Teenage magazines are widely read throughout America.  Teenagers rely on them for advice about fashion, relationships, and health.  These magazines can be helpful at times, with giving teenage girls knowledge on the latest trends and the best skin care.

When asked her favorite magazine, junior Natalie Roddy said, “I like Seventeen magazine, even though I’m only sixteen.”  Seventeen seems to be one of the most popular teenage girl magazines.  One of the magazine’s most recent articles was about “Spring’s Hottest Must-Haves!”  The article displayed ‘updated loafers’ and ‘fantastic fringe.’  Although these seem to be the newest trends, they are very costly.  One shirt found in Seventeen magazine costs $88.00, which can seem a ridiculous amount for a piece of clothing.  Teens today can barely afford gas for their car, let alone the hottest fashions.

Gina Mele, a junior, explains “I feel magazines depict teenagers as carefree beings without parental control and that we are made of money, because I cannot afford all of these clothes.”  Most teenagers do feel this way.  Magazines assume teenagers spend money without a second thought, but that is far from the truth.  Teenagers are more aware of the cost of items than people think.  We know money does not grow on trees, and most teenagers are conscious about how much they spend.  Most parents do not even allow their children to spend a lot of money on clothes.

The clothes modeled in another magazine, Teen Vogue, are unrealistic for the regular teenager.  The models wear extremely bold, outrageous combinations.  No teenager would be caught dead wearing some of these outfits.  Not only are the clothes crazy, but the hair and makeup artists are obviously trying too hard to make the models stand out.  Teenage magazines assume teenagers want to be different than everyone else, but this does not mean making our appearance incredibly flamboyant.  Liz Albera, a sophomore, makes a valid point in saying, “All magazines assume we want to look like celebrities, because they all have ‘look-alike’ articles.”  Magazines focus on how celebrities dress, and how they act.  If magazines want us to stand out from everyone else, why do they want us to dress just like celebrities?

Aside from fashion, magazines sometimes talk about deeper issues.  Eating disorders are a major topic in teen magazines. They interview celebrities with eating disorders such as Demi Lovato. If you have been experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, don’t hesitate to seek professional advice on which Eating Disorder Treatment Therapy can help.

Magazines assume every girl is constantly worried about her weight and how skinny she is.  Yes, many girls are, but not everyone wants such deep issues in magazines.  Girls do not want to be constantly reminded of how they look.  They want to be comfortable in their own skin, but every article in teenage magazines focuses on appearance.  Magazines represent unrealistic aspects of teenage lives, but for some reason, they still seem to attract readers.  As long as girls keep the information they get from magazines in perspective, magazines can be harmless.