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Top 10 Trends for Teens in 2010

Hey everybody! Perhaps you're already familiar with the brilliant work of my friend Vanessa Van Petten over at RadicalParenting.com. If you're not, well, today you're in for a treat. I invited her to share her insights into what she believes will be the Top 10 Trends for Teens in 2010 and she gladly and skillfully obliged...Without further ado, I give you youthologist, author, and manager of RadicalParenting.com, Vanessa Van Petten!

I love following teen and tween trends for parents and adults to keep up on what teens are doing. We asked our teen interns what they think is going to be big this year.  Here are some odd and flat out bizarre trends and behaviors I am seeing in teens in 2010.

1. Daylighting

I actually love this trend.  This is a play on Moonlighting when people take a second job to supplement their income. Daylighting is when people take day jobs (or regular jobs) to supplement their living they make at night. Typically this is writing, painting or acting.  It is a way of switching the focus from “I am a waiter and act on the side” to “I am an actor and wait on the side.” This is hugely popular for teens and twenty-something entrepreneurs and artists who need to work ‘mainstream’ jobs during the day to keep their alternative, and more fulfilling night lifestyle.

2. It’s Social to Be Sad

When did it become cool to be sad? It is way cooler right now to love the rain than the sun.  Complaining seems to be the new social lubricant–teens use it to start conversations, build relationships and bond.

3. Not Slackers, Sprinters

I always here older generations call Gen Y’s (me) and Gen Z’s (teens and tweens) procrastinators.  I want to make a correction here.  It is true, many of my generation put off work and sometimes do not get it done at all, yet I find that we are more bursty than previous generations and this can be leveraged! Instead of working long hours with slow progress, you see teens today working in bursts, quickly and effectively but in shorter time. Think sprinters rather than long distance runners.

4. Intergeneration Gaming

I recently heard a mom say that she has to play video games while the kids are at school to ‘level up’ and catch up to them so they can all play on the same level when at home. The Wii has also made it cool for parents and kids to play games together. When dad travels, he logs onto World of Warcraft and bonds with his son via WOW chat instead of calling home.

5. Sheepwalking

Unfortunately many teens are desperately searching for their passions and ultimate meaning.  When they can’t find it, many of them give-up and follow the corporate, parental or counselor written path.  I call this sheepwalking…following what is in front of you because it is where you are supposed to go and often inducing sleep from the creativeless and mindless work you do.

6. Awkward is the New Normal

I asked a few of my teen writers what they thought of Michael Sera (I thought awkward, geeky, funny) they said “Hot!” Awkward is the new normal, according to my sister, a freshman in college, the most awkward guy on her hall “Awkward Brian” is also the most popular.

7. 3rd Life

1st life is a kid at home, 2nd life is a kid’s life at school, 3rd life is a kid with their friends and now there is 4th life.  The complete area or a kid’s life that deals with netiquette, e-tact, online photos and chat. They have favorite areas they hang out in online (like the cafeteria at school, the living room at home and the ice rink in town), people they like only for online social time and persona’s and reputations they display on their profiles.

8. Old School is New School

I wrote a post on this rising trend: New (or Old) Teen Trend: Oldies and Nostalgia. When one of my teen clients proudly showed me her Sesame Street sheets. Slinkies, Bedazzlers and Slap bracelets will be on everyone’s Christmas list next year!

9. Grandparents

I know this sounds weird (these are the weirdest trends), but more and more teens are talking about, visiting and honoring their grandparents.  I see this in a number of ways:

• Teens get a kick out of teaching the generations of yesteryear how cool their new gadget is.  Parents are burnt out, friends already have it too, but grandparents give the right amount of genuine oohs and aahs because they really have never seen an iPhone do that.
• ”My Grandma is hogging the Wii” one of my teen interns said when chatting with me about how she can’t play her Wii, but loves watching Grandma.  Grandparents also have time for kids and can even be more open-minded than parents.
• Retro is in! Raiding or cleaning out Grandma’s garage or attic has never been more exciting with the recent popularity of vintage and old school tshirts coming in this year.

10. Cuddling for Funsies

Funsies is a new word I hear teens use a lot, it is just a variation on fun, but implies a smaller joy. Cuddling is the new hug. You see purely platonic teens at school often cuddling up against each other in the hallways at school or on the couch during a movie. Again, just for funsies.

Mostly we have an exciting year to look forward to.  Our teens will be commenting on how their year is every week and what adults can do about it!

Vanessa Van Petten, youthologist and teen author of the parenting book “You’re Grounded!,” manages RadicalParenting.com, a parenting blog written by 60 teen writers, ages 12-20 to help parents and adults get an honest and open view into the world and mind of youth. Van Petten's work and blog have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Teen Vogue, CNN, Fox News, CBS Miami and much more!

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