Reviews For Seventeen Magazine

I was originally bought this magazine by a well meaning relative who wanted to give me more reading materials. I have kept the subscription going since then, but I lately have been disappointed with the content of this magazine. The average age of readers has seemed to increasingly drop and also the content has lowered.
After reading magazines like JUMP, I realize that Seventeen's tired "how to get a boy" and angsty stories are old and boring. Other magazines focus on how great girls are and how much they need to be nurtured. Seventeen just tells us the "right" way to act to score that boy. Other magazines feature plus size models or at least larger models than waif size. Seventeen's models look like they haven't eaten in years.
Other magazines one might like are GIRL (put out by the same people who put together MODE) and JUMP. Both are more girl positive and body image friendly. They also aren't trying to make us grow up quickly.


Recommended:
No

Particular reasons why I buy this magazine? I don't. As a teenage girl myself, this magazine along with Teen and other what-have-you's, makes me sick. These magazines are well composed hypocriticy. They tell girls to be who they really are; every person is special and unique. This is why they are sure to show the super model gorgeous/anorexic/dominantly white girls in their pictures and ads. Because the world doesn't have anyone else worthy enough to cross their pages. But it is not just their superficial (and somewhat staged) stories, Seventeen promotes looks. The proof is laced throughout the magazine: what styles are in, make-up hints and tips, how to get great buns/arms/legs/back/other-desired-body-part-insert-here. Paying attention to looks is nice and all, but until everything else that the world has to offer becomes ludicrously dull, looks will be on hold.

Side thought: In the latest issue, there was a quiz about being confident ("How Confident Are you?"). Now girls, think long. Think hard. Do we need a magazine to tell us if we are confident? Of course not. We know because obviously, some of us aren't. We have these magazines to thank for that.


Recommended:
No

The Seventeen magazine is not realistic. All over the magazine, there are skinny as stick models, and no realistic models. What message is being sent to teens? They often say that eating disorder is a huge problem in the United States, but still, they are unwilling to support their own opinion. I have never seen realistic models that are normal girls' size. Often, they contradict their own beliefs and opinions with the contents of the magazine. Seventeen is not a good gift at all, no matter their age. The magazine starts young girls' hatred toward them selves. Now, what kind of teenage fashion magazine is that?


Recommended:
No

Seventeen has been around for more years than I care to count. Even back in my teenish days, I was once a faithful subscriber to Seventeen. (Let's just say that was over 10 years ago). I am still surprised that this magazine is still in circulation, but both my neices love this magazine. One is 13, the other is 7.

The Pros

Seventeen offers a wide range of informative articles on topics that primarily interest teens. There are several advice columns that serve to advise the young lady how to capture the male of her dreams and also advise the young lady on how to extend her curfew. Hm.

Other articles of advice contain the latest fashions for teens, and where the clothing can be purchased from. The latest make ups, and of course-as with all ladies magazines, the latest diet and healthy eating tips.

There are also interviews with hot bands like BackStreet Boys and N'Sync with nice size photos of the groups, perfect for hanging on the wall.

The Cons

Like most women's magazines, the models used are super skinny. Some are so skinny that the collar bones are visible as well as the small bones in the wrists. The magazine will tell the young ladies to be happy with themselves the way they are, and then feature a drop dead gorgeous skinny model advertising some item that has a man drooling over her. The oxymoronicness of this is incredible.

Also, the fashion/make up might look good in Hollywood, but in most places, the girls will look like the typical hooker on Third street.

The magazine places too much emphasis on obtaining and keeping a man.

All in All

All in all I do not reccommend this magazine to anyone due to the contradictions between the articles and the ads. I feel our teens have enough pressure without a publication pressuring them into catching a man, and keeping him.




Recommended:
No

I was a regular reader of this magazine from approximately age 12-16. I can't remember how many times I cried because I couldn't afford that Betsey Johnson dress or couldn't wear a size 0. Now that I'm a semi responsible semi-adult I see their point of view. The jaded "anorexic girls are so cute in miniskirts" "Oh my god this magazine like totally tells me how to like make friends" Point of view, if you get my drift. Seventeen Magazine supposedly has articles that girls can relate to. I could really relate to "Oh my god I booked myself for 5 dates tonight which one should i choose?" It puts down being different and making your own decisions about what you want to be like and upholds the whole valley girl cheerleader teenage lifestyle. That severely scares me now that I look back. I actually picked up a copy of this magazine at my local bookstore only to find out that it has gotten WORSE. I mean now they show plus sized women, right next to twigs. It's that whole stupid idea that if you put a supposedly pretty girl and a supposedly less attractive girl together the pretty one looks prettier. (Come on, I know some of you have done it before!) Unless there are drastic changes made I'll see to it that when I have children they're not exposed to such degrading filth. I'll give them a copy of a tattoo magazine or something =).


Recommended:
No

Seventeen... A magazine read by teens nationwide that is supposed to help you "snag your true love", make you look like a perfect model in minutes, and get you on your way to super stardom! I don't think so. Although some may find this type of entertainment intriguing I find it offensive to the average human teenager. Who came up with the rule that you HAD to look perfect everyday and spend millions doing it?
What's wrong with being an individual goofball instead of just another one of those popular wannabe faces in a dying crowd? Come on! In my opinion this magazine is not only putting the focus of teens lives on a "live for the moment, face it tomorrow" basis, it's also putting contradictory ideas of a perfect life that's so easily put into the heads of its consumers.
Instead of focusing on the physical beauty comparison that throw teens into states of depression this magazine should work toward advertising a new idea of real beauty, the beauty no one tries to understand. The beauty of self-confidence and carriage. The beauty that no one wants to admit they want.


Recommended:
No

Seventeen magazine is indeed, one of the most downright evil publications that I have ever held in my hands. It's full of contradicting, conflicting ideas telling young girls to love themselves, that they are just beautiful just the way they are then articles on how to drop pounds, diets, and various ways to 'look better.' It tells them what they should think, what's "cool", how they should look and subscribes to the "tall, skinny, athletic, white" standard of beauty. The pages are full of crappy articles on hair products and how to get a boyfriend. This magazine is a joke, profiting off young girls insecurity. and it's full of stupid ads.


Recommended:
No

As a young teen I used to buy this magazine all the time,and now i look back and am frightened.Dont get me wrong,the magazine has some good articles about stuff that young teenage girls should be aware of,but i find most of the magazine to be just a bunch phony bolonga.

I dont suppose its much different than any other teen magazine for this matter,but I think Seventeen is the most popular.It has pictures of all the young hollywood stars,trendy products to buy,and blah blah blah.

I think this magazine would be so much better if they focused not so much on the gossip in hollywood or what have you,its so full of rumors and such,i just found out that britney spears is supposed to marry some guy from nsync.I mean,come on,can all these lies really be so entertaining?

and also,all the stick thin models,i think it all gives teenagers the insecurities that they really dont need during this stage of growing up.I remember reading these magazines,and saying 'wow,I wish I looked like her".maybe thats why it took so long for me to like myself for me.

teens need a positive influence.Im not sure this is the solution.


Recommended:
No

I read Seventeen faithfully as a teenage girl in the late 70's, but it was nothing like the magazine is today.

My daughters are 14 and 11, but very mature minded for their ages. I recently picked up one to browse through to see if it was appropriate for them, and was astonished that it really wasn't even appropriate for seventeen year olds! What has happened to our moral standards.

Where the magazine used to talk about "talking to boys", or "how to let a boy know you like him", it now covers topics on kissing, and even sex.

We have a policy with our magazines for the kids. I read through them first, and staple together pages that they don't need to see. (Darn right it's censorship!). Well when I was through reading through this one, I just stapled the whole book shut.

Have our moral standards gotten so low that we passively allow our daughters to read this? Not me, anyway. I still have the right of censorship in our home, and tend to exercise that right constantly!


Recommended:
Yes

Before I start reviewing, I just want to say that I think girls should not be subjected to this magazine!

What about the models?
I am so totally against those model people because they are stick thin! I mean, there is nothing wrong with a few thin models, but stick thin? And if they talk about girls loving themselves and being confident, then why do they put in all stick thin models?

What about the quizzes?
STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! Does that answer the question?

What about articles about the "in" clothing?
Those things are so stupid! I mean, I want to wear stuff that people won't go eeeeew about, (jeans and shirts), but I don't care about the "in" jeans or shirts! Plus, if they talk about what the most killer shoes are or something like that, my answer would be "Who cares about killer shoes? How about you find shoes that you can walk in without killing your feet?"

Any good things to say about this magazine?
Yeah, it's good for burning!

So what are your real issues with this magazine?
Oh, I could write a book with all of my issues. Like I said above about the models being stick thin. And what is with them saying that "big" is a size 6-8 or whatever? I am like a ten, and I am NOT "big"! I'm a normal sized girl! Also, I could care less about their whole fashion stuff! Like who cares, anyway? And then there's the issue of self-confidence! I have had problems with my self confidence, with the way I look, the way I dressed. But that was me, it wasn't a magaizne that did it. But ti's sad when it's a magazine that could bring a normally happy or confident girl down! And since the main readers are 12 and above, that makes it even sadder! Another thing is that us teens, and even pre-teens, don't need to grow up nearly as fast as Seventeen wants us to! We're still kids! The last issues I have is the overall superficialness. And now I'm done ranting.

Recommended:
No