Businesses and corporations noticed that they were able to profit from the burgeoning consumer power of teenagers—especially among girls—and began to aim products at younger buyers, creating a new subset of American culture.

[10] The increased popularity of music made it a big part of the lives of bobby soxers, as they frequently discussed their favorite musicians with each other and bonded over records.

[11] By the end of the 1940s, bobby soxers were unanimously defined as either just fans of Frank Sinatra or teenage girls who were obsessed with the fads and crazes of the time.

Sinatra particularly proved popular; his signature croon was noted by psychologists for its "hypnotic quality" and "remarkable effect upon susceptible young women.

"[12] Mark Duffett has described Sinatra's December 1942 performance at the Paramount Theatre in New York City as "set[ting] the template" for female fans being part of the "spectacle" that would follow for artists such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

[17] Swooning became a common practice among bobby soxers as a means of expressing their infatuation; this consisted of young women groaning dramatically and waving their arms in the air, then placing their hands on their foreheads before falling to the ground.

[18] In addition to this ensemble's association with bobby soxers, the combination of poodle skirts and ankle socks has been described as a symbol of the conception of American teenage culture.

[8] An interest in fashion among young girls was encouraged by parents and magazine columnists alike, but the former typically imposed strict limits on expressing sexuality, which did not match the ever-changing definitions of what was acceptable for teenagers to be wearing.

A Life magazine pictorial on the bobby soxer style declared that the "changing fashions of language and youth indicate a healthy spirit of rebellion.

A 1956 edition of the PTA magazine declared that "the trouble with teenagers started when some smart salesman made a group of them in order to sell bobby sox.

[24] Hollywood producers wanted to use child stars such as Temple and Jane Withers for teenage roles as actresses such as Judy Garland evolved into more adult performances.

Seventeen magazine – which launched in 1944 to cater to teenage girls – published letters from readers who wrote asking for "more articles on dating and shyness... stories like those on atomic energy are very boring.

Broadly speaking, the teen consumer market exploded greatly in the 1950s; it reportedly amounted to approximately $10 billion by 1959, with expectations at the time estimating it would double by 1970.

[25] In 1961, for instance, records – which sociologist Jessie Bernard describes as a crucial aspect of teenage culture – were reported to sell $75 million worth of copies annually.