CosmoGirl

This magazine is aimed at girls categorized under the 'tween' age bracket, which consists of girls between the ages of 12-17. Below I have outlined some of the characteristics of the magazine that I noticed. There are plenty of ads for beauty products and teen-related products; plus contests for free gifts. The Guys section is quite tame, just a few things about kissing and breaking up with boys. Some sections in the magazine teach girls about healthy eating and keeping the planet green. The main topics discussed throughout CosmoGirl are on beauty, fashion, life advice, entertainment, games, free stuff, and of course, guys. Although this site's dating and romance section seems a bit tamer than other teen magazines for girls, CosmoGirl does stress beauty, fashion, and buying over valuable information that girls need to hear. There are also a slew of ads, contests, and free giveaways.

Some of the headings in the magazine were: "The Secret To Being A Great Kisser", "Quiz: Are You Too Easy?", "My Mom Married My High School Classmate", "4 Moves to a Strong, Sexy Body", and "387 Hot Back to School Looks". Many of the headings focused on physical appearance and how to improve one's style and overall look. I think it is fair to say that teen girls are being sent the message that physical appearance carries a great deal of weight. In other words, teen girls are expected to look good and represent beauty through their appearance on the outside.

Generally speaking, magazines such as CosmoGirl are feeding teen girls the information they want; what it takes to be considered cool and how to fit in with the latest trends. The age at which girls are being exposed to message of .... how do I get the attention of the cutest guy, seems to be getting younger and younger and through these messages are losing their innocence of being young girls. Accessibility has played a huge role in providing young girls with easy access to this information in multiple mediums. Even without broad use of the internet to advertise and make available these magazines they can be found at almost any grocery store or gas station.

Based on my findings from researching several magazines aimed at teen girls I would conclude that the information and more importantly the messages they are conveying are first and foremost hugely impactful on teen girls` lives but unfortunately are doing more harm than good.    

Teen Vogue

On the cover of Teen Vogue there are messages about glorifying your appearance, gossiping about the latest news, and tips on how to spend your money. Are these the types of values we want to instil in middle school students? Vanity, gossip, and ungrateful behaviour are the values being emphasized in these magazines. The morals presented in these magazines are not academic success, civic engagement, or intellectual challenges; they are ones of dressing provocatively, flirtatious behaviour, and making our bodies the main priority.

Many of the images throughout the magazine have female models in their underwear or male models with their shirts off. Captions correspond with the photos such as “Beautiful Creature” and “Material Girl”. On every two-page spread, there are models wearing the latest fashions, accessories, and hairstyles. Teens are being bombarded with images that tell them how to look hot. Middle school students may think the only way to improve their self-image is to look like the models in the images. Also, studies show that girls who frequently view these images in this media have the most negative opinions of their gender.

There are many advertisements in the magazine beckoning the readers to buy their products. It would be an understatement to say that over 90 percent of the magazines were advertisements. Statistics indicate that 80 percent of girls have purchased an item as a result of exposure to an advertisement in a teen magazine and 63 percent trust magazine advertisements. Some middle schools students may not have the discretionary skills necessary to determine their needs from their wants and these advertisements will take advantage of this. The advertisements will tempt them to buy products they do not need; but, the middle school students think they must have them in order to be popular and look hot.

Teen Vogue is easily accessible to middle school students. For example, teens can purchase the magazine in bookstores, convenience stores, and online. Middle school students have unlimited access to these magazines if they desire to alter their appearance or read the latest gossip. It is discouraging to think of the amount of access middle school students have to the messages in this media, which are mainly negative. We need to have more edifying resources for students who turn to magazines that do not enrich their minds and bodies.