What Are the Biggest Trends With Teens?

Negative Trends

• While top teen trends may seem harmless enough -- after all, how much damage can a new T-shirt do? -- some are actually quite troublesome or even dangerous. When it comes to trendy teen behaviors, "Consumer Reports" notes that biting or cutting to suck someone else's blood -- courtesy of the popularity of vampire books, movies and TV shows -- is a dangerous and entirely unhealthy trend that is gaining popularity with the teen set. Additionally, other risky behaviors, such as overusing ADHD drugs as a way to enhance academic performance -- which is not advisable ever -- and over-tanning in salons, are becoming trendy with teens who either aren't aware of or don't care about the serious and lasting physical consequences.

Fashion

• Capturing the biggest trends in teen fashion is often an almost unattainable task, as the popularity of certain styles may turn on a dime. Like adult fashion fads, teen trends typically follow a seasonal pattern that changes with the introduction of new designer lines. While your teen may not have the cash to buy what she sees in the pages of popular magazines, she can opt for the lower-cost knockoff versions that populate department and young adult stores. For example, the fashionistas at "Teen Vogue" note that the fall 2013, back-to-school trends include mismatched drop earrings, denim jackets in daring or different washes and going with bright school-themed colors. As if your teen following the trends that major magazines bring to life wasn't hard enough to follow -- with the ever-changing series of styles -- some kids may rebel and go with an under-dressed approach. Instead of following the fashion advice that adult periodical publishers provide, teens may create their own trends such as wearing ripped jeans or faded-looking clothing.

Music

• Teen music trends don't just include the genres of tunes, but also what the kids are listening to their favorite songs on. Gone are the days of playing the radio or listening to tapes, or even CDs for that matter. Today's teen music trends include downloading hot songs onto an iPod or a similar electronic device. Additionally, new music isn't always introduced via radio play. Internet popularity on sites such as YouTube -- which according to their own statistics has a teen audience that totals 21.6 million worldwide -- can turn a total unknown into a virtual sensation almost overnight. If you are looking for the tops when it comes to trendy teen music, check out what your child is watching and listening to on YouTube. That said, the biggest trends in teen music often change as much as fashion styles do. While specific artists come and go -- just because Taylor Swift or Bruno Mars are popular today doesn't mean that teens will feel the same about them in a year or even six months -- popular genres such as rock or rap seem to dominate the trends.

Electronics

• If you cross your fingers and wish that your teen's constant connection to the Internet and all things electronic will soon fade, think again. Electronic usage -- such as video games, TVs, computers, tablets, and smartphones or cellphones -- is here to stay, and growing in popularity. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 95 percent of teens connect to the Internet regularly, 78 percent have their own cellphone, 93 percent have access to a home computer and 23 percent have a tablet. The biggest trends in teen electronics usage seem to center around cellphone and on-the-go technologies, with 74 percent of adolescents mainly using mobile devices to access the Web. The researchers at Pew note that teen ownership and use of smartphones has risen sharply from 23 percent in 2011 to 37 percent a mere two years later in 2013.