“High School Musical,” “Hannah Montana,” “Teen Titans” — the list goes on. If these movies and shows bring up a wave of nostalgia, you have likely joined the flock of those who grew up in the early 2000s and have noticed the stark decline in quality television for children and tweens ages 9-12.
Since the mid to late 2010s, there has been a noticeable shift in the type of content being produced for younger audiences, typically ranging from ages 6 to 14. Gone are the catchy musical numbers, compelling narratives and strong character development that defined the golden era of TV for tweens.
Instead, there has been an influx of short-form content on TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels which are heavily driven by goals of corporate profit rather than genuine storytelling. Major brands and advertisers capitalize on these platforms by pushing advertisements and implementing product placement to maximize revenue. As a result, young audiences are kept constantly engaged with monetized trends.
“Brain rot” is a term describing the excessive consumption of low-quality and meaningless content online deteriorating a person’s mental or intellectual health. The term is often associated with slang and popular trends among Generation Z and Generation Alpha social media users. Though often used as a joke, brain rot can manifest as shortened attention spans, decreased critical thinking skills and a considerable reliance on constant digital stimulation.
With the death of cable TV, short-form media has proliferated online. Typically categorized as brain rot content, it purportedly deteriorates children’s attention spans and reduces their ability to engage in deep thinking over time. Although anyone’s attention spans may be adversely impacted by consistently consuming this addictive content, children’s developing brains are much more susceptible to its influence.
Unlike TV shows or movies, which have a structured narrative arc and definite ending, the never-ending short-form content on apps such as TikTok and Instagram entraps children into a scrolling addiction. The dopamine bursts rewarded by the immediate stimulation leads to a cycle that is difficult for even adults to break out of, let alone children.
“Doomscrolling” — the act of consuming excessive amounts of content online — has been linked to several detrimental effects on mental health and cognitive functions. Studies indicate that prolonged engagement in doomscrolling can lead to reduced attention spans as the brain gets accustomed to seeking immediate reward from brief and sensational content — leading children and tweens to shorten their attention spans with each scroll.
Other than affecting children’s attention spans, the constant stream of content can also stifle creativity during the formative years of a child’s development. While short-form media has the capacity for creativity, most of it is reliant on perfected attention-grabbing tactics. Children will gravitate towards shallow entertainment, stunting their critical-thinking skills and ability to express themselves thoughtfully.
The content targeted towards tweens and younger children on TikTok is unexpectedly disturbing. In December of 2024, a content creator house named the Bop House was founded by influencers Sophie Rain and Aishah Sofey. Similar to the Hype House, the Bop House is known for its viral and algorithm-friendly content. These content creator houses serve as a space for influencers to collaborate in making content. However, the Bop House only consists of young female OnlyFans creators aged 19 to 24. Their TikTok page has over three million followers, and Rain claimed that the Bop House made more than $10 million in their first month.
The largest age demographic of TikTok is 18 to 25 years old. However, research has shown that around 33% of children aged 8 to 17 sign up with a false date of birth to be qualified as an adult user. With TikTok’s already young demographic, it is even more concerning that underage children are on the app and potentially being exposed to content from the Bop House and similar creators.
Although the Bop House does not post explicit content on its TikTok page, it promotes the creators’ OnlyFans accounts where they distribute forms of pornographic content. Their social media content on TikTok and Instagram often displays other suggestive, provocative photos that are not blocked by the OnlyFans paywall.
Younger audiences are still developing the ability to distinguish between entertainment, reality and underlying messages often embedded within media content. Exposure to PG content with sexual undertones is damaging. The lines are blurred between family-friendly and mature content — grooming young children to continue consuming that type of content.
The glamorization of an OnlyFans career can also make young audiences look up to this career path. The gentrification of sex work conveys it as a normalized, lucrative or even aspirational career. However, in reality, there is still a large portion of struggling sex workers who only pursue the career as a last resort. Abuse, exploitation and violence unfortunately remain prevalent the in sex work industry, including on platforms like OnlyFans.
While many creators benefit from OnlyFans to express themselves and make money on their own terms, there are still significant risks involved. Very disturbingly, there have been cases of child exploitation on the platform and staggering engagement with sexual content featuring minors. OnlyFans has also been linked to human trafficking as individuals get manipulated or coerced into producing sexual content for sale on the platform.
The lack of quality media aimed towards tweens is alarming as it leaves them susceptible to harmful influences and content, which can negatively impact their self-esteem and mental development. Besides the detrimental mental effects of low-quality addictive content, children are also being exposed more to content with sexual undertones or fueled by brand partnerships.
Instead, we should bring back meaningful forms of entertainment for children that highlight the importance of topics like empathy, friendship and personal growth. Through creating and prioritizing well-crafted content with positive messages, we come closer to shaping future generations of compassionate and thoughtful individuals.
Deanza Andriansyah is an Opinion Intern for the winter 2025 quarter. She can be reached at dandrian@uci.edu.