Friday, June 17, 2011


To conclude, fashion magazines and media change the way teens act, dress, and it changes their personal life as well. Many teen fashion magazines have a huge impact on teens, because many teens look up to the girls inside and on the cover of the magazines. The media that advertises on television also has a huge impact on teens because the teens see what other teens are doing and feel since it is on television they can do the same. For example, the show Teen Mom. Teen Mom is becoming a very popular television show that is being advertised everywhere, in magazines and in commercials, that it is making teens feel as if it is okay to become pregnant because other teens are doing the same thing. This goes for in magazines too, with fashion. Teen magazines and media are a huge influence on teens and has a huge impact on them as well.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Are Teen Fashion Magazines Causing Teen Girls to Show too Much Skin?

Most teenage girls read many different varieties of fashion magazines. But are the magazines having to much of a bad influence on the way teens dress? If a teen sees a celebrity or a young teen around their age, who they look up to, wearing something they feel is cute they will try to get that same style as them.Teen magazines have a huge impact on the way teens dress because they look up to the other girls in the magazines. Most models in the magazines are wearing skimpy outfits showing a lot of skin. Which is showing a new trend of clothing but these are trends for not teenage girls, they are more of a "party outfit." The outfits shows in magazines of girls in not a lot of clothing are something not for everyday attire, but teens feel since it is in a magazine that they should wear those outfits. The article Popular Teen Magazines and Their Possible Effect on Teenage Girls, would agree by saying, "The fashions in these magazines, or lack there of, were completely shocking to me. Teenage girls and models in low-cut, high-cut, skin-tight outfits, with super spiked heels and high leather boots that would make Julia Robert’s character in Pretty Women blush. Are these really the fashions we want our kids adopting? And they are adopting them. I am astonished at what some of my students show up to school wearing, often times I am tempted to ask them if they’ve done their shopping in the children’s department." This article is proving that teens are dressing way to old for their age. When the author said she thought teens were shopping in a children's sections because their clothing is so small and is revealing a lot of skin. In majority of teen fashion magazines the models on the covers are revealing a lot of skin, and most teens look up to these models, just because they are a model. Teen magazines should realize that their target group are teens and if they feel teens shouldn't be doing something then it shouldn't be advertised in their magazine, because the magazine is such an influence to teen girls.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Fashion and Drugs?

When a teenager is walking through the halls and they see another girl wearing all black with dark hair and makeup, they instantly think they are either a "druggy" or they are "emo." Teens are able to dress how they want in order to express who they are. In the article My Teen's Appearance, the author talks about how parents worry that if their child is wearing dark clothing that they are involved in drugs. The author also talks about how parents shouldn't be worried if their child is wearing dark clothing because it is a way to express themselves through appearance. The author says that the parents should only be worried if they show it emotionally and seem to be acting differently. The author states, "Understand the influential role of media and popular culture on how teenagers’ dress. Entertainment and advertising media have a more powerful influence on teens than they understand or acknowledge. Media consumption habits evolve quickly so monitor regularly, limit access and talk to your teen about unhealthy expectations around appearance." The author is explaining that the child might be watching something on television or see it in a magazine, and they might want to be just like that person. The teen might have someone who they look up to and they will try everything to be close like them, appearance wise. In the article Body Image and Self-Esteem, the author talks about Body image and how teens use it to express who they are. The author states, "For many people, especially those in their early teens, body image can be closely linked to self-esteem. That's because as kids develop into teens, they care more about how others see them." The author of Body Image and Self-Esteem would agree with the previous article because both articles are talking about how teens express themselves through appearance. Not always are teens going to act how they dress. If a teen is wearing dark clothing that doesn't mean they do drugs, that is just a crazy stereotype. Other teens should not be afraid to express themselves because they should not be judged by others.

Does the Media cause Teen Pregnancy, Affecting thier Lifestyle?

There are so many television shows and movies that all teens watch and find interesting about teen moms and teen pregnancy. Each of these shows demonstrate a teen getting pregnant around the age of 15, 16, or 17 years old. The shows make teen pregnancy seem easy and that anyone can do it, when really these teen moms are being payed to be on a television show which is helping them in the long run to pay for their child. Also, on these shows most of the parents are the teen moms seem very supportive and happy about the situation but in real reality this would never happen. Most parents would be upset with their teen for have a child. Since the television shows make it seem so easy, I feel teens are becoming pregnant and not being so cautious about using protection, because of the shows and teens being paid to be on the show. In the article Is the Media Promoting Teen Pregnancy?, the author talks about the movie Juno and how they change up the reality of teen pregnancy and make it seem like a happy movie about a teen having a baby and putting the baby up for an open adoption, which the author then disagrees with me by saying, "However, this teenage girl had sex anyway and it wasn’t a case of her boyfriend wanting to have sex and pushing her to agree to it nor was it something she felt she had to do to fit in with her friends or live up to social expectations; it was simply a curious girl who was in love with a boy and wanted to have sex. Sorry to break it to you, folks, but this is the way real life works–Teenagers are curious about sex, they wonder what it is like and yes, they’re going to have sex and it’s most likely going to be after you told them not to." The author feels that teens are always curious about sex and no matter where they see it or hear about it they are going to try it just because everyone else is doing it. The author also feels teens will go against their parents just because their parents said not to do it. In the article Teens Becoming Pregnant to Get on 'Teen Mom', the author talks about how teens are becoming pregnant just to be on the show and make money. For example, the author says, "This is out of control celebrity culture. Reality TV first began by exploiting people's problems, assuming they would do anything for fame. The idea of teenage girls getting pregnant to be on television shows that reality TV is going a step beyond exploiting problems. It is now creating the problems." This author would disagree with the other article by saying teens are just becoming pregnant because they want to be that girl on television, where as the other author clearly states teens are curious about sex and do it because they want to know what it is like. The media and magazines are advertising so many reality shows and movies making teen pregnancy seem so easy and that anyone can do it. This is a huge problem among teens because they feel that reading it in a magazine and seeing it on t.v, that they should do the same. Which in the end, is going to affect their regular lifestyle.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Are Teens Pressured into Fashion trends?

Teens these days all have the same style, they all shop at most of the same stores and wear the same trends, just to fit in with everyone else. Is peer pressure or pressure from the media to blame? For example, in the article, Why is Fashion so Important to Teens?, it states, "Many teens pick up on fashion trends in an effort to stave off humiliation and mocking from peers. Poor fashion choices in the eyes of others can often be an open door to ridicule." Most teens feel as if they should dress like their peers in school because they see on television, or in movies, that teens are being bullied, or made fun of, by others just because of their outfit choices. If all teens wore what they wanted to no one would feel obligated to dress the same and teens wouldn't be made fun of for their fashion choices. In my opinion fashion should be one way that teens can express themselves because their are so many different places and different trends out their for each individual person. Fashion to me is a way to express yourself. Celebrities are also a big part of teens feeling pressured. Teens feel that celebrities wear the trendiest clothing, just because they are celebrities. What teens do not realize is that celebrities do not go out and pick most of the outfits they are wearing they have someone do that for them, which is a reason why they always look good.  This article, Why is Fashion so Important to Teens?, agreed by saying, "Often, fashion for teenagers is the result of the desire to be like a celebrity. Celebrities are perhaps the greatest influences on teenagers in the modern world, and they can have a huge impact on a teens' ideas about fashion and its importance." I would have to agree by saying if a teenager is a huge fan of a celebrity they will try everything in their power to be just like them, which is causing teens to be pressured into certain fashion trends. Teens should be able to express who they are without the pressure of peers and celebrities in the media.

Medias Impact on Teens

Not only is the media having a huge impact on eating disorders amongst teens, they are also creating a low self-esteem for teens. According to the article How the Media Affects Teen Girls, the author talks about "Teenage Girls + Media = Low Self-Esteem," saying that most girls these days aren't only focused on their size they are worrying about things they do and do not like about themselves. The article says, "Despite contradictory findings, all researchers agree that teenage girls as a group are focused on their looks-especially on what they don't like about themselves!" Most of the media has a huge impact on this because of all their advertisements on "how to look good," or "what not to do." All of the advertisements are mostly targeted toward teenage girls, most girls care about what they look like and if the media says not to do what they are already doing, they will change everything about themselves just to be "perfect." The author of How the Media Affects Teen Girls also quoted "Marketing departments and ad agencies spend millions each year targeting teenage girls who spend much of their hard-earned dollars (and their parents' hard-earned dollars!) on looking good." This shows that the media are advertising towards teen girls just because they know teens will go out and buy what is being advertised. When really they do not understand how much it is affecting the teens. These teens are slowly loosing their self-esteem because they do not feel comfortable being who they are if they are constantly changing who they are just because of the media. Also teenage girls feel obligated to be just like the other girls in the media, who are in the advertisements, because they see that other girls have the "perfect" look and they feel they can have that "perfect" look too. According to the article Why is Fashion so Important to Teens?, the author would agree by saying, "Look at any advertisement for a fashion store, and you are likely to notice that most of the models are teens." Advertisements in the media have a huge impact on teens.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Is The Media Affecting Teens to Much?

Teenage girls are not only pressured by magazines to dress like celebrities, but the magazines and media have a big influence on the ways girls physically look. When a very skinny beautiful girl is on the cover of a teens favorite magazine, they will do whatever it takes to look just like them. This is causing many eating disorders amongst teenage girls, such as  bulimia and anorexia, which is changing their lifestyles. According to the article Teen Magazines Send Girls All The Wrong Messages, "Magazines, not television, seem to have the strongest relationship to eating disorders." and "Researchers explain that because television encourages the consumption of high-fat foods, the effect toward eating disorders is minimized. On the other hand, magazines offer more instruction on dieting and therefore seem to be more significantly correlated to eating disorders." Since so many magazines influence dieting, they are causing eating disorders. Also in the article, How the Media Affects Teen Girls, they say "According to the National Eating Disorders Associations, 51% of 9 and 10-year-old girls feel better about themselves when on a diet." Many people agree that eating disorders have become so popular because of the media and fashion magazines. All the girls in the media and magazines are told or forced to be skinny which has an influence to other girls making them want to be skinny like them as well.

Teens and Fashion Magazines

Teenage girls love fashion magazines. Fashion magazines have a huge impact on teens because they are a way teens find the latest trends. Most fashion magazines know their largest target group are teenagers, particularly girls, so these magazines will put popular celebrities on the covers just so teens buy the magazine. Teens will see the cover and say “Oh look who it is! I love her! I HAVE to have that outfit.” Many magazines advertise the companies where celebrities are buying their latest styles. According to the article How Do Teen Magazines Affect Teen Fashion? states, “According to the U.S. Census Bureau, teens between the ages of 13 and 18 spend more than $216 billion each year, and fashion ranks in the top five spending categories.” When teens see their favorite celebrities in the newest trends the teens will go out and buy what that newest trend to be just like their favorite. Without the magazines advertising, teens would create their own trends and wear what they thought was trendy rather than the celebrity styles. Not only do teens look up to celebrities in magazines, they look up to all the younger models they see in the media. For example, in another article titled Media and Girls, it says “Over the past decade, the fashion industry has begun to use younger and younger models, and now commonly presents 12- and 13-year-old girls as if they were women.” These younger girls who model have an influence on how teens want to be. They see in the media that younger girls are modeling and wearing crazy outfits so they feel they can do the same.

Thursday, June 9, 2011


Teenage girls these days look through all the fashion magazines and watch many fashion related television shows. They look up to each and every girl they see on television and in their favorite fashion magazines. Many teenage girls get their inspiration from media and magazines. Magazines have had a huge impact on the way teens dress and the way they try to look. When a teenager sees their favorite celebrity or model wearing something they love they will try to wear that same type of style just to be like them. Media has this same affect on teens. Teens watch all types of crazy reality shows these days which is causing them to want to live up to the celebrities they watch on television. Teens do not realize how much media and fashion magazines are affecting their style and lifestyles.