There are many reasons I love working at Hammock, but one of the biggest ones is getting the chance to indulge in my love of magazines—and not just any magazines but teen magazines. Yes, I’m 31 years old, and I can still be spotted checking out all the great ones at the grocery store racks, including Seventeen, Justine and even Cosmogirl! Hey, what can I say? Just because I’m a responsible, tax-paying career girl with a 401K doesn’t mean I still can’t use advice on the timeless subjects of beauty, fashion, friendship and dating.
I still remember my mom buying my first Teen magazine for me at 14. It felt like a rite of passage (like getting my ears pierced or going to my first New Kids on the Block concert). I spent hours in my room that day engrossed in a glossy book that introduced me to a new world I'd only begun to explore—one of style, possibilities, angst, infatuation and identity.
Recently, while doing some research for a client who publishes a magazine for teenagers, I found the perfect excuse to delve into this world once again. Boy, was I surprised! Like everything else, teen magazines have gone digital.
Now and then
Flip through the actual magazines themselves, and you won’t see a drastic difference from 15 years ago. Besides hipper models with hipper hairstyles wearing hipper clothing, the content hasn’t changed too much. The staples are still there—the quizzes, the advice columns, the celebrity features, the shocking stories and the embarrassing excerpts from readers. But visit the magazines online, and you’ll find an interactive playground.
Take my favorite teen magazine, Seventeen, for instance. Not only can teens read about their favorite celebrities—Hayden Panettiere, Ashley Tinsdale and Rachel Bilson seem to be the hottest these days—they get to go behind-the-scenes and view video clips from the interview and photo shoot.
Interactive content
Under the fashion and beauty tab, you'll find loads of cool features. Rate celebrity looks and hairstyles with the “Love It or Leave It” application or pick three favorite prom pumps for your “Shoebox” and select the coolest based on readers’ votes. Share your “Best Tips”—fashion tricks or beauty products you love—with other readers, or upload a picture of yourself to the virtual “Salon” to see how you would look with a shorter ’do or a new makeup palette.
Even the more serious content has its share of interaction. Girls with dating dilemmas can get daily doses of insight in “Guys Talk,” which features weekly reader-submitted questions and daily feedback from different guys. Readers can search for schools and jobs that suit their skills, tastes and interests through a college and internship finder. A compatibility calculator in the horoscope section helps them determine their potential for friendship or love with another sign. And, then, there is my personal favorite: the “Meal Maker,” which allows you to create a meal on a virtual plate and weigh the nutritional value.
Social network syncing
The most amazing thing to me was how these magazines take advantage of teens’ obsession with social networking sites by linking up with them. In my day, my friends and I took turns giving each other quizzes during sleepovers; today’s teen readers take them online and post the results to their Facebook or Kaboodle page. If editors of the past wanted to educate girls about a healthy body image, they’d publish an article about it. Today they simply create a “Body Peace” petition that girls can forward to their friends. Want the scoop on what to expect during your first semester of college? Seventeen links you to the MySpace blogs of 15 college freshman who write about their experiences.
Lessons learned
Yes, I realized that much has changed since my teen magazine subscriptions expired, but after getting reacquainted with my old favorites online, I also discovered that some things stay the same: Teens are still looking for ways to carve out an identity, expand their possibilities and make the best choices about the challenges they face ahead. And magazines still help them do that.
The Web just makes it more fun.
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