Letter to Seventeen

Dear Seventeen Magazine,

Your magazine is a wide reaching publication with over 13 million readers. Though, as the title suggests, it is targeted towards girls in their mid-teens it is also popular among preadolescents. Girls in this age group are in a crucial stage of development. Not only are they experiencing physical but also cognitive, emotional, and social changes. They are seeking to form their own identities while simultaneously trying to fit in with their peers and the latest trends.
Research has shown that teens and preteens are highly influenced by the media (Hogan & Strasburger, 2008). I’ve been there. I’ve waited for the latest additions of fashion magazines to hit the shelves and poured over the pages searching for tips on how to make curls last longer, how to sculpt washboard abs, what to say to guys I like or what to wear to prom. It all seems like harmless fun, but after being exposed to image after image of what an ideal body is supposed to be like, you start to question how well you measure up. Girls at this age are especially venerable to social comparison and will often go to great lengths to ensure they fit what society tells them is desirable. Studies have shown that girls who are exposed to media that portrays a thin–ideal of women feel worse about themselves (Stice, Spangler, & Ag Ras, 2001, Harrison & Hefner, 2006). There is also a correlation between magazine reading among young girls and symptoms of eating disorders.
Of course I realize there are plenty of other factors that contribute to this problem and that magazines are not the sole reason for body image issues. Moreover, I acknowledge that Seventeen is no stranger to marketing strategy and that the content which fills its pages is there because it makes a profit showing that there is a public interest. Ultimately the choice of what to read is in the hands of each individual teen. Yet knowing that so many teen girls do choose to read this magazine places an even greater responsibility on Seventeen’s shoulders.
I draw your attention to the well-known Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. This marketing plan has used real women as models and asked the public to consider what true beauty is. Not only were they successful from a business standpoint, but they have also made a bold stand for the importance of women accepting and loving the way they are rather than encouraging them to fit into some sort of unrealistic cookie cutter ideal.
Seventeen is leader in the teen magazine industry. There is a great potential to lead out in a return to reality. Rather than feature stick thin celebrities with breast implants, Seventeen should show a broader variety of body types and place less emphasis on appearance. Why not fill your magazine with content readers can relate to? Why not fill it with articles that inspire and help them realize that there is more to life than how they look? Lift their sights away from the scale, away from the mirror, away from the toilet bowl. Help them see that true beauty is more than eye shadow that matches their stilettos. It is something that exists apart from being a certain size or age or hair color. These girls are the future, help them discover what is truly important and give them the confidence they need to change our world for the better.

Real Quick...

So I'm in the SWKT computer lab reviewing slides for a test and as I glance at the screen of the guy next to me, I see a World of Warcraftish game. Really? I know I should keep my eyes on my own screen and that people need breaks (I check facebook every now and then) but I guess I just thought most guys at BYU were beyond that.

Recent Media Encounters

*I really enjoyed our lecture about home videos the other day, it brought up a lot of happy memories. My family is very into home movies. My brother took a film class in high school and is talented at editing them. We often make our own movies for fun and then watch them as a family. It really brings us together and we'll even quote our home movies like we would any other film.
*My roommate is really into netflicks and this week, she got the first season of Doogie Houser Md, a show from the early 90s. I vaguely remember watching this on TV and not really understanding the plot or anything. The episode we watched last night was full of sexual references and it reminded me of when we talked in class about how our viewing experience changes as we get older.
*A few days ago, I saw The Year My Parents Went on Vacation at the International Cinema. Foreign Films are so interesting. I feel like they're either really good or really weird. There plots tend to be a little slower and the content more random than American films. They also tend to be pretty depressing. I wonder why this is or if there are any content analysis studies about foreign films versus American ones and what they say/reflect about our culture?

Shout Out to Sarah Western

I'm not a big tech junkie. I do like listening to music when I work out sometimes, but a lot of times, I like to just run to clear my mind. When I wanted some tunes, I would bring my old cd player with my "Gym Mix" cds that I burned. That didn't last long though because the cd player stopped working. So I used an old cassette player and listened to a tape of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. But that got old pretty quick. So I've been without a personal music player for several months now. Until last week when my stinker Mom and brother sent me an ipod shuffle. They are pretty incredible. The thing is this shuffle came with a stipulation- it was only for inspirational music.
See I sometimes have a hard time not listening to voices of negativity and doubt. It's like a runaway train. My mom's hope was that sending me a shuffle with uplifting music would help in some way to counter those negative thoughts.
Don't get me wrong, my mom is babe to do that for me. But at first I thought some of the EFY, Kenneth Cope, etc songs were a little cheesy. Plus I'm not used to having the option of listening to music at my convenience. But this morning I was getting ready and thought, why not? So I pulled out the shuffle and it made a big difference. I know this may sound a little cheesy, but the music really did help bring the Spirit into my day and drown out destructive thoughts. It was a great way to start the day and good to have these songs stuck in my head. I particularly like "The Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns. It reminds me that we have a choice of what we listen to.
This experience reminds me of one Sarah Western blogged about last week. So I will add my voice to hers in saying that music really can influence us for good and can be pretty powerful if we allow it to.