# What age did you first participate in youth pop culture/music?



## GuapitoChico (Jun 4, 2018)

Youth pop culture mainly caters to teens, and to some extent, preteens. However, younger kids and young adults may also join in too.

For me, I'd say one's "era" of pop culture would be what was popular during their tweens (10-12) and teens (13-19). By around age 9, I'd suppose most kids will have dropped their toys and will have entered the world of media beyond just cartoons.

In my experience, my classmates and I are 1996/1997 and participated in pop culture mostly when we were 8-18 years old. To put things into perspective, that's everything from "Welcome to My Life" by Simple Plan in 2004 to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014. However, from 8-10 years old we weren't totally immersed in the culture and only got bits and pieces of it. However, I'd say that our central defining pop culture participation would be 11-16 years old wherein we immersed in pop culture significantly. That's basically stuff from Fall Out Boy's "Infinity On High" album in 2007 to All Time Low's "Don't Panic" album in 2012. From 17-18 years old, we started gravitating toward adult references, and by age 19, we participated less in "youth trends" and started focusing more on political issues, etc.

However, I'd argue that as technology continues to expand exponentially, and subsequently, younger kids' access to media, the "age of entry into pop culture" might have lowered. How would you and your friends define your personal era of pop culture?


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## Millenium_01 (Mar 5, 2018)

For the most part, I agree.

Honestly you could be exposed to youth pop culture from as young as elementary school. 

But being _apart_ of the youth culture audience I don't think starts until middle school. Of course people mature at different ages (girls usually earlier than guys), but _maturity aside_, a 9 and 10 year old are still elementary school kids and thus still widely into "kid stuff". At least as "older kids". 

When you're 11-13 you're entering adolescence. Pop culture references start popping up in social circles, everyone starts talking about mainstream music and trends start becoming more prevalent. That the age range where it really begins.
IMO it's high school teens who are the quintessential/ stereotypical pop culture audience. 9th-12th grade is the peak time of pop culture exposure. Typically adults remember the exact cultural atmosphere when they were 14-17/18. 

College aged is a bit iffy... young legal adults could still be into pop culture. However it usually starts fading during that age range (18-21/22) because people are instead thinking about their future, what to do with their lives, etc.

For me personally, I'd describe my "pop culture age range" to be anywhere from very late elementary school/very early middle school (end of 5th grade, beginning of 6th grade) to present (senior in high school).


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## _Cipher_ (Jan 22, 2018)

I started following pop culture when I was 12. My school had 6th Grade included in elementary school so I wasn't surrounded by a lot of the culture until 7th Grade. 

*7th grade (age 12)*: started my interest in music, which peaked in high school and is still one of my favorite interests today. This was also when I dropped cartoons temporarily because I felt "too old" at the time and watched more media suited towards teens and adults, with the exception of Nick sitcoms.

*8th Grade (13)*: grew more of an interest in clothing trends

High School is when my interest in pop culture peaked as you mentioned 

I'm currently in college, and based on what I've seen on campus and my friends who are 18-22, pop culture interest is still there, especially with Freshman and Sophomores who were in high school not too long ago. It's just not as a "crazy obsession" or as deep like it was in middle/high school. Some people still participate in fads, a LOT of people are still into dank memes, and fashion is still a big thing depending on the situation and person, but most people do whatever. I also noticed it's around this time period where people start doing their own thing regardless if it's popular or not, so it really depends on the person.

So I would say it starts 6th/7th grade, peaks in high school, and starts to mellow out around junior/senior year of college


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## Mrblack (Jul 9, 2017)

Pop died it all about Hip Hop now


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## Blazkovitz (Mar 16, 2014)

I knew that it exists when I was 8, but I only despised it. When I turned 12, my attitude started to change, because I became interested in scantily clad girls in the music videos. But I never was a "teeny bopper" obsessed with pop culture.


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## 408610 (Oct 3, 2016)

GuapitoChico said:


> Youth pop culture mainly caters to teens, and to some extent, preteens. However, younger kids and young adults may also join in too.
> 
> For me, I'd say one's "era" of pop culture would be what was popular during their tweens (10-12) and teens (13-19). By around age 9, I'd suppose most kids will have dropped their toys and will have entered the world of media beyond just cartoons.
> 
> ...


well pop,rap,hip hop and song culture are part of your teen culture(13-19 years old)instead of adolescent and young adult culture


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## Rascal01 (May 22, 2016)

At age 10 I was aware pop culture existed, by age 12 I had tuned in and was enjoying it. I was around at the time of vintage rock & roll and those early days were great. By the time I was 20 music, culture and politics were changing. America was in a war and it was time to grow up. I still enjoy the oldies because rock & roll, real rock & roll, will never die.


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## GuapitoChico (Jun 4, 2018)

andrewyu2005 said:


> well pop,rap,hip hop and song culture are part of your teen culture(13-19 years old)instead of adolescent and young adult culture


Hmm.. think it really depends on the nature of the music itself. For instance, stuff like High School Musical would probably be for mid kids to young teens, so probably 7-15. Emo/pop-punk was a popular middle school and high school thing, probably because it was full of puberty angst, so the audience would probably be around 11-17. I suppose that the highly political Rage Against The Machine songs were targeted toward older teens and young adults (16-24) back in the 90s. Though I'd agree that most intended audiences of various genres/artists intersect at the teen years.

Earlier this year, though, I would see kids as young as 6 dancing to (the annoying) Despacito while it was still popular. I guess as technology grows, little kids are getting access earlier to media intended for older audiences and as a result, may also assimilate it into their own culture as well.


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## SharksFan99 (Oct 8, 2015)

Age 3; 2002. It was the year that I started to play the PS1 and I also began to become aware of contemporary Top-40 music towards the end of the year.


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## Millenium_01 (Mar 5, 2018)

SharksFan99 said:


> Age 3; 2002. It was the year that I started to play the PS1 and I also began to become aware of contemporary Top-40 music towards the end of the year.


I think the OP meant when you were actively apart of it.... you were already participating at age 3?!


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## SharksFan99 (Oct 8, 2015)

Millenium_01 said:


> I think the OP meant when you were actively apart of it.... you were already participating at age 3?!


Yeah, but I would still say that age 3 was the age when I first started to actively participate with youth culture. Gaming consoles are a part of pop culture and I played the PS1 on a pretty regular basis. My favourite video games at the time were Stuart Little 2, World's Scariest Police Chases and Runabout 2. I've actually got a photo of me from 2002 or 2003 playing the PS1, but I would prefer not to share it here (due to privacy concerns). 

Also, like I mentioned in my earlier post, I started to become consciously aware of Top-40 music in the second-half of the year. The first songs that I have nostalgia for are "A Little Less Conversation", "Sk8er Boi" and "Move Your Feet". It was around Late 2002/Early 2003 that I started to take an interest in Linkin Park and they were the first non-children band that I ever liked.


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## Millenium_01 (Mar 5, 2018)

SharksFan99 said:


> Yeah, but I would still say that age 3 was the age when I first started to actively participate with youth culture. Gaming consoles are a part of pop culture and I played the PS1 on a pretty regular basis. My favourite video games at the time were Stuart Little 2, World's Scariest Police Chases and Runabout 2. I've actually got a photo of me from 2002 or 2003 playing the PS1, but I would prefer not to share it here (due to privacy concerns).
> 
> Also, like I mentioned in my earlier post, I started to become consciously aware of Top-40 music in the second-half of the year. The first songs that I have nostalgia for are "A Little Less Conversation", "Sk8er Boi" and "Move Your Feet". It was around Late 2002/Early 2003 that I started to take an interest in Linkin Park and they were the first non-children band that I ever liked.


Geez, how do you remember all that stuff from such a young age??! 
I barely remember when I was three. A few stuff, but definitely not as vivid as what you can remember. 

And the fact that you can remember 9/11 when you were only _ two _ seriously shocks me.


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## Mrblack (Jul 9, 2017)

Millenium_01 said:


> SharksFan99 said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah, but I would still say that age 3 was the age when I first started to actively participate with youth culture. Gaming consoles are a part of pop culture and I played the PS1 on a pretty regular basis. My favourite video games at the time were Stuart Little 2, World's Scariest Police Chases and Runabout 2. I've actually got a photo of me from 2002 or 2003 playing the PS1, but I would prefer not to share it here (due to privacy concerns).
> ...


He has infantile amnesia


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## SharksFan99 (Oct 8, 2015)

Mrblack said:


> He has infantile amnesia


You have the incurable d***head disease.


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## SharksFan99 (Oct 8, 2015)

Millenium_01 said:


> Geez, how do you remember all that stuff from such a young age??!
> I barely remember when I was three. A few stuff, but definitely not as vivid as what you can remember.
> 
> And the fact that you can remember 9/11 when you were only _ two _ seriously shocks me.


To be honest, I don't remember everything that I mentioned. I was just describing why I would personally consider age 3 to be the age when I first engaged with pop culture.


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## Millenium_01 (Mar 5, 2018)

SharksFan99 said:


> To be honest, I don't remember everything that I mentioned. I was just describing why I would personally consider age 3 to be the age when I first engaged with pop culture.


Okay then.... 
So does that mean you actually remember 9/11 then? Just wondering


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## Longaotian00 (Mar 13, 2017)

Personally, i have memories of pop culture from when i was 3. However, i wouldnt say i particpated in it as such, like i was only 3 lol.


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## Forest Nymph (Aug 25, 2018)

I was 5 when I realized I liked Alan Parsons Project and probably 7 when I participated in Disney type child exploitation. 

I'm a musician though. My dad was a professional musician. I sang with a tremor at five or six and danced my entire life.

I'm especially a victim of pop (no I am) because of my natural predisposition. But I'm smarter than most pop fans so I don't especially care, I feel like pop was part of my education that helped me later to understand things like capitalism so I can't complain.


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## Forest Nymph (Aug 25, 2018)

Millenium_01 said:


> Geez, how do you remember all that stuff from such a young age??!
> I barely remember when I was three. A few stuff, but definitely not as vivid as what you can remember.
> 
> And the fact that you can remember 9/11 when you were only _ two _ seriously shocks me.


Oh fuck you, I remember Russia before I should have, some people remember farther than you did, grow up.


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## 408610 (Oct 3, 2016)

GuapitoChico said:


> Hmm.. think it really depends on the nature of the music itself. For instance, stuff like High School Musical would probably be for mid kids to young teens, so probably 7-15. Emo/pop-punk was a popular middle school and high school thing, probably because it was full of puberty angst, so the audience would probably be around 11-17. I suppose that the highly political Rage Against The Machine songs were targeted toward older teens and young adults (16-24) back in the 90s. Though I'd agree that most intended audiences of various genres/artists intersect at the teen years.
> 
> Earlier this year, though, I would see kids as young as 6 dancing to (the annoying) Despacito while it was still popular. I guess as technology grows, little kids are getting access earlier to media intended for older audiences and as a result, may also assimilate it into their own culture as well.


true however i have my own opinion on pop culture


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