Between MTV or The WB, which network had a greater impact on teen/youth culture?

The original post: /r/television by /u/TheMisterManGuy on 2026-03-20 09:34:46+00:00.

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In the 90s and early 2000s, two networks built a TV empire off of zeroing in on a young audience of 12- to 34 year olds, one on cable, the other on broadcast television. MTV, a network that redefined music and music culture before broadening out to general pop culture in the 90s with reality shows and animation with shows like The Real World, Beavis and Butthead, and Daria. While The WB, once a major broadcast network, specialized in teen-centric dramas and sitcoms such as Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, Gilmore Girls, and Smallville.

Between these two networks at their peak, which would you say had a bigger impact on youth culture?