Coming of Age: Identity Quests and the Adolescent Other in America's Television Culture

Jenn Burton is a professor of American Studies at California State University, Fullerton. Her love of teen television shows and deep desire to explore themes of authenticity, representation, and cultural influences led to the writing of this book over a timespan of two decades. As a student of American Studies, the initial research for this book was conducted as part of her graduate program, and completed decades later as a true testament to the lasting effect of cultural artifacts on our sense of identity and self.

In her courses, Jenn loves digging deep into the subculture of adolescents, impact of media and pop culture, and the role of women throughout the American experience. This book takes a close look at the ways in which television dramas of the late 1990s and early 2000s represented teenagers as outsiders, and how that messaging has shifted in the 2020s. Yet, the identity questing of teens remains as a focal point, as authenticity and a sense of self have become even more saturated in outside opinions through social media and influencer celebrity.