Review of Journalism & Mass Communication

A Perspective on Teenage Magazines and Their Continued Focus on the Superficial
Natalie Ryder Redcross, Tresmaine Grimes

Abstract
Teenage magazine content, after decades, continues to complicate decision making in the communication of the young, impressionable girls who read them. Previous research has indicated that teenagers can be negatively influenced by the media, including teen magazines (e.g., Redcross, 2003; Milkie, 2002; Durham, 2008; Lamb & Brown, 2006). These magazines are created for teens, so they will read them, believe what they read, and in some cases, base their decisions on the advice of certain articles. Why do editors continue to, despite what the research purports, produce this type of material? Historically, the response has been that it is what the consumer wants, and the more modern response is that it is what the consumer “needs” in a world in which girls are more mature today. While both online and print publications have attempted to address this issue by going outside of the norm publishing content that balances education and entertainment, few have survived, as most popular in the teen world are topics focusing on celebrity gossip, appearanceoriented articles, dating and socialization. This paper explores the case of teenage magazines that to this day, remain largely unchanged in a nation in which young girls are desperate for healthy media guidance.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/rjmc.v2n2a1