Over the summer, my younger sister entered the phase of middle school that involves make-up tutorials, endless sarcasm and most importantly, reading the “Twilight” series repeatedly. When I was her age, I read books similar to “Twilight,” but more distinctly I remember the amount of hate those kinds of books received. While I agree that books like “Twilight” are not necessarily “intellectually stimulating,” not every book should be. The sheer amount of criticism the “Twilight” series gets for just being teen girl romance novels is insane. Why is everything young girls enjoy immediately “cringe worthy?” 

It all comes down to target audience. If you think that “Twilight” is a bad story, then it simply was not written for you. In my psychoanalysis of Bella Swan, the main character of the series, I believe she was built to encompass every insecurity a young girl has. She is literally the walking definition of social anxiety, and that is what makes her so relatable to teen girls. 

Reading a story where someone who deals with things the way you would is extremely enjoyable. Throw in that she is being pursued by a hot vampire and you’ve got a perfect fantasy for a middle schooler. There is nothing wrong with simply being the target audience for this story, but society continues to insist that it is bad. 

Despite how sports fans are just as intense as the fanatics of young adult novels, society deems middle school girl obsessions as crazy. This has happened for generations, with the proof being in the perception of boy bands. From The Beatles to One Direction to BTS, and I am sure the boy bands of the future, all those who enjoy their music are seen as overly invested and extreme. How is someone enjoying pop music any different than someone being invested in the latest Kanye release? Yet, the cycle won’t end until we just let people enjoy what they enjoy, and for middle school girls I fear that won’t happen easily.  

If you like to read, listen to or participate in something, you should not be made to feel bad about it. Just let people enjoy what they enjoy and mind your business. Go read “Twilight” and stop making fun of people who enjoy things that were made for them. 

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