REPRESENTATIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN MAGAZINES

What is a representation?• The way someone/something is portrayed in a particular

way or as being of a certain nature.

• The media construct a reshaping of the world, with a representation of reality rather than reality itself.

• Media commonly use stereotypes within representations.

Mediation

Mediation is the process something/someone goes through to change them. It is used by the media to create verisimilitude representations, reshaping reality.

Young people in the media

You will commonly see young people associated with negative situations in the news and magazines. Some examples include: • anti-social behavior• crime• Violence • drugs and alcohol • Teenage pregnancies• School drop outs etc.

Boys are normally represented as worse than girls.

Young people in magazines In magazines aimed at adults, the youth are generally represented negatively. For example; anti-social behavior, binge drinking, taboo language, ‘hoodies’ etc. This is a representation as the media have constructed a reshaping of the youth (not every young person is like this). This is also use of a stereotype, which the media often do- categorizing all youths into one category, in this case ‘hooligans’.

However, In magazines aimed at teenagers (boys and girls), they are represented very differently. For example, in young girls magazines e.g. Bliss and Teen Vogue, girls are represented as being glamorous, pretty, tall and slim (the ‘ideal’ women/girl). However, in reality this isn’t entirely true- not all young girls desire to look like this. Teenage boys are also represented negatively in teenage girls magazines most of the time, and these magazines assume young girls are interested in boys. In these magazines, girls are empowered as ‘consumers’ of boys and boys are represented as shallow, insecure and inappropriately sexual. Girls are told through columns and other text that they should learn the proper behavior to catch and change a boy into a good boyfriend. These magazines are filled with judgment and advertisements.

Similarly, teenage boys are represented as a typical media stereotype of liking football (sport), girls, cars, clothes and gadgets etc. There is also an image of the ‘ideal’ boy put across in these magazines, that they should be well groomed, buff and take pride in their appearance or they won’t get a girlfriend.

Magazine cover representation analysis – teenage girls magazine

Suggests that teenage girls should be looking after the body and taking pride in their image and should be ‘skinny’.

This suggests that all young girls are interested in boys, sex and other relationship stuff or at least should be.

Suggests all girls should take pride in their appearance and want to look pretty i.e. make-up and clothes.

The image of Ashley Tisdale represents the ‘ideal’ girl, being pretty, blonde, tall, skinny and tanned.