Every day, millions of teenagers are exposed to magazines glamorising the latest fashions, beauty products, gadgets, and other useful tidbits of information displayed on only the most physically attractive models. These magazines serve as a carrier for stereotypes, usually negative, directed at both men and women. Readers of these magazines often develop self-esteem problems, because they want to look like the unrealistically portrayed models. Models in women’s magazines are usually underweight and are often the cause of teenage girls becoming anorexic or bulimic. Men’s magazines generally have unrealistically thin female models and also excessively tan, slim, and muscular male models that cause anxiety in male readers.
Many teenagers, in an especially impressionable stage in their lives, have various problems, ranging from eating disorders to depression from viewing perfection in magazines and striving for it themselves. Magazine content portraying negative stereotypes or unrealistic representation of people has a negative effect on the self-esteem and personal interpretation of young people.
Readers of magazines intended for teenagers should beware of the possible effects of their harmful influence and take care that they, the readers, are not hindered in their quest for success as a contributing member of society.
SARAH MAZHAR KHAN
Karachi
