Sorry, Harry Styles. But Adam Sandler is more popular with teens.
According to a new survey from Piper Sandler, the actor and comedian ranks second on a list of teen’s favorite celebrities, after Deadpool‘s Ryan Reynolds. They surveyed 14,500 teens across the U.S. on a variety of topics, including their favorite celebrities and social media personalities. Taylor Swift, Kevin Hart, and Zendaya round out the top five.
Interestingly, Sandler jumped up four spots since last spring, solidifying his status as a star beloved by teens. If you’re scratching your head about this, let me enlighten you. Teens love that despite being a household name and a millionaire, Sandler is just some guy!
His appeal is most evident in his extremely laidback street style. Per several viral TikToks, his signature oversized t-shirts, basketball shorts, and athletic sunglasses have even inspired spirit day themes at high schools across the country. Don’t be surprised if some teen pulls up to your house to trick-or-treat in Sandler attire. As always, there’s also a nostalgia factor; young people grew up with Sandler’s movies. He’s a true multi-generational idol.
Sadly, that is where the fun stops. “King of Toxic Masculinity” Andrew Tate topped the list of teen’s favorite social media personalities. Tate has been de-platformed by Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for spreading misogynistic rhetoric. He was unranked in the last survey, and this year he was deemed more popular among teens than YouTuber-turned-fashion darling Emma Chamberlain. Concerns about Tate’s influence on teen boys have been raised by teachers, and his popularity on this list highlight those concerns.
Another controversial figure, rapper Kanye West, ranked third on this year’s list of teens’ favorite social media personalities. West was recently locked out of his Twitter and Instagram accounts for posting antisemitic statements and violating their policies.
But, hey, at least the teens have Adam Sandler.
