TEENAGE MAGAZINES...Good or bad?

[k8_doran]

Hiya,

I just wondered what you thought of teenage magazines. The girls in them, are they good role models for teenagers? Also what do you think about the messages that teenage magazines are sending to teenage girls, wht they should be like?

Thank you

[andy hughes]

I have written for teenage magazines, and they have changed out of all recognition in the last ten years.

There is an argument that the frank information dispensed about all aspects of sex is unsuitable for its targeted readership, but given the inescapable fact that some of the targeted readership does engage in sexual activity, it does provide a service.

Detractors should remember that a lot of teenagers receive minimal sex eduaction in school, and none at home, and remain woefully ignorant of basic sexual safety and proceedures. Without magazines, a lot of teenagers would receive almost no factual advice about sex, relying instead on playground rumours, and risking pregnancy and STD's.

I don't think teenagers do, or ever did look to magazines for role models, less so now than ever before - that role is fulfilled by TV and entertainment celebrities, but responsibility for teenage education begins in the home.

[k8_doran]

But I find there are a couple similar themes in teenage magazines, fashion and boys. How the girls look seem to come across in magazines, what make up they should wear, what clothes they should be wearing, some teenagers may find it hard to keep up, or not be able to. How to meet you perfect boy, why should boys be a main section, why should girls be told to be after boys all the time

[mimififi]

I think that tweeny teenage magasines are just ridiculous in the extreme. They are shallow, materialistic, superficial (and no offence Andy) mostly very poorly written. I have often seen horrendous grammar and spelling mistakes in various teenage mags.

My daughter is just getting into magasines, but to be fair she does tend to stick to magasines that are along the lines of things that interest her, for example horse riding. She does read typical teenage magasines occasionally, which I feel is sometimes necessary as she is homeschooled, and I don't want her to feel isolated, I do want her to have a vague idea of the current trends, but, and it is a big but, she often throws alot of their comments out the window, saying how stupid the whole thing is. She is very much her own person.

I think they don't give a role model at all to anyone, they are frankly not worth the paper they are printed on. In fact, come to that, nor are the adult women's mags either, mostly, again, poorly written, superficial load of old tosh. I'd rather spend my time reading something more useful

I feel sorry for teenagers, as there doesn't seem to be anything out there for them at all. How about feature, on beating stress during exam time, or how best to get the most out of school, or how to be yourself, or how to show yourself respect, or tips of finding career advice, or intelligent critiques of modern age appropriate fiction, chart lists, book lists, current affairs, etc etc....But no! Boys, boys boy, (as if men didn't take up enough of our lives eventually), sex sex sex, fashion and hair washing tips....are all our young girls really this boring?????

(Sorry, rant over, I'll go and get some Ovaltine, and pipe back down. )

[mimififi]

P.S sorry about the errors (after complaining about their errors!), I was typing so fast, in fact my keyboard is now smouldering slightly, and appears to be panting also. I didn't proof it first, just hit that submit button.

In my defence, tho, I don't have a proof reader, or editor who could have picked up the problem, and I didn't run a spell check either............

woops

[Gnisy]

It's the singer, not the song.

Magazines cater to the interest of the readers who buy these mags. Whatever information that is in there is what people want to read about. If you don't like it, don't buy it and that will make a statement to the editors to change their content. Yet, the outfits and bling-blings of celebrities seem to keep readers coming back for more. So, if there is a blame game here, you can't really blame the content, it's the readers you gotta look into.

[roguepink]

actually mimififi i would have to disagree with you.

Well i dont actually know what magazines you are talking about, but all the magazines i used to read a few years ago, when i was 14/15, were so positive. they had articles, on how to beat exam stress/how to make the most of opportunies/ how to decide about your future, etc.

It really wasn't all boys boys boys. Maybe its depending on the magazines, such as Bliss/J17/Sugar, etc. Even magazines such as Teen Vogue, or Cosmo Girl, are very much about becoming your own person, and making your own decisions though these tend to have a fashion slant to them,

The information in the magazines is generally very interesting and true and it does provide a lot of advice and information teenagers otherwise wouldnt get..

[mimififi]

I'll take your word for it Rogue, but my experience of teenage magasines has been that they are written (poorly IMO) for a narrow audience around narrow subjects.....

Then again, I have no time for womens' magasines for the same reasons.

I suppose it's horses for courses, if they float your boat, then that's great, no probs, but if you don't, read something different. We are all different and have different interests and like to read/discuss different things and on different levels and that's ok.

I didn't mean to come across confrontational. Just simply that my experience of these mags has never been positive. I'll look more closely now and keep my eyes open for other themes. :-)