It has been raining endlessly in Delhi, the kind of downpour that makes you stay indoors and scroll. Somewhere between reels and rabbit holes, I stumbled across Demi Lovato performing with the Jonas Brothers. Suddenly, I was 12 again, screaming âThis Is Meâ into my hairbrush, planning imaginary tours in my bedroom, and religiously tuning into Disney Channel marathons.
That one clip got me thinking about the lack of tween media nowadays. My 13-year-old cousins are already binging Euphoria and Riverdale. The themes feel way too mature for them, honestly, and I cannot help but feel sad that they are skipping the kind of glittery, girl-power-soaked girlhood we grew up with. We had Hannah Montana, Lizzie McGuire, The Cheetah Girls. Sure, it was peak capitalism, but it was also empowering, silly, and sparkly in the best way.
By 2011, the golden age was already fizzling out. I was among the last to experience it fully, and it feels strange to watch that middle ground disappear. Maybe that is why something like Kpop Demon Hunters hits so hard. It is one of the few things that still manages to give teens their own world.
