That Women\'s Magazines Are Harmful to Women

¶ … women's magazines has income increasingly significant on the media market largely because they tend to appeal to an increasing public. In this context, the share of the advertisement is also on the rise. However, such developments have determined an impact on the public that is often considered to be a negative one in terms of women's self-esteem.

There are different aspects to consider when arguing that women are negatively impacted by glossy magazines. The aspects most affected by women's magazines include the body image, the behavior of women vs. The partner, the work place, and the society at large, and the image women project in the society at large (Kramer, 2011).

Glossy magazines, as a result of the advertisement conducted and the ad space sold on the pages of magazines such as "Vogue," "Harper's Bazaar," "Cosmopolitan," "Elle," have the tendency to promote the perfect-body model in women. They are the symbols of high fashion, luxurious life style and inevitably the models provided in such advertisements inspire mere physical perfection. Their sizes are much reduced as compared to the average women not engaged in fashion or advertisement business as models (George and, Uhlenbrock, 2010). Such advertisements however promote the standard skinny look in order to sell their products or impact their targeted audience. From one point-of-view, it is rather justifiable given the fact that fashion shows in their large majority present standard models on the catwalk. However, women targeted by this type of magazines tend to compare themselves with such models in magazines especially and consider the photographs and the images as being the depiction of the model's actual appearance. Therefore, women tend to consider small sizes in clothes as the standard. When they do not fit these standards, their self-esteem is reduced and their opinion of their body is influenced in a negative way. There is a clear connection between the model standards and women who tend to deal with their weight problem and bulimia, anorexia, over exercising women tend to choose in order to fit smaller clothes sizes for instance.

Another aspect which is influenced by women magazines is related to the impact articles on behavior have on the female readers. For instance, magazines such as "Cosmopolitan" have full sections on sexual behavior, means to improve social skills, or methods to increase self-esteem (Mark, 2012). Such types or articles are designed for women that apparently have problems with their relationships or, either intimate or social. These types of articles however assume a preponderance of women that face such problems (George and, Uhlenbrock, 2010). On the other hand, male magazines touch less on such subjects and include more articles that address self-esteem issues and relationship contacts at a different level, suggesting improvement and not actual creation or mending as in the case of women.

Finally, studies have been conducted in terms of the impact glossy magazines and the subjects they address on males and the image men have over women from this point-of-view George and, Uhlenbrock, 2010). In this sense, the advertisements presented in such magazines present women in a limited manner, with a certain type of physique and usually uni dimensional. Studies have concluded that men, after reviewing such advertisements from glossy magazines are more prone to consider women uni dimensional. This type of attitude however tends to harm the image of the woman in the work place and in the society and creates certain preconceptions that reflect in the way in which women are eventually considered valid for leadership or top management positions.

At the same time though, there are situations in which glossy magazines support a more feminist approach which empower women. For instance, different types of advertisements and articles present women in such a manner that inspires a more motivational approach and a powerful image of women (Mark, 2012). However, these are only isolated cases and are of recent date.