My Letter for Change

Dear Chloe Chase,

Seventeen Magazine is a valuable resource for teenage girls but there is a way for it to provide even more value; provide certain disclaimers. When I was a teenager growing up, it was not uncommon for me to grab an issue of Seventeen Magazine off the shelf in the super market and beg my mom to buy it for me. It was valuable as it provided all my news updates on celebrities, hair styles, makeup techniques, and all the new fashion aka what to wear. However, even though I enjoyed reading Seventeen Magazine for these reasons, it was also something that made me doubt myself and took a lot of value from me.

As I looked at all these beautiful and perfect faces, I compared them to myself and noticed all my flaws within seconds. As I have grown up, become married, and reflected on deep personal self love issues, I have realized how teenage girls can have so many body issues. The thin and ideal body with perfect skin and faces of these models and celebrities in this magazine are simply not ideal and often false, which can cause some self-esteem issues for people.  I feel that Seventeen Magazine’s mission statement: “to inform, entertain, and give teenage girls all the information they need to make sound choices in their lives” (editor of Seventeen) is not being met.

By providing perfectly edited and photoshopped pictures we are not giving the readers all the information to make sound choices. Girls may starve themselves to become that thin, when in reality, these models only look that way due to editing. We are neglecting the fact that these ideals and comparisons being made are lies. A way that I feel that we can change this is providing fine print by telling your readers, especially teenage girls, that these photos are photoshopped and what has been edited. Providing fine print at the bottom of each picture is giving readers all the information. Some people simply believe that these people are perfect when in fact so many touch ups have been made. This unrealistic view can do such harm when it comes to body issues. Girls striving to look like their favorite celebrities may end up making bad or unhealthy choices in order to obtain the thin ideal or perfection that has been edited in this magazine which is something that none of us should support. 

I am pushing so strongly for this fine print change because I think it will not only help Seventeen to live up to your mission statement but it will also provide honesty with readers. By putting Photoshop in the open, we can help struggling teenager girls see that they are valuable and just because they don’t look perfect doesn’t mean that they are not beautiful and perfect in their own way. Let us provide an honest world where we can tell people the truth and help others see falsehood from reality. Although this will not solve all body issue problems, it is a start that will help so many teenage girls. Let us help the world and unite together to help others overcome difficulties instead of making it harder. Let us add value to readers by not just providing information but also by strengthening their self-esteem through honesty. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely and hoping for change,

Summer Coons