Teen magazine
Encyclopedia
Teen magazines are magazine
s aimed at female teenage readers. They usually consist of gossip, news, fashion tips and interviews and may include posters, stickers
, small samples of cosmetics
or other products and inserts. Magazines targeting teenage boys are not often called teen magazines.
, teen magazines were conceived of during the 1940s. In the United Kingdom
, Fleetway
's Honey (1960–1986) is regarded as having established the sector. Teen magazines are produced in many countries worldwide, and enjoy wide popularity in Australia
, Latin America
, Europe
, and Asia
. Seventeen Magazine started publication in the US in September 1944 and was the first magazine devoted to the needs and likes of adolescents.
While some teen magazines focus almost exclusively on music and film stars, others feature more extensive coverage of lifestyle issues and are virtually junior versions of magazines such as Cosmopolitan or Cleo
.
Well-known American teen magazines include Seventeen
and Teen Vogue
. Popular now-defunct magazines were Sassy, CosmoGirl, Teen
, and Teen People. Large-scale Canadian teen magazines include Faze
magazine. Since 1972, teen magazines in the United States have reached out to the African-American market with publications such as Right On!
(produced by Sterling-McFadden, which also produces Tiger Beat
) and Word Up!
.
Like other mainstream magazines, teen magazines can be found each month at supermarkets, pharmacies, stores and newsstands. In recent years, teen magazines have also appeared on the World Wide Web
. Examples of these include Faze
in Canada, which is published in both web and print versions.
In the UK, changes in the way teenagers spend their money (and the fact that there were fewer of them, though they had more cash) led to many casualties in the 1990s because titles were unable to compete with mobile, digital and online media. Magazine publishers have moved down the age range with titles for "tweenagers" (aged 9 to 13) gaining popularity, such as It's Hot
.
Teenage magazines tend to be categorised as lifestyle (e.g. Sugar
), entertainment (often based on music), or comics.
, which aims to sell to men aged 18 to 34. In both cases, readers sign up to be sent the 'eMag' by email. Each issue features interactive elements and 'pages' that can be 'turned'. However, National Magazines closed Cosmo Girl! in June and the Jellyfish experiment was drawn to a close in August.
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s aimed at female teenage readers. They usually consist of gossip, news, fashion tips and interviews and may include posters, stickers
Label
A label is a piece of paper, polymer, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or article, on which is printed a legend, information concerning the product, addresses, etc. A label may also be printed directly on the container or article....
, small samples of cosmetics
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
or other products and inserts. Magazines targeting teenage boys are not often called teen magazines.
History
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, teen magazines were conceived of during the 1940s. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Fleetway
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
's Honey (1960–1986) is regarded as having established the sector. Teen magazines are produced in many countries worldwide, and enjoy wide popularity in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Seventeen Magazine started publication in the US in September 1944 and was the first magazine devoted to the needs and likes of adolescents.
While some teen magazines focus almost exclusively on music and film stars, others feature more extensive coverage of lifestyle issues and are virtually junior versions of magazines such as Cosmopolitan or Cleo
Cleo (magazine)
CLEO is an Australian, New Zealand, South African, Malaysian, Singaporean, Thailand and Indonesian women's magazine.Aimed at an older audience than the teenage-focused Dolly, the magazine is known for its CLEO Bachelor of the Year award....
.
Well-known American teen magazines include Seventeen
Seventeen (magazine)
Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
and Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue
Teen Vogue magazine began as a version of Vogue magazine for teenage girls. This US magazine focuses on fashion and celebrities and offers information about the latest entertainment and feature stories on current issues and events.- Description :...
. Popular now-defunct magazines were Sassy, CosmoGirl, Teen
Teen (magazine)
Teen was an American teen lifestyle magazine for preteen and early teenage girls, ages 10 to 15. The content of Teen included advice, entertainment news, quizzes, fashion, beauty, celebrity role models, and "real-girl stories".-Content:...
, and Teen People. Large-scale Canadian teen magazines include Faze
Faze
Faze means to frighten or cause hesitation to someone.Faze may also refer to:* Faze , a Canadian magazine* Faze , a Nigerian musician* FaZe , a trickshotting team in Call of Duty...
magazine. Since 1972, teen magazines in the United States have reached out to the African-American market with publications such as Right On!
Right On!
Right On! is an American teen magazine. It is published by Dorchester Media in New York City, and it was a sister publication of Tiger Beat....
(produced by Sterling-McFadden, which also produces Tiger Beat
Tiger Beat
Tiger Beat is an American fan magazine marketed primarily to adolescent girls. It is currently published by Laufer Media, Inc. of Los Angeles, California, which also produces its sister publication, Bop....
) and Word Up!
Word Up Magazine
Word Up Magazine is an American magazine focusing on teen entertainment and music. Michaelene was very popular in the 1980s.The magazine mostly covers information concerning rap, Hip-hop and R&B music....
.
Like other mainstream magazines, teen magazines can be found each month at supermarkets, pharmacies, stores and newsstands. In recent years, teen magazines have also appeared on the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
. Examples of these include Faze
Faze
Faze means to frighten or cause hesitation to someone.Faze may also refer to:* Faze , a Canadian magazine* Faze , a Nigerian musician* FaZe , a trickshotting team in Call of Duty...
in Canada, which is published in both web and print versions.
In the UK, changes in the way teenagers spend their money (and the fact that there were fewer of them, though they had more cash) led to many casualties in the 1990s because titles were unable to compete with mobile, digital and online media. Magazine publishers have moved down the age range with titles for "tweenagers" (aged 9 to 13) gaining popularity, such as It's Hot
It's HOT!
It's HOT! is a British entertainment magazine aimed at 9–13-year-old girls, covering television, pop music, movies and celebrity gossip. It is sold with a 26-page cartoon magazine called Extra!, which includes comic strips about McFly, EastEnders and more. It is published by BBC Magazines.It's HOT!...
.
Teenage magazines tend to be categorised as lifestyle (e.g. Sugar
Sugar Magazine
Sugar was a British magazine for teenage girls published by Hachette Filipacchi. Its content focused on boys, fashion, celebrities, real-life stories about teenagers and other similar matters. The editor, when it closed, was Annabel Brog. The brand lives on through the website Sugarscape, edited by...
), entertainment (often based on music), or comics.
On the web
In the UK, sales in the teen magazine sector peaked in 1998. Teenagers had many more attractions competing for their cash and their attention, such as media delivered on the web and through mobile phones. Also, the booming celebrity weeklies attracted more teens from ever-younger ages (driven by celebrity TV series). In response to this, in April 2007, National Magazines - publisher of Cosmopolitan and Cosmo Girl! - launched a digital weekly magazine for teens, Jellyfish, in a trial. This was the second attempt in the UK to establish a new online business model, the first being Monkey from DennisDennis Publishing
Dennis Publishing Ltd. is an independent publisher. It was founded in 1974.As of April 2010 the company publishes 31 magazine or online titles, predominately in the UK....
, which aims to sell to men aged 18 to 34. In both cases, readers sign up to be sent the 'eMag' by email. Each issue features interactive elements and 'pages' that can be 'turned'. However, National Magazines closed Cosmo Girl! in June and the Jellyfish experiment was drawn to a close in August.
See also
- List of teen magazines
- Teen dramaTeen dramaA teen drama is a dramatic television series with a major focus on teenage characters. The genre was relatively non-existent for the first 45 years of television; it came into prominence in the early 1990s...
- (List of teen dramas) - Teen sitcomTeen sitcomA teen situation comedy, or teen sitcom, is a television programming genre. Like teen dramas, this genre was also generally non-existent during the first 30 years of television...
- (List of Teen sitcoms) - Teen filmTeen filmTeen films is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults in which the plot is based upon the special interests of teenagers, such as coming of age, first love, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst, and alienation...
- (List of teen films) - Teen popTeen popTeen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....
- Teen idolTeen idolA teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...