Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Suitable magazine for a 14 year old girl?

48 replies

bumface · 10/05/2011 13:52

I said I'd get DD a magazine subscription with my Tesco CC vouchers and she asked for Cosmopolitan.
I have looked into Cosmo and think it might be a bit on the saucy side. Now I don't really mind DD reading saucy stuff and it's not like she can't get access to it anyway, but I'm not sure I am sending a good message giving it to her (if that makes any sense)
So should I just let her have it, or is there a more suitable magazine for her out there?
Maybe I'll get a copy for myself, just for research Wink

OP posts:
MegBusset · 10/05/2011 13:56

If she's interested in fashion then Elle or Grazia probably less saucy. If she wants real-life stories/advice and stuff then Bliss is, I think, the only teen 'glossy' still published.

smileANDwave2000 · 10/05/2011 16:17

hi there is teen vogue you can subscribe to and there is a cosmogirl mag and even ellegirl dont know if you knew then there are bliss honey and kiss not sure about those but before you subscribe why dont you look through a few with her at the supermarket to decide what you thinks the right level i do know how you feel as my daughter is same age and i usually flick through before allowing her to buy hth

MegBusset · 10/05/2011 16:31

Cosmogirl folded aeons ago, I'm pretty sure Ellegirl did too. I'd forgotten about Teen Vogue, it's very US-centric though.

moominmad · 10/05/2011 17:13

aw bliss

it used to be better than it is now

smileANDwave2000 · 10/05/2011 19:07

oh thats strange i found a site for them said to subscribe to the magazine bit weird Confused
albeit cosmogirls now changed name to seventeen ellegirls very US thats true but there is still Mizz and bliss, but i buy sugar , mizz and another one name escapes me atm grrr getting old lol

MegBusset · 10/05/2011 19:21

Sugar's folded too! The teen mag market was decimated by the internet.

MarionCole · 10/05/2011 19:25

DSD (nearly 15) reads Heat

Counterstrike · 10/05/2011 20:37

Cosmopolitan is fine for a 14 year old, most magazines are like that nowadays.

Original poster
bumface · 10/05/2011 22:55

Thanks people!
Good idea, I'll have a flick through with some with her and go on from there.

OP posts:
Original poster
bumface · 10/05/2011 22:58

I think it probably is fine for a 14 year old and I wouldn't mind her flicking through one in the Drs. waiting room etc. I just don't feel I'm sending the right message subscribing to it directly for her.
That probably sounds insane but there you go.

OP posts:
MayDayChild · 10/05/2011 23:09

I'd say 14 a bit young for cosmo. They aim for student up. Company mag is a bit softer.
Otherwise I would really advise something like reveal, a weekly celeb fashion etc mag. Cheaper than heat !

Watertight · 11/05/2011 14:43

DD17 likes Look, More and Heat

DD15 is more tricky - it's a funny age. I bought her TeenNow the other day but I'm not sure if that's an occasional publication rather than a regular weekly or monthly thing.

I thought Cosmo is aimed at 18/19 years olds. Neither of mine would want Grazia as that's what I pick up if I want a magazine so they think it's for forty year olds.

socka · 11/05/2011 15:46

The celeb ones are probably more suitable for all ages - but then you've got a all of the "shes too fat, she's too thin, look - real women without make up urghhh" crap.
Company is pretty well written, they have interesting articles alongside the fashion etc. But it, along with cosmo etc, are targeted at an older age range, they'll be sex tips as well as a lot of articles about workplaces, moving in with your boyfriend etc which will go over her head a bit at that age?

mathanxiety · 12/05/2011 16:50

They are all anti-feminist twaddle and very unhealthy for teenage girls. I remember being gobsmacked by the phrase "Be confident! Guys love confidence in a girl" when I leafed through DD1's Cosmo a while back.

Shame there's nothing short of National Geographic/ The Economist out there that you could count on to impart a positive message..

Maybe Vogue? Cosmo is too focused on sex and pleasing men. I remember loving Interiors when I was a teen but I was interested in that sort of arty thing.

hogsback · 12/05/2011 16:58

Hmm, when I was 14 I read 2000AD, Crisis and the NME...

summer111 · 12/05/2011 17:00

DD 14, has a subscription to Mizz - this months just arived today :o) She seems to like it as do her friends when they sleepover. It covers fashion, sleb twaddle, problem pages etc.

mathanxiety · 12/05/2011 17:01

YYY, NME a very cool choice.

tropicalfish · 12/05/2011 21:47

how about ok magazine

mumslife · 12/05/2011 21:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cardibach · 12/05/2011 22:08

Mine (15) has Teen Vogue. It is a bit US-centric, but she is particularly interested in fashion photography so spends ages looking at the ads and taking out the best ones to display in her room. The celebs in it are mostly well known over here anyway.

mathanxiety · 13/05/2011 16:13

I think Vogue or Teen Vogue might be the best of a bad bunch, just because they're more arty than racy and there's less print.

cat64 · 13/05/2011 16:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

figroll · 13/05/2011 16:54

I loved Jackie! I have the Jackie annual which my 15 year old really enjoys reading even though it has pictures of Donny Osmond and David Essex in it!!

cardibach · 13/05/2011 19:30

Did you know Jackie was named after Jacqueline Wilson? She worked in the offices making tea etc when she was a teenager and they were planning the mag. They named it after her as she repressented the target audience.

cardibach · 13/05/2011 19:30

*represented
Stupid keyboard.