Exploiting the Generation Gap: CosmoGirl! Vs. Parents

Imagine if strangers approached your 12-year-old daughter and said they wanted to talk with her about her problems at home, at school and with boys. You’d probably be pretty upset. After all, who has the right to give your daughter advice—especially on what’s going on at home? Shouldn’t she be talking to you?

Not according to a hot new magazine called CosmoGirl! The way the editors see it, parents are preachy and out of touch with what teenage girls need to hear. And CosmoGirl! aims to fill that void. It’s the latest example of how ...