Magazine Impact on

Adolescent Development
Aureja Budrys, Mikayla Locke,
Thomas Maranian, Yuwei Wang
Magazine Facts
96% of people younger than 25 read
magazines either in print or digital form.

The heaviest readers tend to be under

35.

In 2014, 100% of college students

reported reading a magazine in the last
year, 90% in the last month.

Consumer magazine categories explored

in this research include celebrity and
entertainment, fashion magazines, mens
magazines, sports magazines, and youth
magazines.
Baran, S. J. (2014). Introduction to Mass Communication
Media Literacy and Culture. McGraw Hill Education.
 Magazine Analysis
The Effect of Men's Magazines on Adolescent Boys Emotional, Physical and Relational
Development.

Large body of research on magazines impact on boys and girls and not enough research on
particular types of magazines.

The Effect of Magazine Content on the Mental, Physical, and Relational

Development of Adolescents Aged Fourteen to Seventeen
Communication Theories
 Social Cognitive Theory
Implies human functioning as a result of personal,
behavioral, and environmental influences.

Social Learning or Observational Learning

leads adolescents to view magazine content and
desire to either look, act, or eat like the models or
celebrities within the magazine.

The media can affect audiences thoughts, feelings,

and behaviors.

Adolescents tend to replicate and copy what they

see in the media. They change the way they look,
act, and behave according to celebrity lifestyle.

There are rewards for being attractive while there

are consequences for being unattractive
Hoffman, C. P., Lutz, C., Meckel, M., & Ranzini, G. (2015). Diversity by Choice: Applying a Social Cognitive Perspective to the Role of
Public Service Media in the Digital Age. International Journal Of Communication (19328036), 91360-1381.
 Social Cognitive and Sociocultural Theory

The Sociocultural theory suggests that the thin body which media portrays comes from Western
societys view on the ideal.

The ideal body image is in direct correlation with how adolescents think, feel, and behave with
regard to their own physical attributes (T. Morrison, Kalin, & M. Morrison, 2004).

In one case study, 2500 questionnaires were administered to boys and girls in high schools from Nova
Scotia, Canada.

The survey asked how many times each worked out per week, how many times they have decided to
either gain or lose weight, whether they have used diet pills to lose weight, and whether they have used
steroids in the past for muscle gain.

Morrison, T. G., Kalin, R., & Morrison, M. A. (2004). Body-Image Evaluation and Body-Image Investment Among Adolescents: A Test of
Sociocultural and Social Comparison Theories. Adolescence, 39(155), 571-572.
 Continued - Results and Analysis
Boys

More likely to use steroids for gaining muscle mass as a result of exposure to Mens
Magazines.

Girls

More likely to be cautious of weight gain because they were exposed to far more magazines
that depict unrealistic body images in women.

These findings further the research that the body is seen as an object rather than a process.

To be acceptable and to look good, you have to be thin, slender, or muscular. (T.
Morrison, Kalin, & M. Morrison, 2004).

Morrison, T. G., Kalin, R., & Morrison, M. A. (2004). Body-Image Evaluation and Body-Image Investment Among Adolescents: A Test of Sociocultural and Social
Comparison Theories. Adolescence, 39(155), 571-572.
 Objectification Theory
Seeing and/or treating a person, as an object.

Relevance to magazines and adolescence: Sexual objectification of womens bodies in

media teaches women to internalize an outsiders perspective on the self.

Media has the tendency to value women only by their appearance.

Often leads to Self-Objectifying which is describing how your body appears instead of what
it can do or how it feels.

Sexual Objectification can be defined as basing value on sexual appeal and defining appeal
on narrow standards of attractiveness
Aubrey, J. S., Henson, J. R., Hopper, K. M., & Smith, S. E. (2009). A Picture is Worth Twenty Words (About the Self): Testing the Priming Influence of Visual
Sexual Objectification on Women's Self-Objectification. Communication Research Reports, 26(4), 271-284. doi:10.1080/08824090903293551
Graff, K. A., Murnen, S. K., Krause, A. K. (2013). Low-cut shirts and high-heeled shoes: increased sexualization across time in magazine depictions of girls.
Sex Roles, 69, 571-582).
 Media Frames and Frame Theory
Media Frames are important themes that are used to package information to the reader.

Through media frames, certain aspects of a story are given more attention than others.

Appearance frames were used frequently in stories about the body

Frame theory suggests that the framing of a particular aspect of a story can affect how the
viewers interpret and understand the information in the story.

Specific media frames found in magazines are appearance, informational and

empowerment.

Daniels, A. E., Layh, C. M., & Porzelius, K. L. (2016). Grooming ten-year-olds with gender stereotypes? A content analysis of preteen and teen girl magazines.
Elsevier International Journal of Research, 19, 57-67.
Research Findings & Themes
 Teen Magazines Impact on Female Readers
A national study in 2009 revealed that 35% of youths ages 8-18 read magazines in a
typical day and spent on average 26min per day in that activity
There are links between exposure to media images of beauty and body dissatisfaction
and eating disorders
Teen magazines have promoted the idea of female beauty as physical perfection
Next to parents, peers, school, and religion, the media are one of the strongest
influencers of adolescents sexual socialization
Appearance comprised more than half of the content of general stories and three
quarters of the advertising content

Daniels et al.
Joshi et al.
Labre et al.
 Magazine Sexualization
Content analysis looking at increased sexualization in magazine depictions of girls
1,649 images from Seventeen issues from 1971-2011
763 images from Girls Life from 1994-2011
Increase in total number of sexualizing characteristics across time in both
magazines (low cut tops and tight fitting clothing, midriff-baring outfit,
high-heeled shoes)
Decreased number of childlike characteristics in Girls Life across time
(polka-dot print, baby doll dresses)
Suggests that by the time a female is of teen age, it appears to be appropriate to depict
her in a sexualized manner.
Graff, K. A., Murnen, S. K., Krause, A. K. (2013). Low-cut shirts and high-heeled shoes: increased sexualization across time in magazine depictions of girls. Sex
Roles, 69, 571-582.
 Magazine Sexualization
Content analysis on the portrayal of women as sex objects and victims in 58 popular
U.S. magazine advertisements found:
Mens, womens, fashion, and female adolescent magazines were more likely to
portray women as sex objects and as victims
A women was defined as a sex object if her sexuality was being used to sell a
product
32.36% of advertisements in mens magazines included images of women and
75.98% of the time they were portrayed as sex objects
2 of 3 ads featuring women in adolescent girls magazines and womens
magazines presented women as sex objects
Stankiewicz, J. M., Rosselli, F. (2008). Women as sex objects and victims in print advertisements. Sex Roles, 58 579-589.
 Magazine Sexualization Continued
Belgium study investigated how exposure to sexualizing media was related to
internalization of appearance ideals, self-objectification, and body surveillance among
adolescent boys
Popular magazines present unrealistic appearance ideals that ignore mens
personalities and are associated with romantic and sexual success
Relationship between exposure to sexualizing media and self-objectification among
adolescent boys because magazines provide advice for changing ones appearance
No significant results for magazines due to limitations such as the model for self
objectification and examining multiple media contents together

Vandenbosch, L., Eggermont, S. (2013). Sexualization of adolescent boys: media exposure and boys internalization of appearance ideals, self-objectification, and
body surveillance. Men and Masculinities, 16(3), 283-306.
 Body Image
Peoples view of the ideal body image is
constantly changing.
Todays societal views on what is the ideal
is heavily impacted by media of all
content.
Magazines in particular play a huge role
in the thought process of what is sexy,
appealing, and attractive.
The content in magazines such as Sports
Illustrated, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, etc.
continue to change and shape the way
adolescents are viewing the ideal body
image of both males and females.

Malachowski, C. C., & Myers, S. A. (2013). Reconstructing the Ideal Body Image in Teen Fashion Magazines. Communication Teacher, 27(1),
33-37. doi:10.1080/17404622.2012.737926
 Fiction vs Reality
28 ninth grade high school students (13 boys and 15 girls) in the Southeastern part of
the United States took part in this test.
7 students were selected from 4 different classes based on ethnicity, sex, body
appearance, and performance throughout the school year.
Consent was given by parents, teachers, and the selected students to participate.
All participants were interviewed formally about their eating habits, physical activity,
and ideal body image.
They were then placed into individual private rooms to conduct the experiment.

Azzarito, L. (2009). The Panopticon of physical education: Pretty, active and ideally White. Physical Education And Sport Pedagogy, 14(1), 19-39.
doi:10.1080/17408980701712106
 Continued
For sure, girls want to try to get as skinny as they can... that is how they want to be, like
almost anorexic girls. I see almost anorexic girls looking like you know, they say, I
need to lose weight. They are crazy I guess they think they are fat all the time.
(Azzarito, 2009)

I know a lot of girls can look at her and say, Oh my gosh!!! Look at her, she could
probably do anything! I want to be like her because she is so skinny, and I know that boys
will always go after her, and I should be like that so I can get all the boys after me.
(Azzarito, 2009)

Will you survive if you dont live up to these portrayals?

Azzarito, L. (2009). The Panopticon of physical education: Pretty, active and ideally White. Physical Education And Sport Pedagogy, 14(1),
19-39. doi:10.1080/17408980701712106
 Boys are also Affected
Procedure Findings and Results
182 male adolescents from 2 co-ed high The majority of the boys read mostly
schools of high socio-economic status. Mens Magazines and Sports/Fitness
Average age was 15.2 years. (results showed 1.24 and 1.10 respectively).
More than 95% of the participants were The exposure to these specific magazines
white directly correlated with the drive for
Exposed to fashion and teen magazines, thinness and muscularity, and disordered
Mens Magazines, Entertainment eating.
Magazines, Sports/Fitness Magazines, and Almost the boys had a drive for
Music Magazines thinness to appeal to the stereotypical
They were asked to rate their exposure skinny girl
consumption to the magazines on a scale The other of the boys had a drive for
from 0 to 4 (0 being never and 4 being only big muscles to live up to the
always) standard that celebrities portrayed in the
exposed magazines
Slater, A., & Tiggemann, M. (2014). Media matters for boys too! The role of specific magazine types and television programs in the drive for thinness
and muscularity in adolescent boys. Eating Behaviors, 15(4), 679-682. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2014.10.002
 Gender Expectations in Romantic Relationships

Female Male

Achieving girlfriend status is the single Boys are portrayed as animals that need
method of acquiring meaning, importance, to be tamed by their female partners
and power in ones life
Males are socialized in a way that
Must be alluring to the male eye as well as promotes violence
regulate the level of sexual activity within a
relationship, since males are believed
incapable of doing so themselves

Females are socialized in a way that makes

them susceptible to victimization
Kettrey, H. H., & Emery, B. C. (2010). Teen magazines as educational texts on dating violence: The $2.99 approach. Violence Against Women, 16(11), 1270-1294.
doi:10.1177/1077801210387332
 Magazines on Relationship Violence
Study explored 35 articles across 7 different Teen Magazines, including Seventeen, Teen
Vogue, and Cosmo Girl.

Goal 1: see if dating violence surfaces during adolescence

Goal 2: teen magazines have the potential to be influential in shaping adolescent girls
views on dating and, consequently, dating violence
Study categorized articles on whether they used the Individual Frame or Cultural Frame when
discussing dating violence
19 articles use both Individual and Cultural Frame, 13 just used Individual, and 3 just used Cultural

Kettrey, H. H., & Emery, B. C. (2010). Teen magazines as educational texts on dating violence: The $2.99 approach. Violence Against Women, 16(11),
1270-1294. doi:10.1177/1077801210387332
 Magazine Horoscopes Relationship Advice
Study performed a content analysis of horoscopes in Teen Vogue, Glamour, and Essence

Encourages girls to be assertive in a relationship:

Go confront your boyfriend for his immature behavior or about your suspicions
If you want to score a date with him anytime soon, youll have to ask him out first
Does not give physical description of an ideal guy, references deeper connection
A guy who shares your unique interest may come along soon
Follow your heart and get to know the quirky guy outside your social circle. A deep
connection could lead to lasting love.
Relationships will make them popular
An unexpected romance will gain you It Girl status

Tandoc, E. C., & Ferrucci, P. (2014). So says the stars: A textual analysis of Glamour, Essence and Teen Vogue horoscopes. Womens Studies
International Forum, 45, 34-41. doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2014.05.001
Content Analysis
 Content Analysis

Rolling Stone issued on October, 2017; Sports Illustrated issued on October; 2017 TeenVogue issued in 2017
Content Analysis Findings
Content Analysis Findings
Articles
Content Analysis Findings
 Content Analysis Findings
Advertisements
Content Analysis Findings
 Why is this a Media Literacy Issue Today?
The mass media plays a significant role in our understanding of what is right and
wrong, what is acceptable, and what is normal.
Issues such as sexualization, objectification, youthification, adultification, and body
image continue to pan out in our society.
Media content has negatively impacted our views on what is acceptable, what is the
norm, and what is ideal in regards to self-image.
Today the term media literacy no longer is limited to ones ability to read or write. It
also extends to health issues like ideal body image and substance abuse.
 Solutions to These Issues
Media literacy interventions in junior high and high schools
Media literacy interventions for parents who may be purchasing magazines for teens
Parental mediation activities
Teach children to be critical of the content in media so as to see beyond what is
presented, and look at interpretations and motives.
Healthy behavior should be promoted in magazines, and health and informational
frames should be used rather than appearance frames.
Adolescents should be encouraged to get involved in activities that explore
self-esteem and mastery of what they love doing.
 Future Research
Current magazine readers demographics
Content analysis focusing on
Teen boys & girls magazines
Feature stories and advertisements
Media frames
Apply theories to content analysis findings
Deeper analysis of scholarly sources and synthesize using Media Literacy concepts
How do other cultures and countries view the ideal body image of both men and
women?
Questions?