 Hey FGs!
I have always been a magazine reader - Seventeen, Teen, GirlsLife, you name it. Some and my cousin were shocked and disappointed by this headline: CosmoGIRL! magazine is shutting down for good. And with the future of many of my teen mag faves looking a little shaky (since everyone is switching to Internet these days), it's made me think a little about the impact these magazines have had on the teen world.
You see, a few years back, I did a project for English class about the effects of the media on women, especially teens. And so I went through and counted the amounts of ads, especially those with unrealistically thin models. I don't know the exact numbers, but I remember it was pretty darn high. And you might be thinking, Well, I don't really pay attention to the ads, I just read the articles. But sometimes those surprise me too - or at least the covers do. Like I realized recently when I looked at a past issue of Seventeen that 5 of the 8 were about clothes or beauty. And I do love the beauty articles, but I just think that the headlines of being a teen are so much more than that.
I'm not trying to bite the hand that feeds me - I'll admit that I turn to magazines for advice on just about everything. And I love that. But someone once told me it's important to be aware of what you're consuming, because then it doesn't affect you so much. So keep an eye out - what kind of messages and images about beauty are you taking in every day? Where do they come from? Do you agree or disagree? Being an aware consumer will help you seek out sources that have a positive message - and might just change your whole attitude.
xoxo
The Fab Gal Labels: CosmoGIRL, fab gal, media, teen magazines |
