Do you really want your 15-year-old reading a detailed DIY account of various sexual positions, or your 13-year-old pondering the "conundrums" associated with condom use? Or do you want her subjected to an overpowering message that to be successful you must be unhealthily thin?
These are some of the questions raised by researcher Jim Keenan, who has just completed a study on teen magazines at the University of Ulster. His findings show that in the Northern Ireland context at least, these magazines are out on a limb, and not just when compared to parental attitudes. Even teenagers were found to have vastly different values from the magazines.
A former youth worker in west Belfast, Mr Keenan believed too much of the criticism of teen magazines was based on anecdotal evidence. "I wanted to analyse scientifically the messages and the content of these magazines, and compare it to the values and attitudes of society," he says. He stresses that he's not a moral crusader.
For the study he selected 19 different attitudes, ranging from drinking attractiveness to primacy of physical appearance, and carried out a content analysis on a sample of 25 magazines, rating them on a scale of one to five for each of the attitudes. He then surveyed two sample groups, 50 teenagers and 50 parents, on these same attitudes.
"Very stark distinctions emerged between societal attitudes and those of the magazines. I had anticipated that teen views would reflect strongly the magazine views, but they did not. I was actually surprised at how conservative the kids were."
The difference in attitudes between the publications and both sample population groups was particularly pronounced for five of the variables: sexual morality, consumerism, pressure to be in a relationship, pressure to conform to fashion and primacy of physical appearance.
"Basically sex sells. Kids are curious about sex and these magazines will cater to that curiosity. They're in this to make money. They also give the message that you need to have the latest skin creams, the best shoes, the best computer games, which is not surprising because they rely a lot on advertising for their revenue," he says.
In relation to physical appearance, the magazines didn't leave much scope for individuality. "Unless you've got high cheek bones, weigh about four stone and conform to fashion standards, the message is that you're out of the race, you're going to be left on the shelf. Everybody has a boyfriend or girlfriend, and if you don't, you're abnormal." He also points out that the tendency is for teenagers of all ages to read magazines meant for a slightly older age group.
Examples of sexually explicit material in teen magazines are all too common. A recent issue of More included a pull-out section on different sexual positions, with each one rated by three different couples. It did carry a "not-suitable for under 16s" warning but, given that magazines meant for 17-year-olds are generally read by 15-year-olds, this could be viewed more as an invitation than a warning.
Sugar, which is read by 14 and 15-year-olds, has carried articles with headings such as "Condom Conundrums - four blunders to avoid" and "Sex misadventures". " Bliss has been reprimanded for a story with the title "My teacher is my lover", while TV Hits caused a furore for advising a 10-year-old to "lie back and enjoy" oral sex. Mizz, which is intended for a younger age group, has also courted controversy with explicit articles, while best-selling publications such as Just 17, or J-17 as it is now called, seem to put an excessive emphasis on sex and relationships.
Boys' magazines tend to be "more innocent" and they do not sell nearly as much as girls' publications, he says. However, some of the computer magazines often have quite violent or sinister images and portray women in a very stereotypical way.
It could be argued that these magazines are having very little effect because of the contrast between their values and those of teenagers. But Mr Keegan believes it would be unwise to be complacent on this basis. Northern Ireland has consistently been found to be more conservative than regions of Britain, where there is a higher occurrence of marital breakdown, and churches and schools have less influence. The influence of teen magazines is more apparent there, he says.
"I would advocate some form of control. Otherwise it will only get worse because something only remains controversial for so long." The way forward, he believes, is to use scientific analysis of their content to insist magazines fall within certain parameters. An independent watchdog body, the Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel, currently operates in Britain but monitors magazines after publication rather than before.
In the past this has led to furores over certain articles, which has resulted in magazines getting little more than a slap on the knuckles. . Apart from being bombarded with sex, Mr Keenan believes teenage magazines are contributing to the ever-increasing pressure on young girls to look a certain way. The magazine Just 17 admitted on one occasion receiving a letter from a six-year-old, judged by staff to be anorexic. She was later admitted to hospital.
THIS concern is shared by Annie Session, chairwoman of Eating Disorders Northern Ireland. Their help-line, operated by a staff of just three women, has received 3,000 calls in the four years since it was set up. The problem, she says, is "definitely getting worse".
"Young people are under such pressure. If you look at any magazine, it's all about losing weight and looking thin." She stresses however that mass media images are not solely to blame for eating disorders, which often result from a variety of pressures building up in young people's lives leading to a sense of loss of control.
Jim Keenan concludes that his study highlights the need to ask if monitoring bodies are being effective in bringing magazines into line with public opinion and societal values. "In the meantime, parents should not assume that because a magazine is meant for a certain age-group, that it is decent and something they would want their kids to be reading."
