Ah, the fixture of teen scene of the 50s to 90s, the American shopping mall. Where pubescent boys and girls lurked, flirted and shopped the day away. Well, perhaps like wearing
jeans, this one may belong to the dinosaurs. According to the teen behavior report by Piper Jaffray's, teen traffic to malls has dipped 30%.
Many malls have shuttered their doors altogether, as Amazon and online retailers take a bite and as teens move from lurking around the food court to...actual restaurants. Yes, in the era of highly Instragramed meals, the Hot Dog on the Stick doesn't connote status and coolness it once (ever?) did. Many teens have moved into restaurants as their hang outs as part of a trend of experiences denoting status; in fact, even purchasing brand name clothes has suffered, as teens seen out more immersive brag experiences like trendy restaurants and events. What's up with todays kids?
Not wanting to drive, choosing fine dining over brand name jeans and the mall food court,
waiting longer to have sex,
not smoking, drinking or getting in school yard tussles...teens today are looking much more different than the long prevailing archetypes. Wonder if advertisers are taking notice...
Quartz, July 2014
