(Editor’s Note: All students interviewed are 12th graders who attend Liberty High School.)
High school seniors nationwide are grabbing the reins of life by wearing children’s backpacks to school – a trend through which many say celebrates the end of their education by revisiting the beginning.
At Liberty High School in Brentwood, seniors wear these character backpacks to savor the final moments of their youth and identify themselves as the Class of 2025 through this full-circle moment.
“I feel like it’s the nostalgia and the realization that it is my last year in school, so having a backpack that I would have probably worn my first year of school, too, just seems so right and funny, too,” said Madison Sylvia.
Karen Cailotto, who teaches developmental psychology of children at Liberty, mentioned how seniors wearing children’s backpacks is an example of group identification. She describes it as, “Anything that we can do to help feel like we’re part of a group.”
The American Psychological Association explains how people connect to their group by imitating and internalizing “the group’s actions, beliefs, standards, objectives, and so forth.” The identifying aspect of the backpacks influences 12th graders to wear one.
“During my years at Liberty, I always saw the seniors wearing them so I knew I wanted to do it, too,” said Sophia Gursky. “I also thought it was cool that it’s usually something only the seniors do.”
When Cailotto saw 12th graders wearing the backpacks, she questioned her students about the trend.
“We just all decided that we were gonna wear children’s backpacks,” Cailotto said they replied. “It just seemed cute and wholesome and unifying. I love seeing teens who are identifying with each other, Class of 2025.”
Tiffany Clingshoff, mother of twins Chris and Carleigh, described her reaction to her children deciding to wear a children’s backpack for their senior year.
“I laughed at first. I thought they were kidding. After letting it soak in that they were serious, I thought it was cute,” Clingshoff said. “Kids grow up too fast and teenagers often take things too serious [sic] and are so worried about other people’s thoughts and opinions.”
The group mentality is a key factor, but teens themselves also say they want to enjoy life to the fullest and experience a “do me” attitude … even when doing it with others. Nostalgia and the 2024-25 school-year trend on TikTok also reignited the must-have “kiddie backpacks” adorned with the same characters they loved as kids, like SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, superheroes and Disney princesses.
“I started wearing a children’s backpack to school because I realized it would be the last year in [high] school and I figured I have to make the most of it,” Sylvia said.
“I wanted to fully partake in senior activities because it is our last year,” Toby Chan said. “When I was younger, I wasn’t allowed to have those kinds of bags so this is kind of making up for it.
“I have always loved Marvel, and Spider-Man was one of my first Marvel movies I had seen as a child,” added Chan about his choice of backpack.
Despite the popularity among many students across the country, some have practical reasons for not being a part of the current trend.
“Recently, I switched to my regular black JanSport because the Powerpuff Girls one is really big. And since finals just happened, I didn’t need to bring many supplies, so I have been using my black one,” Gursky explained. “I plan to switch back after winter break and use my children’s one.”
“I think the students who wear those backpacks are fun,” Gigi Del Castillo said. However, she chose to opt out of wearing one, “because, honestly, I just didn’t have time to get one and I also feel like they wouldn’t fit all of the things I need for school.”
“You have the rest of your life to be a grown-up, so do all of the things in high school,” Cailotto added. “Be a part of a club, go to the dances, go to the games, enjoy being a kid.”
And for these Liberty students, wear your kiddie backpack 🙂
Loujain Habibi is a 12th grader at Liberty High School in Brentwood.
