With Nielsen reporting nearly 16 million viewers for the second season of “Stranger Things,” the Netflix hit has never been bigger — and the same is true for the show’s young stars.
Unfortunately, the series’ buzz seems to have distracted many people from a key fact: that the kids of “Stranger Things” are, well, kids.
Take Millie Bobby Brown, the 13-year-old actress who plays the telekinetic character Eleven. Over the summer, she found herself listed on W magazine’s August cover as one reason why TV is “sexy” again. (Her name was listed alongside adult actors like Brit Marling and Keri Russell.)
More recently, she’s been praised for looking “grown up” in makeup and elegant dresses at press events.
Never mind that her peers are still having Bar Mitzvahs and sporting braces — Brown’s fame makes her an exception to the rule, according to some people.
She’s not the only “Stranger Things” star being forced to cope with experiences above her age grade. Her 14-year-old co-star, Finn Wolfhard, recently had adult fans camp out by his hotel room — and lash out at him when Wolfhard tried to ignore them.
Former child stars are coming forward on social media to chastise such mistreatment. Mara Wilson — who was 9 when her film “Matilda” came out — took to Twitter to defend Brown and highlight how damaging it is for adults to sexualize adolescent girls.
And “Game of Thrones” star Sophie Turner, who was fourteen when she filmed the first season of the HBO behemoth, gave an impassioned defense of Wolfhard.
For those who forget that 13- and 14-year-olds are just kids, be prepared to be held accountable — by the internet, at least.