New Online Zine for Teens

I just heard about a new online magazine for teens debuting this week called Hardly that I can hardly wait to check out. That’s because it’s being touted as a smarter alternative to many of the magazines available for girls today, and is even drawing comparisons to the now retired Sassy. Will it have the goods? We’ll have to wait for the premiere issue. But a sneak peak of what’s inside, along with an interview with co-editors Jennifer Lee and Laura deCarufel over at the National Post, promises good things.

According to the article, the magazine has a strong focus on alternative culture and the arts, and the first issue will feature diaries from teen girls, an advice column, and internship column, and articles and photo shoots featuring real girls doing their real thing.

Says co-founder Jennifer Lee , “We want Hardly to be a magazine that teenage girls look to for inspiration, a magazine that is a substantial read rather than a how-to guide. I think that the Hardly reader is a girl with a strong sense of individuality that comes from a free-spirited openness — a sense of self that defies easy categories.”

Adds Laura deCarufel, “As a teenager, you’re already always evaluating yourself in relation to the people around you, and in pop culture. It’s depressing how the people who are held up as icons (like the girls on The Hills) seem to have so little substance to offer. But the exciting part is that there are people who are doing great things everywhere, all the time. We want Hardly to introduce teenagers to people that they might not hear about otherwise; we want to  showcase people with real talent—like the musicians, artists, writers, designers who inspired us years ago.”

Sounds like a good read to me. Will post more once the magazine goes live!