If there's one thing I've noticed about women in general, it's that we all have some type of issue with our bodies. Outside influences like magazines, movies, and TV can have such a powerful affect on the way women see themselves, and this is unnerving to me because it seems out of my control.
You start getting this pressure to look a certain way really early on. There are magazines out there like teen vogue, seventeen, and J-14. Instead of emphasizing internal beauty, they focus on things like makeup, fitness, celebrities, and fashion. They put girls on the covers of these magazines with a very particular aesthetic in mind. These magazines start girls out with unrealistic ideas of what it means to be an attractive person.
Because of these magazines, and the way women are portrayed in the media in general, women have-in a way-lost their sense of self worth. Not everybody can look like the blond haired, blue eyed, size 2 model you see on the covers of some of these popular magazines. If more people could just realize this-and be willing to embrace their own individual beauty and character-the world would be a much better place. I hope that this eventually happens.
In order for this to happen, I think that women need to start being portrayed differently in the media. Girls need to be asked to steer clear of the mainstream magazines, and be pushed towards magazines with a focus on individuality. I was thinking of something similar to Bust or Bitch, but maybe geared toward a younger audience.
I understand that magazines without the 'fashion tips' and 'beauty trends' will most likely not be mainstream any time soon, but even if just a few young girls were to read positive magazines similar to Bust, it will be a huge step forward. I really do think that magazines like this can eventually change society, and if there is something similar geared towards young girls, it will really have a positive impact on the world we live in.
With all this in mind, I'm wondering: Are there any magazines out there right now geared towards younger girls that promote a positive self image? If so, I would love to know about them.
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The first that comes to mind (and only, unfortunately) is New Moon Magazine. The magazine is geared to girls 8 - 12 yrs old and features articles and artwork by their subscribers. I've been trying to get my daughter to submit her artwork ever since she turned 8 but she's a bit private about her drawings.
Here's the url to their online mag:
http://www.newmoon.com/
Hopefully, they'll get a lot of unintended traffic from people looking for the new Twilight movie. Hopefully.
I second New Moon. I also really liked Cricket as a girl. It is aimed at both girls and boys, but it encourages creativity and courage.
http://www.musemag.com/pages_content.asp?page_id=1
Joan
We don't "all" have some type of issue with our bodies.
Some of us never had body-related self-image problems. Some of us had them and overcame them.
Media is powerful...but it isn't mind control.
The number of women who've never had body image problems is really small. It's awesome if you are one of them, but if you are, you are a minority. Saying media isn't mind control is true, but don't underestimate the powerful impact that is has on people, individually and collectively.
I'm hoping to help my daughter be a part of a growing number of girls who are satisfied with who they are. She's only 4 and already is showing signs of focusing on her appearance critically, despite the fact that we consciously avoid a lot of the constricting media images and grooming practices. Obviously, it's going to be a battle for her to just be happy with who she is.
I can't think of any magazines besides New Moon, either. It's pretty scary that I'll mostly just have try to keep magazines out of the house as my daughter grows up.
Shameless is a teen magazine, but I don't know if it's available outside Canada. http://www.shamelessmag.com/about/
While I'm no fan of teen magazines in general, I don't see why it's bad to "focus on... fitness." Taking care of one's health and well-being is, IMO, crucial to a healthy self-image.
I think what the OP may have been getting at was that the magazines in question focus on fitness for the sake of looking good or being skinny instead of fitness for the sake of being healthy, which is problematic.
Thanks for the suggestions!