OK, so maybe you had already figured out the bit about tweens
not being from Mars--or Venus either, for that matter. But that
doesn't mean those boys and girls poised on the threshold of
teendom today don't remain something of a mystery. Exactly who
are these youngsters who seem so much more mature than previous
generations of tweens gone by--yet barely old enough to watch the
teen-ridden angst of TV's hugely popular Dawson's
Creek?
"They live in a technological world," says author
Acuff, who is also president of Youth Market System Consulting and
The Character Lab in Sherman Oaks, California. "Today's
preteens are living in a more complex world."
"There's a real sophistication going on with this
generation," echoes Dennis. "My daughter moved from
Disney to Buffy the Vampire Slayer by age 7."
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"There are so many of them--and they're so
bright," adds Bokram. "They've grown up in a world of
information and knowledge that's unmatched. They have access to
more types of information from more sources than we could have ever
imagined."
So it's all the more difficult to grab their attention,
right? Well, yes--and no. Although contemporary tweens enjoy
entertainment options galore--to say nothing of time-consuming
extracurricular pursuits like after-school sports--their minds are
still arguably more focused than many adults.
"Kids' attention spans are better and stronger than
adults," maintains Acuff. "A lot of it is about learning
and meeting challenges. The reason a video game can occupy a
kid's time for three hours is because it has many levels of
challenge."
Of course, that doesn't make kids an easy sell. Warns Acuff,
"Don't underestimate their intelligence."