Essay- "To What Extent Should Magazines Be Held Responsible For The Social Ramifications Of The Representations They Offer?"

Focusing upon magazines with a target audience of teenage girls, it is evident that the girls that read these magazines have the topics of boys and make-up almost forced upon them. Because of this, it could be said that teenage girls are growing up too fast, and feel as if they have to conform to the stereotypes seen in the magazines that they buy. The fact that the celebrities on the glossy covers of these teen mags are airbrushed to perfection does not give out a positive incentive to young girls as it suggests that everyone should have flawless skin and super-toned bodies (which in reality, of course, is not the case).

Another issue to address is the way in which boys are portrayed within these magazines. Advice is frequently given out and advertised on the covers of teen girl magazines concerning how to 'deal with' boys. This does not send out a good message due to the fact that it implies that boys cause problems, which could affect attitudes and communication between teenagers of both genders.
Although teen magazines do claim to answer crucial questions for teenage girls, they do present problems when they mention somewhat 'sexually explicit' content. Bearing in mind that these magazines are aimed at a target audience of girls aged from about 12-16, some of the content could be deemed as inappropriate.
For instance, on the cover of Sugar, one coverline reads "Sweet Sixteen Shock 'They groped my friends and stole my presents'" which could prove to be all too graphic for a twelve year old. Such subject matters are not in any way suitable for teen magazines as they can take away the innocence that teenage girls should have the right to hold onto before they enter the adult world.
Arguably the biggest issue with the social ramifications that teenage magazines portray is the fact that they are completely focused upon the exterior appearance of girls. This encouragement to worry about image is almost overwhelming when you look at the cover of a copy of perhaps Bliss or Sugar. Coverlines such as "Your hair but better- products for every problem" and "Body loving bikinis" present a very clear message that image is everything.

More and more stories are emerging in the headlines of newspapers and on TV concerning the young age at which girls are now subjected to the world of beauty e.g. Toddlers and Tiaras. Although this TV show addresses a much younger age group than that of the magazines, it does demonstrate potential results of sexualizing girls at a young age through pressure to conform to fashion and beauty trends.
In conclusion, I feel that teen magazine companies should consider limiting the amount of mildly explicit stories and beauty guidelines included within the copies, and should have all stories thoroughly reviewed before deciding to put them in the magazine. Furthermore, instead of these controversial features, more music and film reviews would be of interest to teenagers, and would not lead to any feelings of inadequacy. Therefore, if teenage magazines adjusted these elements, they would be far more appropriate and enjoyable for the target age group.