An Indisputable Issue ; Anti-Seventeen

 My choice to not read magazines catered for a teenage audience has proven refreshingly rewarding those past 6 months ; not only was I able to break away from this dictated , stereotypical, anti-feministic image of femininity, but I also attempted to find comfort in more educated publications, dealing with issues of a much more significant spectrum. Whilst I encourage every reader of approximately my age to abstain from Teenager Magazines too, I find it essential to criticise the lightweight content, lack of diversity, and unequal distribution of topics in those much-purchased publications.


 To illustrate my point, allow me to annotate an issue of one of the most well-known magazines, aimed at a female teenage audience, Seventeen:

 The (rather) significant issues that Seventeen Magazine has chosen to appear on its frontpage:

•  Make him want to be your boyfriend! (by dressing scantily-clad in order to attract his aggressive male instict...)
• 885 ways to look HOT! ( previous speculation validated )
• Get noticed at parties (since how physically noticed you get affects your personality)
• LOVE Horoscope inside! (Pseudo Science at its best...)
• 1 minute makeovers - SO easy, SO pretty! (the zenith of your existence,gurrrls!)
• Save $$$ on sneakers (that some underage girl in India sew together, for the mere daily salary of 1$)

 Nowhere on this issue has a topic that is not aimed at feeding young girl's grandeur-personalities been addressed. By the look of the body-conscious vibe that the most important subjects' headers give me, Seventeen is trying to send its readers a message , even if unconsciously, which I do highly doubt, that unless they are physically attractive they cannot achieve much in their lives (which "much" is defined as getting a boyfriend) and thus must try to make themselves appealing. 

 Brace yourself, for irony-embodied is crawling along the hastily-written paragraphs of this post;

 

  

 I suspect that Seventeen received some well-targeted criticism concerning its inane prioritisation of subject-matter in its issues and decided to create "The Seventeen Body Peace Treaty". The statement would've been justifiable under the pretense that the editors had taken the brave, much appreciated decision to alter the publication's structure to something more earnest and meaningful...

  The last issue of seventeen published, indicates otherwise.  "The #1 Move to A Cute Butt - it hurts but it works" seems to have dominated the cover, once again. I am deeply confused over Seventeen Magazine's motives - are they good-willingly trying to make girls feel comfortable in their skin, or are they attempting to conceal their wish of further promoting the Make Up & Plastic Surgery industry under  a thin veil? It may sound far-fetched but I am drawn to think that the second is fact.

 Again, I am disgusted at Seventeen's new school year motto "Look Prettier than Ever! - for your first day of school). Instead of encouraging girls to obtain a good educational foundation, and become academic achievers on their first day of school, they are senselessly promoting looking pretty - which is, in our desentisised world, a functioning marketing technique. 

An "OMG!" nation in the making

 Unfortunately, Seventeen Magazine (stupidly dubbed "The Teen Bible") is not the only magazine that prefers to give weight to nonchalant issues, and reluctantly abstain from teaching the next generation about real issues that the world is facing. Since Seventeen seems to be enjoying commercial success, more magazines struggle in order to fit the same formula - and so, it seems that beauty monopolises the sought-after pubescent consumer-base.

 Why do I find this a plausible issue? The images presented by those highly-purchased magazines affect a large percentage of the teenager population, and their illogical perception of the world soon becomes the norm. Teenagers - girls, especially - are soon plunged into a world where beauty becomes currency, and are scraped away from their dreams. Even worse, they have no alternative when looking for a magazine to read, which is catered at their audience - and so, a whole society accepts what has befallen upon them. It affects me, and soon I cannot find a gateway to escape this close-knit hell that is paved by distorted beauty standards, discouraging messages and feelings of worthlessness. It affects you, him, her, since we all grow to accept this double-standard, undeniably sexist hell.  

 

 What do I deem as a feasible solution? As elementary as my argument sounds and seems, stop buying brainless pubescent publications of the form. If they appeal to consumers, they continue to develop their magazine contents in the same sense, since commercial success is the most desired component for such companies. Lowering the frugal desire for such issues in the market directly lowers the magazine's earnings, and thus forces the publications to seek success elsewhere, by possibly incorporating different subjects in their monthly base. 

 

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 If looking for a more throughout documentary on the downright absurdity of teenage magazines, and how realistic the "advice" they present is visit The Seventeen Magazine Project. It is well-researched, intellectually sound, and more educational in the field of the teenage magazine business than one would postulate...