Lorna Lawrence
Lorna Lawrence has worked in Clinical Research for over 40 years – with the Cancer Research Campaign, in the field of medical devices, and with a contract research organisation. From 2000, Lorna became a freelance Medical Writer, alongside bringing up her son, and was responsible for writing medical articles covering a wide range of therapeutic areas for publication in a variety of UK and European medical journals, from the British Medical Journal to the European Journal of Neurology. Lorna has always had an interest in social history and, drawing on her previous experience, now researches and writes on a variety of subjects for the AMSR.
Typical characteristics of a teenage girl in the 1970s, and her importance as a market
It has long been accepted that the teenage years of any generation are a stressful and confusing time for both the child and parent. However, the term ‘teenager’ is a relatively recent concept used only occasionally prior to World War 2, becoming more common in the late 1940’s and 1950’s. Prior to the 1950’s and 1960’s, teenagers’ anxieties were largely adopted into the standards of the adult world and it was not until the late 1950’s and 1960’s that there was a major period of rebellion where teenagers overtly rejected the accepted societal norms of the older generation. However, the 1970’s saw a change in what it meant to be a teenager. By this time, many of the rebellious ways of the 1960’s had been integrated into society, so by the 1970’s, there was an expectation, rather than a need, for these teenagers to be rebellious (1).
During the 1950’s, companies realised the power of the teenager in influencing by setting trends and fashions which led to companies specifically targeting the teenage market. Each generation of teens is influenced by the particular social, political and economic factors of their day, so consequently the characteristics of a typical teenager differ over the decades. For companies who wish to exploit this market, it was, and remains, vital to anticipate these changing characteristics to maximise profit. By drawing on the Archive, we are able to gain some valuable insights into the generic traits of teenage girls and how businesses saw them.
A qualitative report for Boots into the attitudes and behaviour of teenage girls conducted in 1976 found the typical teen market to be far more passive and conservative than their 1960’s counterparts and the age of becoming a teenager had contracted to 12-15 years (1). Respondents were generally disinterested in world affairs and showed a lack of creativity, being preoccupied by everyday mundane activities (1). By the age of 16, a typical teenage girl was more likely to be contemplating life as a wife and mother by the time they reached 22 or 23, with two or three children before the age of 30, thereby mirroring the previous generation by endorsing the traditional role of wife and motherhood as the way to achieve fulfilment and satisfaction (1). This was particularly true for those from working class backgrounds who tended to leave school at the earliest opportunity, had limited job prospects and married several years earlier than those from middle class, educated, professional families (2).
A study into leisure and recreation conducted in 1973 in three working class areas of Liverpool highlighted that young girls aspired to be married from a young age and those who were engaged tended to be happier, participating in leisure activities around planning and making things for their new home. However, the early years of marriage were found to bring with it both satisfactions and restrictions to young women, largely due to the responsibilities and often loneliness associated with pre-school child-rearing (2). The lack of leisure opportunities for young women was of particular concern because there appeared to be little expectation that such pursuits could be enjoyed later when married. Indeed, a 16 year old girl talked of her expectation to be married and wanted something to do now to look back on (2).
Evidence from the Archive reveals the 1970’s teenager was often treated as an adult and afforded a high degree of freedom but in the face of bombardment with excessive pressurising stimuli, they tended to become reactive to their environment, passive, disillusioned and apathetic, desiring rules and guidance; indeed, a return to the values of the past (1). Despite having more freedom and opportunity than their parents, the pressure to grow up fast meant a lack of emotional maturity and so they were often unequipped to deal with this freedom and independence, resulting in forced rather than actual maturity (1). They often sought refuge by indulging in romantic fantasy as a way of escapism, with even the more permissive teenage girls holding romantic, idealised views of marriage. Consequently the 1970s were a confusing time to be a teenager; although liberated, permissive and advanced on the one hand, at the same time they were also disillusioned and wishing for guidance, discipline and rules (1).
The frustrations of the teenage years with the yearning for independence on the one hand, but the lack of confidence on the other was also highlighted in the recreation and leisure study (2). In particular, older working-class teens were especially poorly served in terms of leisure facilities with this group seemingly falling between the youth groups who catered younger children, and bingo halls or pubs for the middle aged (2). They expressed a desire for new leisure opportunities, but also had a fear of large, unfamiliar places and a reluctance to travel to new areas and be amongst strangers. Limitations were felt more keenly by young women compared to men who were seen to have greater freedom (2).
The concept of the teen market being a separate entity had only come into being during the 1960’s but there was a realisation that the view of this market in the 1970s was quite different and needed updating (1). Manufacturers reached out to the 1970’s teen market through ‘pop culture’, a combination of cosmetics, fashion, jewellery and social activities. Pop culture was very important to this generation of teens as it served a variety of functions including providing a unifying identity that distinguished it from that of their parents and provided a way of preparation for the adult world, almost like a rite of passage, rather than rebellious self-assertion (1). It also provided refuge from the pressures of life by allowing self- expression and creativity to promote emotional development, similar to the play of early childhood (1).
In terms of advertising, 1970’s teenage girls were particularly influenced by television as well as by a variety of teenage magazines, including Mates, Jackie, Honey, Pink, and OK, while boys were more influenced by press adverts and tube cards (3). In a qualitative study exploring the attitudes of young cinema-goers aged 16-24, teenage boys were found to be more receptive to cinema advertising than girls, while both sexes consulted their friends for recommendations (3). Shop window displays were influential for both boys and girls, especially for clothes, with the endorsement of certain shops by the peer group serving to cement belonging and affirming the teenage sub-culture (3).
Because teenagers during the 1970s tended to be treated as adults, this resulted in an increased influence in the home regarding purchases. They exercised this influence in a number of ways and sometimes they were seen as the expert by parents. Boys tended to be consulted on the purchase of technical items such as radios, record players and cars, while girls were consulted on household shopping (3). Teenagers also acted as educators to the parents, particularly in the case of older working-class girls who had often received a better education than their mothers (3). In 1973, Schreiber conducted some research into consumer attitudes towards bed buying prior to their launch into the bed market and their findings also revealed the growing influence and independence of teenagers in the home. There was encouragement of young people to hold the decision-making regarding decorating and furnishing their own room, although subsidised by the parents (4). The typical teenager’s bedroom was seen as a place for privacy to escape from difficult times and social pressures, providing a space for dress rehearsing future independence. It was a safe haven where they could daydream, listen to music or read, and was more of a bedsitter, i.e. a place for entertaining friends as well as sleeping (4).
In terms of spending power, the average 1970’s teenage girl received 40-50p per week, rising to £1.50-£2.00 at 16. This seems an inconsequential sum to us today, but it is interesting to note that £1.00 in 1970 was approximately equivalent to £17.19 today. Money gifts from relatives were common, as well as parental subsidy, and from about 12 or 13, extra income could be earned through babysitting and Saturday jobs (1). However, there was a narrow range of goods on which teenagers spent money, such as clothes and shoes, social life, personal toiletries and cosmetics, holidays away from family, and hobbies (3). Cosmetics and toiletries were a heavy item of expenditure for teenage girls in the 1970s, with particular focus being on the eyes and skin. They sought to avoid looking ‘over made-up’, preferring a natural and sophisticated look. Boots’ research into how to make their cosmetic products more appealing to 1970’s teenage girls concluded a number of recommendations, including a need to tap into the fashionable pop elements of teenage girls’ lives, provide guidance through appropriately trained staff, create a boutique style shopping environment, opportunities to try new products through make up demonstrations and cosmetic creches for the younger teens (1). However, because the teenage years had contracted compared to earlier decades, by the age of 15-18 years, most girls had prematurely grown up and entered a ‘teenage menopause’, a period in which they were ‘old before their time’. At this stage, most teenage girls lost interest in cosmetics until much later when their children had grown up and they returned to work. Research by Ciba-Geigy recognised the importance of engaging with this section of the female market because teenage girls were happy to use baby products, particularly lotions and talcs, because they were cheaper, seen as pure and did not have strong scents which might conflict with other cosmetic products (5). Thus, when Ciba-Geigy conducted a qualitative study in 1972 prior to them entering the babycare market with a Mother & Baby range of products, they also included pre-partum young women in their sample (5).
Perhaps a good illustration of the shift from 1960’s to 1970’s teens is to consider the British sitcom, ‘Absolutely Fabulous’. Here, Edina and Patsy are heavy drinking, drug abusing and promiscuous teenagers from the 1960’s but who are still acting in this same hedonistic way years later as adult women. Meanwhile, in a reversal of roles, Edina’s daughter, Saffron, acts as the ‘parent’, constantly admonishing her immature mother’s shocking behaviour but at the same time caring for her.
This synopsis of a small sample of research available in the Archive gives us some insight into the characteristics of being a teenage girl in the 1970’s and how these changed from those of the earlier decades when the concept of being a teenager first emerged. It is interesting to see how different sectors of commerce used research into this market to inform and adapt their marketing strategies to effectively exploit this important and influential market.
2: Leisure and recreation in Merseyside CRAM_7850.pdf
Lorna Lawrence
November 2025