H.G. Watson
@hgwatsonwrites.bsky.social
Writer. Sometimes teacher, sometimes audience development. Writing a book about the teen mags of the 1990s and 2000s. 👩💻💖
Correction: 20 years later. Long day, and I'm stuck forever in 2015.
November 4, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Correction: 20 years later. Long day, and I'm stuck forever in 2015.
It strikes me often, as I dig through this research, that when it came to cuts, products aimed at young women, that were often honest about real issues teens were facing, were considered expendable.
And here were are again, almost 10 years later.
And here were are again, almost 10 years later.
November 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
It strikes me often, as I dig through this research, that when it came to cuts, products aimed at young women, that were often honest about real issues teens were facing, were considered expendable.
And here were are again, almost 10 years later.
And here were are again, almost 10 years later.
But between 2004-2009, almost every teen magazine was folded or was left with a ghostly online presence. The only two to survive, until yesterday, were Teen Vogue and Seventeen.
November 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
But between 2004-2009, almost every teen magazine was folded or was left with a ghostly online presence. The only two to survive, until yesterday, were Teen Vogue and Seventeen.
The 2000s arrive. Advertisers do move some money to web, of course. But the audience was still there. Many of the teen mags were already pioneering online content. It should have been an easier transition than it was for other traditional media!
November 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
The 2000s arrive. Advertisers do move some money to web, of course. But the audience was still there. Many of the teen mags were already pioneering online content. It should have been an easier transition than it was for other traditional media!
Teen Vogue is often duly credited for its excellent political content. But they didn't pioneer it. Teen mags were always covering issues relevant to adolescents, and breaking barriers — featuring LGTBQ teens with little fanfare, or doing real reporting. (All from Teen People circa 1999 or so)
November 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Teen Vogue is often duly credited for its excellent political content. But they didn't pioneer it. Teen mags were always covering issues relevant to adolescents, and breaking barriers — featuring LGTBQ teens with little fanfare, or doing real reporting. (All from Teen People circa 1999 or so)
In the 90s, teen media just EXPLODED. Millenials — then called the echo boom or Gen Y — were a huge cohort with lots of expendable income. Advertisers were eager to get at them. So publishers rebranded to be more like Sassy (YM, Seventeen) or launched new titles (Elle Girl, CosmoGirl, Teen People).
November 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
In the 90s, teen media just EXPLODED. Millenials — then called the echo boom or Gen Y — were a huge cohort with lots of expendable income. Advertisers were eager to get at them. So publishers rebranded to be more like Sassy (YM, Seventeen) or launched new titles (Elle Girl, CosmoGirl, Teen People).
Was just thinking how hard it feels now to even follow the news — no actual content shows up in many of my feeds
July 22, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Was just thinking how hard it feels now to even follow the news — no actual content shows up in many of my feeds
Also, to clarify, since not everyone realizes I'm a multi-genre queen — this is fiction
June 10, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Also, to clarify, since not everyone realizes I'm a multi-genre queen — this is fiction
NB: knowing I missed the golden age of magazine journalism because I just flipped through a 2004 edition of Teen People that was OVER 200 PAGES LONG
May 12, 2025 at 7:26 PM
NB: knowing I missed the golden age of magazine journalism because I just flipped through a 2004 edition of Teen People that was OVER 200 PAGES LONG
I’ve been in New York for the last week reading ALL THE TEEN MAGS for the book. Home soon, and will need to wrangle all this somehow. (Doing a better job chronicling all this on my insta — @hgwatsonwrites too)
May 12, 2025 at 2:13 PM
I’ve been in New York for the last week reading ALL THE TEEN MAGS for the book. Home soon, and will need to wrangle all this somehow. (Doing a better job chronicling all this on my insta — @hgwatsonwrites too)