By: Kim Wilson

In a critical phase of emotional and cognitive development, 10- to 14-year-olds are transitioning between childhood and adolescence, forming social identities and becoming more independent. And today’s tweens are also navigating an unprecedented media landscape. Born into a digital-first world, they’re constantly and deeply engaging with content across streaming platforms, social media and gaming.

Ironically, despite their highly active role in it, the media landscape doesn’t fully reflect this stage of life. While preschool content often emphasizes social-emotional skill development, that focus fades as kids enter their double digits. And our research has found that tweens are craving content that reflects and reinforces positive character strengths.

Taking a closer look at this white space, the Children’s Media Lab collaborated with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Media Innovation Research Lab and OneFish TwoFish Consulting to explore the role of positive psychology in kids media. In addition to engaging parent groups on social media, we held extensive Zoom group sessions (75 to 90 minutes long) with 18 kids from across Canada representing a variety of ethnic groups and genders, as well as LGBTQ+ youth and those with a physical disability.

It turns out that tweens don’t just want good media; they need it. And there’s a solid business case for giving it to them, too. Here are our findings.

Insights
Tweens see fewer character strengths on screen In our focus testing, 10- to 14-year-olds said that positive traits such as kindness, fairness, self-control and hope are not portrayed enough. “If we don’t watch younger kids shows, we don’t see those traits to inspire us. We need it in older shows, too,” said one 12-year-old. When positive traits are represented, they tend to be limited to courage, teamwork and bravery—often in traditional “good-versus-evil” narratives. And while hero-and-villain stories certainly have their place, studies show that kids connect more deeply with morally complex characters. A good example from the 2000s is Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb, a comedic antagonist who often exhibited moments of vulnerability, humor and kindness. This character’s complexity helped tween viewers explore deeper moral reasoning and empathy.

Critical strengths are underrepresented
Traits like gratitude, self-control and perseverance—which are essential for navigating real-world challenges—are much less visible in content for this age group. Gen Alpha faces some pretty unique challenges—a hyper-connected world, earlier exposure to social media, global crises like climate change and economic instability, and the lingering e ects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These experiences have made them more socially aware, but also more anxious. They need media that entertains them, but that also supports their mental health and helps model positive behaviors.

Tweens are turning to adult content
Without strong, relatable characters demonstrating positive values in the content that’s made for them, many 10- to 14-year-olds are turning to more mature content designed for adults. This shift influences their worldview in ways that aren’t always beneficial. Offering nuanced storytelling that celebrates a wider range of character strengths can keep them engaged while also promoting moral development.

Character strengths are needed across platforms, but especially on YouTube
Our focus group participants noted that character strengths like wisdom and creativity appear in some YouTube content, while teamwork is common in gaming. However, social media was largely seen as a negative space. They identified TV and YouTube as platforms where positive change could have the most impact. As one 14-year-old noted, “If I saw more of this on YouTube, it would make me feel good, but also like I could accomplish more in real life.”

Gen Alpha wants to be involved
Unlike previous generations, Alphas have grown up with platforms like TikTok, Minecraft and Roblox, where co-creation is the norm. They already feel involved in content creation and believe they should have a greater role—whether through jam sessions, focus testing or interactive storytelling.

Tweens are craving hopeful, inspiring content
When asked about the impact of more positive media, the kids we spoke to responded enthusiastically. “If I saw more hopeful people, it would motivate me and others, too,” said one 12-year-old.

Using these insights
Overall, the message was clear: This age group wants uplifting, inspiring and relatable content that equips them for the challenges they face. So then the question becomes, how can content creators make an impact? Here are three key takeaways that may be worth focusing on.

Expand the range of character strengths in stories
Tweens connect deeply with morally complex characters. This presents an opportunity to weave in a wider array of character strengths, such as:

• Self-control and forgiveness
  How often do protagonists model these traits?

• Hope and gratitude
  Stories highlighting perseverance and optimism resonate strongly.

• Humility and fairness
  Gen Alpha is highly attuned to social justice—these themes matter to them.

By diversifying character strengths, we can create content that is both engaging and beneficial to their development. Leverage co-creation with this audience Our study found that Gen Alpha—also known as the co-creator generation—is eager to contribute. Opportunities for this might include:

• Interactive storytelling
  Enabling kids to influence narrative decisions.

• Focus testing and design jams
  Engaging them in content development.

• User-generated content challenges
  Encouraging kids to create media that embodies the character strengths they want to see.

Prioritize authentic representation
Tweens want content that reflects their lives, struggles and identities. They want to see peers who look and sound like them, dealing with relatable challenges in ways that feel real—not sanitized or overly simplistic. Research from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and CPB (2021) supports this, showing that tweens prefer:

• Content featuring peers rather than adults playing kids
• Authentic language and scenarios that mirror their experiences
• Stories that balance maturity with optimism

The business case
Beyond these important social and developmental benefits, there’s also a strong economic argument for creating positive, character-driven content.

• A study of 734 Walt Disney films found that movies featuring pro-social behaviors performed better financially and received higher ratings (Hahn et al., 2022).
• Films tagged with character strengths—meaning those that depict “moral character values and social-emotional skills that underscore ethical behavior and qualities needed for thriving within social institutions”—earned an average of US$87 million globally, compared to US$34 million for those without (Center for Scholars & Storytellers, 2023).
• Diverse and inclusive films consistently outperform less representative content (CSS, 2023).

In short, positive content doesn’t just shape better media—it drives engagement and profitability.

Final thoughts
Tweens are at a pivotal developmental stage, yet their media landscape often overlooks their need for positive representation. Our research underscores the demand for content that fosters resilience, moral complexity and hope. By broadening character strengths, involving this age group in content creation and prioritizing authentic representation, creators can craft impactful media that entertains and also empowers them.

Funded by a grant to Toronto Metropolitan University’s Dr Charles Davis from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, this research was presented at TMU’s Catalyst research hub by Children’s Media Lab co-director Kim Wilson and Anna Cabildo, a CML member and PhD student at the University of Toronto.

Kim Wilson is the director of OneFish TwoFish Consulting and the co-director of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Children’s Media Lab, where she leads research on inclusion, diverse storytelling, media literacy and innovative research projects to support children’s media-makers.

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen‘s Q2 2025 magazine issue.