Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
Magazines are made to sell more than just a product; they sell lifestyles and ideals. Teen girl magazines target adolescents starting as young as twelve years old, but is the content in its pages appropriate and identifiable for that demographic? This study investigated how levels of perceived sexualization changed between 2007, 2012, and 2017, in Seventeen and Teen Vogue magazines. A decrease in perceived sexualization was expected across the ten-year period of time. This window of time reflects the last ten years of publication for both magazines. Research was conducted by creating and utilizing a grading system for non-explicit sexualized imagery to analyze ninety-six images, which were selected in a random sample created from six magazines, three published by Teen Vogue, and three published by Seventeen. The analysis conducted focused on prevalent elements such as Clothing and Skin Exposure, Pose, Touch, and Facial Expression to determine increased or decreased levels of perceived sexualization. Results revealed that the overall level of perceived sexualization decreased across both magazine brands within the period studied. The findings suggested that while these levels declined, more consideration is needed when curating publications for an adolescent target demographic.
Repository Citation
Coogan, Megan, "Selling Ideals: Sexualization in Teen Girl Magazines, 2007-2017" (2026). Honors Theses - Providence Campus. 84.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/student_scholarship/84
