These 7 Stars Prove It’s Time For A New Type Of TV Teen

Everyone has a favorite teen series and movie growing up, but we rarely give these titles the flowers they deserve. For too long, shows about high schoolers have been seen as kitsch television — watchable, but not quite prestige.  

That era is over. TV teens (and the IRL 20-something rising stars usually playing them) are now reigning supreme on our screens and dominating streaming services. They’re no longer at the kids table; they’re running the show. 

As the streaming multiverse continues to expand, every platform needs a YA show to stand out. This summer, we’ve gotten Amazon Prime’s Panic, Freeform’s Cruel Summer, Netflix’s horror movie trilogy Fear Street and HBO Max’s Genera+ion part 2, plus many more. 

Refinery29 is celebrating the best and brightest of TV who are redefining what it means to be a young adult on screen with a roundup of the most exciting actors in your favorite teen shows. These stars took time between projects, from blockbuster movies to fresh comedies, to talk about their new roles and revisit the teen shows and movies that most impacted their lives. 

Meet this summer’s Stream Teens.