The models in these magazines present the image that thin is beautiful and this is why many people blame this type of magazine for an increasing amount of teenage girls developing eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. The critics of these magazines believe that these young and impressionable girls see these sleek slender and stunningly slim models and are envious of them and want to emulate them. Sometimes they think that being slim and having a slender figure is the key to all physical beauty but this is not the case. These girls want to have perfect figures so they start a small sensible diet but see no results. As a result they crash diet or barely eat at all. These girls cannot see what they are doing to their bodies until they are critically ill.
Another problem with these magazines is that there are many adverts for items which are outside an average teenagers budget. The pages are filled with adverts for mobile phone logos and ring tones that may make some girls feel inadequate if they do not have a mobile phone or even the right model. One current advert implies that it is an embarrassment to have the wrong type of mobile phone. However, 50% of teenagers in the United Kingdom do not currently have a mobile phone so many girls may be feeling inadequate. Additionally in these magazines there are many beauty products and various types of make up advertised which can be expensive. Cosmetic companies are constantly trying to expand their market, and there are therefore constantly new products being launched. This means that it would not be possible for anybody to afford or posses all the products. Furthermore the message implied by these cosmetic adverts is that in order to be beautiful you need the products and therefore with out them you are unattractive.
The fashion pages are often filled with expensive clothes and accessories which many girls may not be able to afford. As a result the girls may feel that they are not trendy and when they go out with their friends they may have less confidence in their appearance. Additionally magazines often feature ‘what’s hot’ and ‘what’s not’ articles. Often clothes shown by the magazine one week as being fashionable may only two or three weeks later be classed as out of fashion. As a result, teenage girls are encouraged to discard last month’s clothes and replace with more ‘up to date’ ones. This is an impossible task under the restrictions of the average teenagers budget.
The main focus in these magazines is on fashion, beauty and boys. Teenagers who do not share these interests may as a result suffer from feelings of abnormality or inadequacy. However, magazine publishers are catering for the mass market, and there are other specialist magazines, which provide for alternative interests such as sport. Perhaps in response to demand, more recently teenage magazines are featuring an increased number of articles on alternative leisure pursuits such as sport, television, music and the Internet.
Are teenage magazines the main cause for girls having low self-esteem if they do not conform to the norm that is presented? In our modern day society the image of thin being beautiful is everywhere. Film and television actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet and Callista Flockhart have slender figures and are taken by many as role models. This may result in girls believing that in order to be famous you have to be thin. All advertising for clothes and beauty products contain slender models. These adverts are on television and billboards which you see as you walk through the streets therefore making these images inescapable. Many people believe that magazines are not the major cause for girls to think that thin is beautiful because this image is everywhere and you would never be able to get away from it. It is possible that the main cause is media as a whole. This is demonstrated by the fact that an examination of old paintings, show that in the past, fat was beautiful, and indeed today in many African countries, larger women are more highly prized as being more desirable as child bearing women.
From a very early age girls are presented with stereotype images. Dolls such as Barbie and Cindy are slender and attractive. They have long straight hair and perfect, flawless complexions. They possess an extensive wardrobe and if the advertising is to be believed, they have great lifestyles. Ken is Barbie’s constant companion, and therefore the inference is that, if you look like Barbie, you too will be popular and desirable.
Although in teenage magazines there are images presented which could result in lowered self-esteem, it is possible to argue that the content of teenage magazines is not all bad. Some positive aspects of these magazines are the problem pages and informative and educational articles. The problem pages often contain letters from readers who are suffering from low self-esteem. This has two positive effects. Firstly, they make girls feel they are not the only ones with a particular problem, and secondly the advice given will help them to deal with their problems, thereby raising their self-confidence. The informative and educational articles provide facts on issues, which focus on aspects greatly affecting teenagers such as drugs, sex and crime. These articles use street jargon commonly used by teenagers. As a result the reader will feel more confident at being able to discuss these types of issues with their peer group and will benefit from having a clearer understanding.
Whilst it could be argued that some aspects of these magazines lower self-esteem, in my opinion, a teenage girl must have had some previous incident in her life, for example divorced parents or bullying at school, which has resulted in her self confidence being lowered or shaken. A person who is confident and has a good self-image is unlikely to be adversely affected by teenage magazines. This is especially true of those girls who are aware of the various devices used by the magazine editors to produce these perfect images, such as touching up photographs, computer manipulation, using professional lighting and expensive make-up. On balance, it is my opinion that images presented in teenage magazines do not lead to lowered self-esteem amongst their readers. I believe this because last year in the UK many thousands of teenage magazines were sold and would this be happening if this type of magazine was causing frustration, pressure and unhappiness?
