Changing Demographics

Magazines for the Adolescent Market

Katie Gallichio

 Summary by Kristin Rossmeisl

Seventeen magazine was created in 1944.  It is published monthly and has been described as the largest magazine for young women aged 12 to 24.  The magazine grosses $2.4 million from its 13.9 million readers.  According to Katie, the magazine focuses on boys, relationships, diet, makeovers, exercise, fashion/trends, and music.  Katie's main quest during her presentation was to challenge the audience to decide whether teen magazines, specifically Seventeen, have either a positive or negative effect on their readers.

A positive attribute to the magazine is that it provides its readers with information and encourages them to experiment not only with fashion, but also with other areas of their lives.  On the downside, the magazine depicts women in their pictures and advertisements as frail beings who have all but wasted away, not reinforcing any love of a natural body type.  The also focus a great deal of attention to how the achievement of the perfect relationship is critical instead of celebrating the elation of independence.  There were just some of the examples Katie gave for both positive and negative relationships.  Through this information I was able to conclude that Seventeen has both positive and negative effects on readers, myself included.  They do provide a delusional idea of the perfect body and ideal relationship, but at the same time encourage growth in areas such as expression and individuality through fashion and often write about poignant health and emotion l concerns of young American women.