Tweenolescence

Posted on: Thursday 10 July 2025 1:20pm by Megan Bryant

Takeaways

• Tweens still want stories, just not always on TV.

• Platforms like YouTube and TikTok shape their viewing habits and expectations.

• Authenticity is essential: young audiences spot inauthenticity instantly.

• Social media and streaming are not add-ons; they must be part of the initial strategy.

• We have to meet children where they are, not where we want them to be.

• Tweens want agency, relatability and relevance: content they feel was made for them.

Hosted by Andy Mundy-Castle, this session gathered a panel of industry leaders to discuss how 9-12s are engaging with media, what they’re watching, and how traditional broadcasters can adapt to stay relevant in a fast-evolving digital landscape.

Amy Takahara (Sigma Girl Media) opened by stating that TV isn’t dead, but tweens’ expectations have changed. They will still show up for big shows, like ‘Wednesday’ or ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’, but these need to feel high quality, culturally relevant, and unmissable. In between, they’re on YouTube and TikTok, immersed in content that feels immediate and authentic.

Dhanny Joshi (Big Deal Films) echoed this, emphasising that social media must be baked into content strategies from the start. Drawing on his experience developing BMX All Stars, Dhanny described how embedding his team in a real-life Peckham BMX club shaped the show’s tone, pace, and casting. ‘It was us going to their world,’ he said. ‘Rather than bringing them to us.’

Leah Henry, Fully Focused Productions, spoke about ‘Rocket Fuel’, a Bradford-based show developed with local children who had never acted before. Created through workshops, the young cast helped shape the story to create a celebration of imagination and escape. The show runs alongside a hugely popular YouTube platform where under-18s share their own content. Leah emphasised the value of this ecosystem but noted resistance from some broadcasters to fully engage with online viewership.

Joao Paulo Jardim (JP), Director of Audience Insights at Paramount, provided data to back up the anecdotes, such as 8-12s are watching long-form content like ‘Superstore’, ‘Young Sheldon’, and ‘Friends’, even if they weren’t made for them. They also oscillate between comfort viewing (like ‘SpongeBob’) and darker, more grown-up content. Around half their media time is spent on social media, often via personal devices in private spaces.

Questions from the audience addressed parental concern over exposure to unregulated platforms. Leah acknowledged the anxiety, calling social media ‘the Wild West’ but argued the solution is not retreat but responsibility: creating high-quality, safe content in the spaces where tweens already are. Amy added that, as a parent, there is desire for less social media, but as a producer, she understands you have to meet kids where they’re at.

The panel agreed that authenticity and relatability matter more than ever as kids can instantly sense if something is inauthentic. Amy cautioned against the trap of trying to teach young people through content. Instead, storytelling should meet them on their level.

The session closed with a final round of thoughts on what’s most important when making content for tweens:

• Dhanny: Ask the kids.

• Leah: If we build it, they will come.

• JP: Be more relevant. Go deeper.

• Amy: Up-level the content. Include young voices.

In a media landscape increasingly shaped by algorithm, autonomy, and speed, Tweenolescence made it clear that what tweens value most hasn’t changed: compelling narratives that reflect their world.