Representations in teen girl magazines

These magazines are all aimed primarily at young teenage girls. They portray this targeted audience in many ways displayed on the front covers of their publications. One way in which they intend to lube these girls up into buying their magazine is by using feminine and girly colors. As apposed to magazines for the more mature lady, magazines for young girls use much brighter and eye-catching tones, mainly the bold "bubblegum" pink. Each of these covers use a recurring main image: a young, attractive and current female celebrity in the public eye. They do this to attempt the reader to aspire to be like these celebrities, tempting them to buy the magazine as they 'i love boys' think that if they do, they will find out secrets to make them look like these attractive women. Also present on all five of these covers are images of clothes and captions about style and fashion. These clothes, like the colors used on the magazines, are bright and girly and are linked well with the target audience. On most of these covers, a price is usually associated with the clothes that uses words to make these seem good value such as "only" and "under". These words also connect with the target audience as it is thought that girls are always looking for good deals or a bargain.

These magazines may have a negative effect on its readers as there is no real message to them about being comfortable with themselves as they are. This is displayed by using "made-up" women with lots of make-up and perfect bodies that younger girls do not yet have necessarily. There are no images present of natural women that are referred to as "real" or that are slightly bigger-looking in size. This can further lead to its readers developing eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Another negative effect of thse types of magazines is that many of the stories inside are purely fictional and rumours, encouraging its readers that this information is fact. To its young readers, it tells them that it is okay to twist the truth and also believe everything they read in the media. Furtheremore, it introduces stories of unfaithfullness in relationships, sexual ways of dressing/revealing outfits that young girls may want to copy. This is a problem as young girls should know how to mature steadily and not before they have grown into their bodies correctly.

On the other hand, these magazines can also have a positive effect for its readers. If girls see clothes that they like that they then go out and find themselves, they will feel good about themselves and feel like a celebrity. It will result in its audience having more confidence, which is considered important in the present day as many girls in the target audience's age range are bullied and feel body-concious. Another point to make is that girls like discovering secrets of celebrity's looks, and will feel happy if - in their mind - they can emulate these. Also, the magazine as a whole is good entertainment for girls as they like to read about popular celebrity gossip stories that everyone is talking about. In addition, it is a good social benefit that gives its readers something to discuss with eachother around their friends.





I believe that magazine publishers should accept responsibility for the effects that their magazines have on its audience of teenage girls. I think this because they are an extremely powerful group of people who are well aware of what is needed in order for these girls to buy these magazines. If they are presenting ever magazine cover with a "perfect" looking celebrity, they are making girls feel that they need to be perfect and look like these celebrities who are most likely airbrushed and edited in the images used. Stories in the media are constantly arising of the issue of eating disorders that girls take on from feeling that they are too fat and not like celebrities seen in these magazines. Therefore, the publishers of these magazines should be held responsible for not using "real" women that will makes girls feel much better about themselves. Also, if these magazines give advice on topics such as how to deal with relationships, girls will most definitely use this in their lives as they believe in magazines. 

If I became an editor of one of these magazines, I would most definitely use more "real" looking female celebrities that its readers could relate to as I believe it is extremely unhealthy and wrong using perfect images of these women. I would make sure that everything written is encouraging to girls. I would not put any stories into the magazine that highlighted rumors that led to nowhere, for example: celebrity cheating, appearance enhancing such as boob jobs and face-lifts, as this just encourages its readers to make up rumors themselves and again not feel happy with themselves as they naturally are. I would keep the style part of the magazine in as there is no negative effects of this. I would make sure the clothes were affordable to its target audience. I would not include any headlines or stories of how to lose weight or get a better body in any way, as this just gives the impression that people who would read the magazine are only girls who are unhappy with the way they look, and that would not be my idea of a magazine purpose.