• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Because dads don’t always think like moms™

  • Dad
    • Celebrities
    • Gay Dads
    • Sex
    • Single Dads
  • Pregnancy
    • Labor or Delivery
    • Pregnant Wife
  • Baby
    • Baby Naming
    • Feeding
    • Sleep
    • Toilet Training
  • Kids
  • Teens
  • Activities
    • Local
    • By Age
    • Movie Reviews
    • Celebrations
  • Toys
    • We Recommend
    • Toys
  • Coaching for Dads
  • Great Dad Talks Podcast
You are here: Home / Authors / Why Teen Magazines Might be Bad for Your Daughter?

Why Teen Magazines Might be Bad for Your Daughter?

April 8, 2009 by Joe Kelly Leave a Comment

Back when you and I were kids, girls read Seventeen magazine hoping to learn how to look and good get a date.  Today, even with cable and the internet, young girls still turn to Seventeen, Cosmo Girl and Teen Vogue (and their websites) with the same hopes.  Girls today have many more life opportunities than they did a generation ago, so why are their most widely-read magazines still in a hyper-sexualized, hyper-consumerism time warp?

Because they care about making money off our daughters, while giving only cynical lip service to caring about their best interests and well-being.

The big-name “teen” girl magazines are driven by ads, which fill 75% of the pages.  Ad sales drive the publisher’s profits.  This translates to lots of articles about doing just about anything to get a boy’s attention, fads, fashion, makeup, music, movies, celebrities and deluge of “must-buy” products.  Both ads and articles prey upon a girl’s normal desire to be popular and attractive, telling our daughters and stepdaughters that they are lacking and need those “must-buy” products to fit in or measure up.

Don’t underestimate the brainwashing effects when those messages are repeated over and over. Numerous studies show a drop self-confidence and healthy body image after only a few minutes of reading fashion and beauty magazines. Then, remember that 17-year-olds wouldn’t be caught dead reading Seventeen; they’ve moved on to Cosmopolitan.  Seventeen as its sorry sisters aim their toxins at girls as young as 9 and 10.

How can we protect girls from these hostile messages?  Ban the magazines?  I don’t advocate that, even though our daughters eventually banned Seventeen themselves, because they felt depressed after reading it.  Tween and teen girls need to make such decisions themselves.  Rather than turning Cosmo Girl into forbidden fruit, try this:

  • Read her magazines so you can converse casually (not lecture her!) about them.
  • Tell her ahead of time at what age you will allow her to read certain magazines.
  • Look critically at the adult magazines you read and their effects on you and her.
  • Ask her what articles and ads she liked in each issue and why. Listen for her underlying emotional needs and think about other ways you can help her meet them.
  • Educate yourself on how advertising and media images are manipulated with Photoshop® and other techniques. Show her the short film “Evolution”.
  • Ask her what she thinks is real and unreal in each issue and why.
  • Ask her what effect she thinks an article or ad is trying to have on readers.
  • Express your opinions (after listening to hers) about the articles/ads.
  • Provide her with alternatives like New Moon Girls (www.newmoon.com) and Teen Voices (www.teenvoices.com), even if she doesn’t ask for them. It’s like stocking the kitchen with healthy snacks, even if she begs only for chips and soda.
  • Cut up images and words from old magazines with her to create articles and ads with respectful, nurturing messages. Compare them to the usual fare.

Most important, keep the communication lines open and trust that feeding her “father hunger” is the best way you can help her mature, gain self-confidence, and ultimately find shallow, hyper-sexualized magazines less interesting.

                                                                                                                        – Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly is a father, author,
blogger, activist, and primary media source on fathering. He has
written several books including the best-seller Dads and Daughters.

Filed Under: Authors

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks
Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews

149. Winning College Applications with Hamada Zahawi
byPaul Banas

In this episode of Great Dad Talks, I sit down with admissions expert Hamada Zahawi to discuss everything parents and students need to know about getting into great colleges and universities. Whether you’re aiming for undergraduate, business, or law school, Hamada shares honest, practical advice on navigating the admissions process, finding financial aid, crafting compelling essays, and the power of authentic storytelling.

Check out Hamada’s website at writetrackadmissions.com

Visit these links and embark on the path to becoming the best parent you can be:

– GreatDad.com/coaching 

– GreatDad.com/pq 

– Gratitude course: bit.ly/3NMLDNC  

50% off for podcast listeners with code PODCAST50

149. Winning College Applications with Hamada Zahawi
149. Winning College Applications with Hamada Zahawi
June 10, 2025
Paul Banas
148. Healing Generational Trauma with Dr. Sasha Reiisi
June 3, 2025
Paul Banas
147. Discovering Dad’s Purpose with Adam Landrum
May 27, 2025
Paul Banas
146. Balancing Business and Family with Dr. Travis Parry
May 20, 2025
Paul Banas
145. Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus
May 13, 2025
Paul Banas
144. Exploring Mindful Fatherhood with Odeani Mc Bean
May 6, 2025
Paul Banas
143. Overcoming Dad Burnout with Scott Anderson
April 29, 2025
Paul Banas
142. Building Resilient Kids with Dr. Richard Oelberger
April 24, 2025
Paul Banas
141. Exploring Men’s Sexual Health with Dr. Elliot Justin
April 22, 2025
Paul Banas
140. Instilling Values and Financial Literacy with Barclay Roper
April 15, 2025
Paul Banas
Search Results placeholder

More to See

Balancing Business and Family with Dr. Travis Parry

May 20, 2025 By Paul Banas

Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus

May 21, 2025 By Paul Banas

Copyright © 2025 . GreatDad