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Strollerderby
Do Tween Magazines Need a PG Rating?
Just about all of my nine-year-old’s friends are avid readers of tween fashion and entertainment magazines. Pixie, Girls Life and others can be found stuffed in their backpacks and strewn about their bedrooms. But while these magazines may look like a harmless distraction for a young girl, they are often packed with information and advice about something girls this age should be worrying about: Appearances.
The month’s issue of Girls Life, which is marketed to girls aged 10 to 15, is fairly typical. It features an article titled “383 Ways to Look Hot” and a quiz called “Are You a Bold Babe?” Pixie, Bop and Tiger Beat are all similarly fixated on appearances and promote a celebrity focused mentality that borders on obsession.
My own girl was a reader of those magazines for about a day. Once I got a look at Miley Cyrus complaining she was fat, some other Disney star describing what makes a boy hot and yet another giving makeup and diet tips, I decided this was not appropriate reading material for my elementary school-aged girl.
And clearly I am not alone. The YWCA women’s organization in Australia thinks parents need a heads-up on magazines that teach young girls to be critical of their bodies and are urging publishers to adopt a system in which these types of magazines would earn a PG rating.
Jill Pengelley from The Advertiser in Adelaide explains the move, which garnered support from 75% of the respondents in a recent survey on the matter.
The early sexualization of girls through magazines and video clips, which provide instruction to six-year-olds on sex and how to dress and dance in sexually provocative ways, has gone too far. Concern about body image is common in teenagers but had its roots in childhood. … You’ve got toddlers in bras and we’ve heard of six-year-olds with eating disorders.”
Like most parents, I had no idea what was in these magazines until I actually read one. But based on conversations with other parents, not all of us take the time to peek between those glossy covers to see what our kids are reading. While I don’t think a ratings system for magazines should be necessary, if it helps parents make better choices for their girls, then I am all for it.
But what magazines are appropriate and interesting for young girls on the cusp of their teen years? We’ve only found one that we can both agree on: Discovery Girls. It features real girls – not models, actresses or celebrities – sharing their problems, hopes and dreams. And most importantly, it encourages girls to love themselves just the way they are.
What does your girl read?
Image: AMMY.LOU/Flickr
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16 Comments
[...] Do Tween Magazines Need a PG Rating? [...]
BFFs: Do Kids Need Them? | Strollerderby commented on Jun 17 10 at 11:07 am[...] Do tween magazines need ratings? (As someone who learned most of what I know now about boys and beauty from "Seventeen Magazine," I [...]
Ypulse Essentials: Small Businesses Go Social, Teen Web Series Takes Off, Disney Buys Trending Topic | Ypulse commented on Jun 17 10 at 4:15 pm[...] Do tween magazines need ratings? (As someone who learned most of what I know now about boys and beauty from “Seventeen [...]
Ypulse Essentials: Small Businesses Go Social, Teen Web Series Takes Off, Disney Buys Trending Topic | Hollywood Teen commented on Jun 18 10 at 4:47 am[...] The rating game Growing up is hard to do; luckily, tween and teen magazines like Girls’ Life and SIX7*8TH have [...]
inkpop Fundamentals: June 22, 2010 « Inkpop Blog commented on Jun 22 10 at 9:02 am[...] parents, we combat this issue in many different ways. I refuse to allow beauty magazines in my house and often talk to my own tween about what’s real, what isn’t and why none [...]
Girls Scouts PSA Misses the Point with Plus Sized Models | Strollerderby commented on Jul 29 10 at 4:17 pmAnonimon commented on Jun 16 10 at 8:17 pmWe have a subscription to Kiki Magazing (http://www.kikimag.com/) for out daughter (aged 9). I love the tag line “for girls with style and substance.” There is quite a bit of reader submitted material and all of it is age appropriate. They describe the magazine far better than I could, “Kiki is a magazine for girls who love life, appreciate creativity, and recognize good ideas. A Kiki reader thinks for herself, has her own look, and is on her way to being a confident, strong, and smart young woman. She’s a girl with style and substance!”
LindaLou commented on Jun 16 10 at 8:18 pmMy 13 year old has never owned a magazine like this and I’m glad.
paulabernstein commented on Jun 16 10 at 10:12 pmI’m relieved that my 8 1/2 year old has no interest in these magazines and none of her friends do either.
PlumbLucky commented on Jun 17 10 at 7:35 amDidn’t have “tweenie” mags as a tween. Had the old Sassy (before it was bought out by whoever wrecked it and closed it). There were articles on appearance, but they were more on how to rock what you had, not how to conform to look “hot”.
Ella commented on Jun 17 10 at 11:53 amI don’t buy celebrity or style magazines at all. I think this will go a long way towards discouraging my daughter from getting them. Unless she has some kind of job at age 8, I don;t even think it will be an issue (pun intended.)
Johanna commented on Jun 17 10 at 1:21 pmI always loved New Moon, and got it for my younger sister for many years as well. http://www.newmoon.com/
Laura commented on Jun 17 10 at 5:04 pmTeen Voices is a great alternative to these magazines. It’s written entirely by and for teen girls, and encourages teens to challenge media images of teen girls and women. Check it out! http://www.teenvoices.com
Denise Restauri commented on Jun 17 10 at 5:37 pmComments We just posted a blog on AllyKatzz.com… asking tween girls… what magazines do YOU read? Stay tuned!
MomofBeans commented on Jun 18 10 at 11:49 amI got Sassy too! It was such a cool magazine.
lockandkey commented on Jun 18 10 at 1:49 pmMy mom was the one who got my sister and I Justine magazine. It only has real people on the cover.
Ana Valencia commented on May 10 11 at 10:59 pmI just gathered up all of my High School aged daughter, Veronicas’ fashion magazines(Latina,Glamour,Seventeen, and Cosmo) and Shredded them and tossed them into the trash where they belong. The main reason why I did this is because she brings these magazines to school and reads them when she is supposed to be paying attention in school. She has gotten in trouble with her teachers and I have received phone calls from her teacher stating that she had to confiscate Veronicas’ magazines because she would not put them away when she was asked to do so. Her teacher asked me what i would like done with the magazines and I replied ” Tear them up and throw them away because I am not going to waste my time to come pick them up they are garbage” This has happened before I have told Veronica that I am going to do something that she Probably won’t like if I receive another phone call from her teachers. Well it happened again so out went themagazines and it felt good destroying that trash. When she came home I went through her bag while she went into her room and found the newest issue of Latina magazine and A J-Lo Glamour magazine from last year I took them and waited until she came back into the kitchen to ask me where are her magazines. When she came I showed her the 2 magazines I found and I tore them up and walked them over to the fireplace and Burned them and I replied “All your magazines are gone, Your teacher told me You are getting a D+ in the class and It’s because of this trash” She Cried but I replied, “tough, I told you I was going to do something the next time this happens well live with it” You should not be reading this garbage anyway It is Bad and not good for young ladies your age to be reading”
I know it sounds strict but I warned her and I’m sorry Education is more important to me than fashion.
After that I told my daughter I love her that’s why I did what I did.
How would You have handled the issue?
Thanks for reading and please feel free to email me at ana.valencia39@yahoo.com
Ms. Ana Valencia
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