A rant about teen magazines: pure complaining through and through. Be prepared.

I saw an article in the Mercury News the other day. It stated that teen magazines are become deeper and more insightful. Featuring stories about homeless teens and money and finance. That they're very clever and crafted for this generation's bright girls.

Are they kidding?

Teen magazines are just as shallow as they have ever been. A teen myself, even I can see how pathetic they are.

Introspective views on disadvangtaged kids? Oh, please! Out of the average 100 page magazine, about 3 pages are devoted to such topics. And I can't say that they're very well written, either. I read one about teens on the street, begging for money. The magazine described how horrible life was for them, how they had shaved heads and (gasp!) no fashionable clothing. They were insane, begged for money to get by, and used drugs. Basically, the writer tried to give the impression that these people are to be regarded as pitiable, hopeless people with no future. You should be happy that you're not a loser like them. Not once did they mention how to help these people out, like volunteering at a local shelter or donating some clothes or food. They described how the teens were homeless because of drug use, but many kids have nowhere to go because they were kicked out of the house. Maybe they had abusive parents, or a stepfather or mother they couldn't stand. I've talked to people on the street before and not all of them are what the magazine make them out to be.

As for the topics that 97% of the pages are focused on (boys, clothes, beauty and celebrities) not all of that advice is good, either.

One magazine said that it wasn't good to be picky about your boyfriend. For example, a guy with a bad reputation for using girls would be a decent choice. And using such and such makeup would probably attract him, so follow these easy tips.

The teen years are a tumultuous age. Children are becoming adults and they're trying to figure out who they want to be. And here comes the article: 'How to Dress Punk and be Emo!' What? Weren't we supposed to be wearing bohemian peasant tops last issue? And so the magazine confuses the girls further. They hit the shops for studded belts and Converses because the magazine told them to. They listen to what the magazine says. Now they're punk. Last week they were hippies, but today it's decidedly uncool. How can they choose their identity when it changes every day?

Meanwhile, there are the people who are happy with who they are. They're certain. These are the real punk rockers. They don't wear the chains or the black clothing to be fashionable, they wear it to be unfashionable. They see who they want to be and it's not part of the in-crowd. These are the people who are confident about themselves. Confident enough to stand out and not be mainstream. That takes a certain amount of conviction. Suddenly, everyone is dressing like them. THey're becoming conventional! What do they do now? Not only has the magazine warped the reader's minds, but now they're making a whole different, self-assured audience confused and insecure!

This new horde of rockers is fake. They listen to O-Town, of course, because those guys are so hot, aren't they? And now Blink 182! Maybe if I dress like this the guitarist will notice me and make me his groupie. On the other hand, the next page of the magazine instructs you not to like real rock, like Andrew WK. Too much screaming. But of course. And let's not even mention Rob Zombie or Godsmack. *shudder*

It's like a machine. Teen magazines are a major part of the media. When they tell you what to wear, you listen. You listen to the music they tell you to. You buy the items they tell you to buy. With everyone listening to the exact same advice, how can girls learn to become their own individual person? They're just becoming another fake prop,a part of the machine. Maybe they're some completely different person inside but they're afraid to come out because of what the public would say if they would. All that potential is wasted.

Teen magazines aren't becoming better, they're becoming worse.They create a mold and expect the girl to fit it. If you want something different, you'll need to sucscribe to National Geographic, because you won't be finding your deep and thoughtful articles here.

Let's just face it. That's the way they are and it's the way that they will always be. Teen magazines may be aimed at the bright youths of our generation, abut they're certainly dimming their light.