Teen Magazines

You know what I hate? When you sharpen your pencil and then it snaps. But even more then that, teen magazines. I think it's cool that they made something to encourage teenagers to read, but seriously, why is so much of it so stupid? It's all about guys, makeup tips, hair, guys, love advice, horoscopes, quizzes and guys. What's with that? Personally, I just find it insulting that they think all we care about is what nail polish is in. I think it really creates an unhealthy image about how a girl is "supposed" to look, act, feel, etc. And most of the time, it only covers mainstream culture, so girls who happen to not like Twilight and don't wear the latest shoes tend to be alienated.

First of all the magazines make it seem like the point of life is to get a man. "How to get HIM interested." "What HE likes best." I have an idea. How about teaching girls that you shouldn't change yourself to get a guy and teaching them that a relationship needs respect and communication from both sides. They write entire lists and articles on what to do and then tell you at the end to "just be yourself!" How can you be yourself when they've just given you 20 things that are completely not you guaranteed to get you a hot guy. 

Also, some of the writing really gets dumbed down, like limited vocabulary, repetitive material, and an excess of exclamation points. Makes you feel as dumb as they think you are.

Then they devote too much time to fashion and makeup. Oh, yeah, I get it, I get it. That's what us girls are into. And yeah, I like fashion. I like shopping and clothes. But I don't want to flip through 50 pages of 'makeup tips' and how to get new hairstyles.There are so many features on how to look great, be it with these clothes, this makeup, that hairstyles. But shouldn't the message be about being yourself and learning what really matters? I'm sick of seeing these articles, like it's all that matters. Occasionally you see a good article on eating disorders or something but then you turn the page and there's a page of some skinny girl that we will never look like.I know that girls like to experiment with makeup and clothes, that's fine, and sometimes these magazines have good tips. But...why so much?

Oh, and then there is how they desperately try to keep up with the times, with 'cool' lingo.Everything from 'groovy' to 'rents' is used constantly to make it sound like they're down with the times. I just think it sounds like the writers are psychos who watch too much of the Brady Bunch. I mean, I really hope no one comes up to me and goes 'hey, let's go partay with our BFFs and meet some hotties.' I would probably die laughing and then cry for humanity.

It's a vicious cycle. Teenage girls read these magazines, act out what it says, and the magazines keep printing out the same garbage because it's what the girls respond to. Meanwhile, we aren't being exposed to anything remotely challenging, new or interesting in school and people keep trying to convince us that magazines IS reading! So a majority of us don't expand our minds or think beyond what these magazines tell us.

I get that girls like these magazines. And there's nothing wrong with a little girl time, to get some new hair tips. But I think these magazines should be giving girls real advice and useful information instead of the same, useless crap again and again. And then they turn around and go on about how the younger generation doesn't read good literature or listen to good music.

End rant.