Key Facts - Tweens, Teens and Magazines

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (Fall 2004). Key Facts - Tweens, Teens and Magazines. Retreived June 15, 2010 from the H.J. Kaiser Foundation wesite at http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/Tweens-Teens-and-Magazines-Fact-Sheet.pdf

This fact sheets provides an historical overview of magazines for teens. Seventeen magazine was first published in the 1940s. The teen magazine market grew immensely in the 1990s, responding to the fast growing teen population. New titles came out, some focusing on the entertainment industry and celebrities, others focused on beauty and fashion. A few magazines address social issues and self-development.

Additionally, the fact sheet indicated research about the role of teen magazines in girls’ lives. “Studies found that teens consider these magazines to be a valued source of advice. Another study interviewed 12 and 13 year old girls who were regular reader of teen magazines and found that the girls used the magazines to “formulate their concepts of femininity and relied heavily on articles that featured boys’ opinions about how to gain male approval and act in relationships with males”. In contrast, magazines for boys are about gaming, sports (skateboarding and basketball were especially popular in my school library this past year), cars and music.

Facts about the relationship of teen magazines and the web revealed that magazine publishers promote an online presence to maintain readers’ interest and utilize a network of ‘trendspotters’ on the web to stay abreast of trends in youth culture. Some online sites: http://www.teenvogue.com/ , http://www.thrashermagazine.com/ , http://www.seventeen.com/ , http://www.j-14.com/