One form of printed legacy media that has impacted culture and how culture has created it is magazines, such as People magazines. Magazines in history were supposed to be an insight into famous people’s lives, but today they have gone further affecting culture through daily consumption or monthly subscriptions. This form of printed communication has had and is continuing to have a huge impact on society and the world we live in today. Consumer magazines can bring us joy from specific interests and are usually classified based on targeted audiences, containing content that we desire and want.
Even though magazines can be fun to look at and flip through, they have powerful influences and a very large impact on American culture. Magazines have impacted culture starting with influences at very young ages. People magazines can be purchased mostly anywhere, such as supermarkets, corner stores, airports, malls, and many more, which we subconsciously look at or see on a nearly daily basis. I know I see them at the check out lines at almost every store I go to and cannot help but to look at them as I walk buy. For younger generations magazines have the ability to change their morals and behaviors.
People magazines constantly influence their audience, especially women, on what beauty is and how we need to change to be “beautiful”. The influences on younger audience members can even cause eating disorders and dieting at a very young age to achieve the desired look they think is right. The message People magazine gives when advertising these types of ads are impacting culture by setting unrealistic standards, including on how to dress, act, and live, like these famous people, in order to live up them and fit in with society.
People Magazines have a very strong following to influence and impact society on. This type of consumer magazine advertises false information, effecting people with misleading information and outcomes. With misconstrued information between celebrities and between the public, there will always be drama, which is why I personally think many people are attracted to People magazine. When people magazines explain reasons and ways to achieve a desired look and continuing to sell false information it sets false hope for many when they know they it is impossible or can never truly be accomplished or met.
A major impact on culture that magazines have continued to use is photo shop, and the need to edit information for people to like. Making situations better than they are, or making them worse than they are makes for great attention, but are not an accurate source or for reliable information. People magazines do not realize the effect of their messages they relaying to their audiences, especially on kids. When kids read these magazines they are absorbing all the information giving them wrong ideals or views of what life is really about and ideal standards.
Misleading information, unrealistic standards, false advertisement, misconstrued and edited information and photos, and power influences on sensitive and major subjects to People magazine’s audience can affect culture like many other magazines have done. Culture has created this world of set standards and ideals by trying to be and live like these celebrities and people shown off on People magazines. We continue to buy and follow up on the new trends, fashion, beauty, drama, and gossip, even though it is what is impacted our culture.
People magazine’s audience might not even realize they are influenced or basing their reality on false advertisement and information from people that are only interested in gaining more consumers for the most attractive and interesting issue. People magazines have done plenty of covers and follow-ups on the Kardashians, which most people are fascinated in knowing what is going in their lives, which has even spread to other medias, such as having their own television show.
We continue to spread and create this culture by changing our ways to the “Kardashian ways” or other influences from magazines that we see, other than our own natural ways of living. Paying for every copy leads and gives People magazines to produce more issues and covers as technology and trends change. As a society, we are creating this culture by following and being these realities that we are not. We are hooked and intrigued with these tabloids and what the new trends or ideals of beauty are to keep evolving to look, act, and even behave like the famous people on the covers of these magazines we buy.
I find it crazy how even parents are allowing their kids to dress and act like these people we idolize that is far from what society should look and be like. I believe we should all accept each other and live our lives the way we want to, and should not be influenced by a magazine that has the power to change culture. There are good and bad magazines out there, but People magazines tend not to portray good role models, and only advertise the negativity and drama to their audiences.
Instead of seeing famous people’s perspectives of their lives, we are changing our perspectives to be like theirs, affecting our culture and the way we live. We will continue to create and evolve this culture by the magazines impacting us, and our culture we live in. Magazine in general, specifically People magazines have this powerful influence and impact on culture leading to culture creating it. This form of printed legacy media is attractive and a good source of entertainment, but can be harmful and influencing us with out us even knowing.
