Are teen characters underrepresented in modern cartoons?

[Zorak Masaki]

While there are plenty of shows (mostly in the adult cartoon market) with teen characters (Family Guy, Duncanville, etc), there are almost none where they're the main character (Rick and Morty comes close, but even then there are eps where Morty takes the backseat to the adults). I mean, there have been shows with teen leads in the past (Beavis and Butthead, Daria, Teen Titans, Young Justice), but almost none currently.

 

[JoeMabbon]

I don't want to turn this into a bulleted list, but there are still quite a few teen shows hanging around. There's the wave of shows that were inspired by Star Vs. (Owl House, Amphibia, Infinity Train, etc.). Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is still around. There's Invincible, Spider-Man (2017), and Loud House just to name some off the top of my head.

 

[Red Arrow]

I feel like there are a lot of teenage characters! Definitely more so than young adult main characters nowadays.

 

[Goldstar!]

I feel like there are a lot of teenage characters! Definitely more so than young adult main characters nowadays.

Agreed. There's far more representation for teenagers in animation than there is for adults in their early 20s. With teen characters, they're not little kids, but they're not fully matured either. They can be silly and make mistakes because they still have a lot to learn, which makes them more relatable to a young audience. And yes, twenty somethings can make mistakes and be irresponsible also, but kids can't really relate to their problems. The few times that you see a cartoon with 20 something protagonists is on shows that are aimed at a YA audience.

 

[TheMisterManGuy]

I think they're over represented TBH. Just about every children's animated series protagonist these days is Middle or High School aged, and Adult Cartoons always have at least one teen supporting cast member. College and grade school ages are hardly featured anymore.