Teenybopper [tee-nee-bop-er]

Teenybopper

[tee-nee-bop-er]

Teenybopper is a term invented by marketing professionals and psychologists, and it later became also a subculture of its own . The term describes a young teenager, particularly a girl, who follows teenage trends in music, fashion and culture. The term was introduced in the 1950s to refer to teenagers who liked pop music and/or rock and roll, The term became widely used again in the late 1960s, when there was an increase in marketing of pop music and fashions aimed specifically at teenagers.

Subculture aspects

It's a girl subculture, not allowing entry for males. As a subculture, it's a "retreat and preparation for young girls", where they can relate to their best friends, and "practice in the secrecy of girl culture the rituals of courtship away from the eye of male ridicule". It has a commercial origin and is "an almost packaged cultural commodity", emerging from the pop business and relying on commercial magazines and TV. As a result, it has less creative elements than other subcultures. Due to its members (young girls) not having as much freedom as their male siblings, the subculture is suited so that it can be followed at school time or at home. Membership has very few restrictions and doesn't require big expenses of money. The narrative fantasies elaborated around encounters with teenybooper start serve a role of distracting from boring, unrewarding or demanding aspects of life like school or work. It allows its members to define themselves apart from younger and older girls. Many frown upon - if not openly hate and victimize - this subculture and its followers as a symbol of mindless trend-following nonsense.