Task 3: Essay

To what extent should magazines be held responsible for the social ramifications of representations they offer?

Magazines aimed at teenage girls are often held responsible for the influences they have on society. This essay will take into account the positives and negatives magazine front covers have with regards to the socialisation of young teenage girls. The five magazines I have gathered my research from are Cosmo Girl, Bliss, More, Shout and Go Girl. 

When analysing various front covers of girl magazines, I found that the magazines have a substantial influence towards the fashion of teenage girls. Take for example Go Girl (shown in reference 1). This front cover uses plugs in relation to fashion to  encourage a young audience of girls to read the magazine and gain that ‘important advice’ on what to wear. Moreover, the picture plastered of Emma Watson also hocks a young audience of readers into following a similar fashion to her as she was highly popular at the time the magazine was printed due to the Harry Potter films.

Shout, another magazine also influences young teenage girls in relation to fashion and what they should look like through again plugs. However, this front cover has recommendations on what accessories you should have and what an ‘ideal’ girl would look like. Taking into account the ideal girl is the media's opinion.

Reference 2

A positive aspect on these teenage girl magazines are the colours used. Even though each of the five magazines have a unique colour co-ordination, the colours are seen to persuade young girls in thinking more positively  The social ramifications of these magazines are frequently negative, but the colour brings forth a more positive effect as it benefits a young teenagers thoughts and opinions although, only to a certain extent. For example: Shout has a wide contrast of bright colours. This results into the magazine appealing to the audience of teenage girls because it influences more positivity. Furthermore, this is only to a certain extent as we witness that the colours are usually used to contribute towards something negative.  

Even though, these magazines are aimed at young teenage girls, teenage boys are also represented but only in a limited way. When collating my research from the five front covers, the teenage boys represented are based purely on the ideal look and personality. This also is sexualising teenage girls as the  social ramifications are in relation to who to be with and like.  Take more for example, even though this magazine isn't necessary aimed at young teenage girls, men are still represented in a sexualising manor. This shows that a high percentage of female magazines are all in relation to similar areas. 

Cosmopolitan - another female magazine doesn't have an audience of teenage girls although, the magazine is a key aspect in proving some of the consequences female magazines do have through their representations. As stated, Cosmopolitan is more for an older audience of females likewise, it still relates to young teenage girl magazines as it is something that has always been represented in the media. Anything from men to make up, fashion to gossip, it is all consisted in a majority of female magazines. This shows that the media has represented glossy, gossipy, men loving females to be the norms of society.


Cosmo girl is a typical suggestion for a teenage magazine that ties in to the aims and objectives of other female magazines (even aimed at an older audience) with pull quotes, left thirds talking about men, the next good thing to have, a fancy feminine colour scheme, plugs and much more of the endless list.

To summarise  teenage magazines should be held responsible for the social ramifications they give. This is because from analysing numerous amount of front covers, I have discovered that most magazines are influential in a form of sexualising or fashion. Further to this, it is almost impossible for someone to come across a traditional looking female magazine as the media have encouraged the bright ambitious colours to become the norms of how girls attract. Fundamentally,  when taking into consideration some positives of the front covers on a female magazine, I was bombarded with negative analytical comments. This argues that teenage girl magazines are and continue to be of disadvantage to teenage socialisation.