The Merchants of Cool and Inside the Teenage Brain
The Effects of Marketing on Teens
and How the Teenage Brain Works
Rebecca A. Florez
New Mexico State University
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The Merchants of Cool and Inside the Teenage Brain
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Abstract
This paper explores two PBS Frontline reports, “The Merchants of Cool” and “Inside the
Teenage Brain” that report on results from research conducted on how advertisement marketing
is affecting teens, and also on how the teenage brain develops from infancy through puberty.
The first report, “The Merchants of Cool”, takes an in-depth look at how teens have become the
largest market with disposable income. Because of this, many advertisers are targeting teens to
find out what teenagers are buying, what music they are listening too, what they are wearing, and
essentially what is the “hot” new thing on the scene.
Many advertisers are hiring market research firms that use focus groups where they
interview both male and female teenagers, ranging from the age of fifteen and up, to see what
they consider “cool”. They ask a range of questions from what are you wearing, what are you
buying, and what do they consider the “in item”. By doing these focus groups, marketers feel
they can then market their products specifically to the teenage demographics. One way
advertisers do this is to pay college freshman to throw parties and invite all kinds of teenagers,
where they then distribute fliers regarding the product they are selling. They also have
musicians, rap artists, and hip hop artists associate with their product, which then makes it the
“cool” thing to have or do. Sprite did this by marketing their soft drink as the “cool” new drink,
and by using celebrities and musicians in their ads.
Market research firms also do “cool hunting” where they will go out to the local high
schools and try to find that teenager with that certain kind of personality, that is a trend setter or
is dressing out-of-the-box. They go out and take pictures of kids with tattoos, piercings, and
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weird hair-dos. By doing this, they feel they can influence the next trend, and be ahead of the
game in advertising it.
Another example of teen marketing is how Apple marketed the Ipod and the Iphone.
With the debut of the Ipod in 2001, Apple is now inevitably at the top of every teen’s brand list.
“But widespread teen affection for the Ipod didn’t happen overnight. Like most
trends among youth, it began with the cool hunters and early adopters telling
everyone this would be the next big thing and it spread until it become a cultural
phenomenon. Research by Viacom’s teen network, found that the Ipod emerged
as the brand that is absolutely essential to teens. In a matter of years, Apple has
gone from the maker of computers you use in school to the designer of computers
that make you cool.” (Businessweek/Viewpoint, 2007)
There are also many different kinds of advertising strategies that marketers are using to
target the teen demographic. “Advertisers have many methods to try to get you to buy their
products. Lots of times the product they are selling is a lifestyle, or an image, rather than the
actual product.” (Media Awareness Network, Marketing to Teens-Advertising Strategies). They
may use questions like whether you are cool enough. Advertisers try to convince teens that if
you don’t use their products, you are not cool or a nerd. They usually do this by showing teens
who look uncool trying their product and then suddenly become cool when they to start using it.
Another big influence on teens today is MTV. MTV researches the teen demographic to
find out how to pitch their products to teens. MTV has also sold an image to teens on how they
should look like or act. For young girls, it is the “Midriff”. Britney Spears became very popular
with young teens with her music and her look. Many teens try to emulate Britney Spears look by
showing their midriff. This is making young girls look more adult, and they are all about their
appearance. They show off themselves as sex objects, and that it’s okay to use sex to sell.
For young males, it is the creation of the “Mook”. This is a not real character, but a
character who is crude, obnoxious and in your face. The Mook can be compared to Tom Green
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and the actors of Jackass. MTV created shows that revolved around these actors acting stupid,
doing stupid stunts, being obnoxious and degrading woman. MTV found that Mooks had a
knack with teenage boys, so they used this kind of character for most of the shows on their
network. Though teenage boys like watching these kinds of shows, is the average teen male a
Mook? The research shows that they usually are not, that MTV used this research to find out
about teen males as a customer, not as a person. The Mook was created to capitalize on the
testosterone madness. (“The Mook”, Merchants of Cool, 2001)
Gender roles, as defined by Carrol (2010,2007) are culturally defined behaviors that are
seen as appropriate for males and females, including the attitudes, personality traits, emotions,
and even postures and body language that are considered fundamental being male or female.
These roles also extend into social behaviors, such as the occupations we choose, how we dress
and wear our hair, how we talk and the ways in which we interact with each other.
So what is the media telling our youth about their roles? For young girls, that it is okay to
look older than you really are, to act more adult, and that being sexy and using sex to sell
yourself is okay. For young males, that being aggressive, obnoxious, and disrespectful towards
women is comedic and okay. That showing rage toward society in the music they are listening
to, or how they dress is a way to express themselves. But are these appropriate roles we want for
our teen youths today and is this an acceptable cultural behavior? Society today would not think
so.
As seen in the “Merchants of Cool” the way the media and teens interact with each other
has turned into a “Giant Feedback Loop.” The media watches teens and then sells them an
image of themselves, and then teens watch those images and aspire to be that image in their T.V.
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set; and then the media is watching them do that in order to craft new images for them. It is a
never-ending loop. (“Giant Feedback Loop”, Merchants of Cool, 2001)
In the Frontline report, “Inside the Teenage Brain” it looks into the wiring of the teen
brain, and how its development affects teenager’s inexplicable behavior. Many teens feel that no
one understands them, and many parents feel as though an alien has taken over their son or
daughter’s body.
New neuroscience research has shown that a crucial part of the brain undergoes extensive
changes during puberty at precisely the time when the raging hormones often blamed for teen
behavior begin to wreak havoc. (Inside the Teenage Brain, 2002). Medical researchers have now
found that the teen brain has a big growth spurt in the frontal lobe area before puberty.
Researchers had thought this only happened during infancy, but by performing MRI’s on
teenagers at different age ranges this can now be seen. Now scientists are mapping changes in
pre-teen and teenage brains and finding evidence that remarkable grown and change continue for
decades. (Inside the Teenage Brain, 2002).
“The newfound appreciation of the dynamic nature of the teen brain is emerging from
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) studies that scan a child's brain every two years, as he or she
grows up. Individual brains differ enough that only broad generalizations can be made from
comparisons of different individuals at different ages. But following the same brains as they
mature allows scientists a much finer-grained view into developmental changes.” NIMH (2001)
The thickening of the frontal lobe usually happens between ages 10 and 13, and is
followed by a process in which the brain prunes and organizes its neural pathways. This is the
most tumultuous time of brain development for teens. During this time cells that are being used
by the teen (like for music, sports or academics) survive and flourish, but those cells that are not
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being used, will wither or die. During this time, teens are more prone to risky behavior and there
is a prevalence of drug use. Because teen brains have not developed into their “adult” brains
they do not have better judgment when it comes to risky behavior or drug use.
Mood swings are another behavior that teens go through. When a child enters puberty,
mood swings are more prevalent. This is caused by the changes in hormones. Teens can have
mood swings from one mood to the next. As they go through changes in their frontal lobe, this
will help them regulate their mood.
Adolescents also feel that their parents or adults just don’t understand them. Researchers
found that there are differences in the teen and adult brain. Teens use a different part of their
brain for emotions. The cerebellum changes most in teen years and researchers have found that
here is where brain regulates teen emotions, as well as thinking processes and muscle
coordination.
Another aspect looked at through this Frontline report is how sleep is affecting our teens.
Sleep researchers are finding that teens are only getting 7 ½ hours of sleep a day, where they
actually need at least 9 ¼ hours of sleep to be able to function in school. Researchers have found
that sleep is very important to learning, and if the teen is not getting enough REM sleep, they are
not able to remember what they have learned.
Despite all the new scientific research, this Frontline report suggests that there is a
consensus among experts that the most beneficial thing for teenagers is good relationships with
their parents. (Inside the Teenage Brain, 2001). One researcher found that it’s very basically
simple. Parents need to spend loving, quality time with their children. Also the relationships
teens have with their parents are very important to them. Teens want to feel that they can trust
and depend on their parents, even though they are trying to stretch their wings and become
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independent. Parents just need to be patient, loving, understanding, and with lots of prayer,
parents can make it through their children’s tumultuous teenage years.
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References
Goodstein, Anastasia, (August 16, 2007). Teen Marketing: Apple’s the Master, (Online)
February 9, 2010. Businessweek/Viewpoint, www.businessweek.com
Media Awareness Network, Marketing to Teens-Advertising Strategies, (Online) February 9,
2010. www.media-awareness.ca
Carrol, Janell L. (2010, 2007). Gender Roles. Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity, p. 94.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Teenage Brain: A work in progress, (2001),
(Online) February 10, 2010. www.nimh.nih.gov
Rashkoff, Douglas, (February 27, 2001). Merchants of Cool, PBS Frontline Report.
Inside the Teenage Brain, (January 31, 2002). PBS Frontline Report.