A teenager is a person between the ages of 13 and 19. It is a time of major physical, emotional, and social changes between childhood and adulthood.
The word is built from 'teen', as in 'thirteen' to 'nineteen', plus the suffix '-ager', modeled on 'teen-aged'. It became common in the mid-20th century as societies started seeing this age group as a distinct stage with its own culture.
The idea of 'teenagers' as a special group with their own music, fashion, and problems is surprisingly modern—earlier generations often went straight from child labor to adult roles. Once marketers realized teens had spending power, 'teenager' became not just an age but a whole market.
The concept of the ‘teenager’ emerged in the 20th century, with gendered stereotypes about teenage girls as frivolous or hysterical and teenage boys as rebellious or dangerous. Media and marketing have often reinforced these gendered images.
Use “teenager” neutrally for adolescents of any gender and avoid stereotypes about interests, maturity, or behavior based on gender.
["adolescent","young person","teen"]
Teenage girls and gender-diverse youth have driven major cultural, political, and technological shifts, even when their influence has been dismissed as mere ‘youth culture.’
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