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.