There's More to Tweens than Miley Cyrus

I get the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus phenomenon. I really do. The fictional story of a "regular" kid who is secretly a pop star is probably the apotheosis of daydream fulfillment for kids who at that time in their lives feel pretty "regular" and are starting to plot out elaborate plans for living big, big lives. A lot of young girls love the show, the concerts, the movie, the merchandise, the whole idea. But I'm afraid that Miley Cyrus has become almost the definition of this age range (roughly 7-12), to the exclusion of all the girls who might not be so into the Disney icon.

I have a Google Alert set to send me news stories, blog posts, and generally anything new that's posted on the web about tweens. It's a little disheartening to me that 95% of these alerts are somehow related to Miley Cyrus.


What else are tweens about, if not Hannah Montana idolatry? I love the PBS website for tween kids (boys and girls) called It's My Life. Their categories are Home, Family, Friends, School, Body, Emotions and Money. That's pretty all encompassing, isn't it? This community for children gets that older kids have a lot of questions and feelings around many of the same things adults think about every day. Material is presented in a way that's age-appropriate, but at the same time doesn't talk down. Brava!

There's a Celebs section on It's My Life, and guess what? Miley Cyrus is indeed interviewed. But so are lots of other tweens and teens, which gives kids a little credit for thinking beyond the Disney box.