2025 Trends for Teens & Tweens: Stay in the Loop!

What’s Trending? You May Be Surprised.

Probably since the time when Tyrannosaurus Rex roamed the Earth, the younger members of our family and social groups have insisted on stating their individuality through clothing, music, friends, frenemies, and just about anything else that made them “not Mom” and “not Dad.”

Some older folks may find this annoying, where many others recognize it as a necessary step towards self-sufficiency and autonomy. It’s not a big stretch to predict that this trend will continue in 2025.

Don't miss this powerful resource that can help you stay in the loop.

As seasoned educators, parents, or neighbors of teens, you’ve seen the trends come and go … then come back again. Here are three trends that People in the Know are seeing for 2025 in the teen and tween world.

Smellmaxxing

This is a cool name for something that has actually been around for a very long time: middle school boys and teens are spraying (and often overspraying) fragrances on themselves all day long. But this is not your father’s Hai Karate or your brother’s Axe body spray. The trend is now to purchase high-end colognes such as Paco Rabanne and Bleu de Chanel. According to a recent teen spending report by the Piper Sandler Investment Bank, teen boys spent 26% more on costly fragrances in 2024, while others like Old Spice are on a sharp downturn.

And it doesn’t end with friends sharing their scent secrets. There are successful young influencers on TikTok and other platforms who are giving guys the inside scoop on what they need (have to have) to be cool and “sexy.” However, in one Parents article, the author's teen daughters report that their male peers still need to work on quantity as well as quality.

The bad news: this is turning into one more way to divide kids by the haves and the have-nots. Not everyone can afford a $200 bottle of cologne, and young men are feeling the social pressure, since using more affordable versions may lead to ridicule in school.

Click on the button below to read the article and get some great advice on how to handle the pressure of smellmaxxing. We like to hope that this, like Axe body spray, too shall pass.

Read the Article

Social Media Literacy Classes

The Pew Research Center conducted a survey this past fall, and they found that most teens ages 13-17 are on social media, and half are online almost constantly. YouTube still reigns supreme, while TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are the next favorites.

Read the Pew Report

It’s no surprise that social media isn’t going anywhere, at least for our digital natives. The good news, though, is that there are classes to teach kids (and adults) how to handle the digital world more objectively.

Arizona State to Cornell University to Teachers College at Columbia University and pretty much every college and university in the US is teaching students how to navigate social media. At Wakefield High School in Raleigh, NC, students can take a class called Social Media Literacy that studies how our society is being shaped by social media (remember the “Devious Licks” from a few years ago? ‘Nuff said.)

Sadly, not many states currently mandate or strongly suggest incorporating media literacy education into elementary, middle school or high school curricula, even though studies show this should begin as young as kindergarten. Media Literacy Now publishes an annual report of media literacy requirements for every US state, if you’d like to know where you home state stands on this issue.

Read the Annual Report

Every year, our students are more enmeshed in social media (and we won’t even mention AI in education). We all realize it’s a way of life now, and many of us have already taken PD workshops on its extraordinary capabilities as well as its dangers and pitfalls.

It’s like going into your favorite bakery or coffee shop … sometimes there are so many choices that it’s overwhelming. Same goes with info on media literacy.

Here’s a valuable US News article on how we need to teach kids (and learn ourselves) social media literacy as a life skill:

Read the Article

Teen Focus on Wellness

It’s heartening to read (especially after point 2 above) that experts are predicting that in 2025, teens and tweens will focus more on their physical and mental wellness. This includes getting more sleep and exercise, balancing school activities, drinking water and getting help for anxiety and stress.

From the latest (sometimes pricey) skin care products to mindfulness apps specifically created for them, young people are learning to care for themselves better, both body and soul. Some of the apps include guided meditations, journaling platforms and mood trackers.

One cool example is the app Finch, which is a game to help teens with self-care. As kids complete activities such as mindful breathing, quizzes, journaling, tracking goals and supporting other friends, their bird grows and they earn accessories for their birb (like a bird but not). The app is available on Apple, Google Play, Android and Windows. It’s a fun way for kids to learn better self-care and create new habits.

Check Out Finch

To tie in with all we’ve already covered, a new heartening trend is that teens are also leaning towards a better balance of social media use. More schools are banning cell phones, and many teens and tweens are at a saturation point with the social media deluge. Instead, they are turning away from the pressure of online perfectionism, bullying and isolation and towards real-life connections and interactions. Who would have thought: choosing interpersonal experiences over technology is becoming cool!

A Final Word

The good news is that our teens and tweens are the same as every generation before them. They are all trying to figure out Life, navigate school and their peers, and are – seemingly – moving towards a less COVID-influenced life to one where they get outdoors, meet people and take better care of themselves.

That’s not good news … that’s Great News.

Here’s a valuable resource from CommonSense.org for teaching and learning about digital literacy. The article is from 2020, but the hand-picked collection of media literacy resources are regularly updated. You’ll find a plethora of valuable teaching tools like videos, lessons, games and downloadable items on topics such as media manipulation and interpreting media.