appear in advertising campaigns, product design, and entertainment content. Marketers may employ teen influencers, short-form video formats, mobile-first storytelling, and visuals that echo high-school or early-adult life. Content creators might incorporate teen slang, relatable settings, or themes about identity and peer dynamics. Proponents argue that teenising can improve relevance and accessibility, while critics warn that it risks inauthenticity, stereotypes, and the commodification of teen culture.

Criticism of teenising often centers on questions of authenticity and power. Some argue that it instrumentalizes youth culture for commercial gain, potentially overlooking the diversity within teen experiences. Others caution that overemphasis on teen aesthetics can alienate non-teen audiences or obscure serious issues faced by adolescents.

See also: youth marketing, audience appropriation, nostalgia marketing.