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.