Searching for websites that are appropriate for teenagers can be difficult in today's society. Targeting their interests while still encouraging academic, social, and intellectual growth can be a very difficult task. Unfortunately, many websites that are available currently to teens have given up on the latter half of this mission, and instead provide shallow opinions and superficial advice that ends up corrupting instead of improving.
Some of the websites that target teenage girls are particularly influential. In trying to find teen-appropriate websites, I located three sites suggested by a "Teens Only" link site. All three turned out to be websites promoting popular teenage magazines; specifically, Seventeen, YM, and Teen People. During the tender teenage years, girls already have enough problems trying to distort their physical images to match those presented by the critical media. Certain TV stations such as MTV constantly brainwash teenagers into believing that in order to be "cool" and "accepted", you must fit a stereotypical image that usually involves a stick-thin figure, impeccable make-up skills, and phenomenal abilities on the dance floor. Of course, the proper attire is crucial as well; the wrong clothes can be the equivalent of social death, according to the ideas presented by the media. .
The websites for the three magazines that supposedly are appropriate for teens promoted the same shallow values. Each home page showed at least one of the covers of their particular magazine, and each cover had a ridiculously thin supermodel baring her golden, flawless skin to the world, with no apparent qualms. These models are also portrayed to be always smiling, care-free, and beautiful, never laden with the problems that plague everyday people. Inside the magazine, more beautiful people beckon from alluring ads that suggest that a certain beauty product can produce a supermodel with only one simple application.
