An End to Teen Vogue's Print Publication

By Anne Koessler

During my early adolescence, I remember the most exciting part of grocery shopping was rummaging through the endless aisles of magazines. Vogue, shining with its thick pages and elegant models, always sparked my interest. However, the mature content confused 13-year-old me, surrounded by a pile of fashion magazines trying to relate to these adult interests. Therefore, it was like striking gold and finding my ticket into the fashion world when I finally discovered Teen Vogue.

When Condé Nast announced earlier this month that Teen Vogue is ending its print publication, I felt a part of my childhood slowly fade away. The Alliance for Audited Media reported that a drop of single-copy sales of the magazine fell more than 50 percent in the first six months of 2017. Despite this upsetting announcement, the magazine will still be available online since there was an increase in its web viewers in 2017. With the new digital age of millennials, it is unsurprising that Teen Vogue will remain active online.

Despite this alternative, an online version still does not seem as fulfilling as a printed magazine since the appeal of Teen Vogue was mainly in its physicality; holding the small pages, enjoying the beautiful print, and always having that collection increasing on a bookshelf. There is a powerful feeling of holding a magazine in print and being able to zip through each page with excitement. While there are advantages of viewing the magazine online, from its permanent nature to easier accessibility, the glamorous appeal of holding the magazine is lost once its pages are eternalized on the screen.

The loss of Teen Vogue’s print publication caused even greater disappointment due to its emerging new content. In December 2016, the infamous article “Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America” interested the public greatly, showing that this magazine was expanding from its typical topics of fashion, art, and beauty. The article received so much attention that it ended up as Teen Vogue’s most read piece ever. Within recent years, Teen Vogue has tackled topics of American politics, news, and social justice issues. This refreshing addition to the already appealing magazine attracted many individuals since these worldwide issues could now be easily accessible to younger generations. Therefore, many believed that this boost in Teen Vogue’s popularity promised for a steady future, and not this news of an end to print publication.

Once I picked up my very first issue in that grocery store years ago, I knew this was only the beginning of an obsession, spurring my collection of three years’ worth of Teen Vogue. Having all the issues at my fingertips inspired me in countless ways, whether it was as a cure for boredom or learning about the improvement of fall fashion before school starts.

Regardless of this end to a 14-year-old era, it is important to acknowledge that Teen Vogue has not closed its doors for good. The magazine’s content is accessible online at teenvogue.com and will continue to cover relevant and important issues as it always has. Hopefully one day a magazine equally as impressive as Teen Vogue will be found again in the aisles of the grocery store, waiting to be picked up by the eager adolescent we all were once.