National Geographic goes 'Slumming' and comes back with "National Geographic Kids"

I am such a fan of National Geographic magazine and I remember pouring over the National Geographic World magazine as a child. So, I had no hesitation when I received an offer for National Geographic Kids magazine. My five-year-old son loves learning about the world and will choose areas out of the encyclopedia so that we read about them together. As I filled out my order form, I envisioned spending rainy afternoons snuggled up close to my son while we read his new magazine.

Now I know National Geographic is considered a “science lite” magazine meaning that while the articles are not going to be found in your average scientific journal The magazine does skirt issues relating to science, nature and the world in a way the average non-science-minded sort of person could easily understand. I really expected the children’s version of this magazine to do roughly the same, after all, I was given the promise that “NG Kids brings kids face-to-face with amazing animals, geographic adventures, incredible wonders of the deep, terrific technology and inspiring children all over the world.”

What this magazine is not
I think I’d find it easier to describe what National Geographic Kids is not.

This magazine:
- is not really for kids, at least my definition of a kid
- is not much of an educational tool.
- is not focused on nature and the natural world around us.

So what is this magazine you ask?
Stepping into the world of National Geographic Kids would be considered slumming in my mind.

Taken from the Cambridge Dictionary: ‘ Slum’ or ‘slumming’ – to spend time in conditions which are much less good than the standard you are used to

National Geographic Kids has the feel of a young teen’s or preteen’s gossip magazine. The magazine has more articles and ads focused on pop culture than general science articles of interest to children. I am also amazed at the number of junk-food and movie ads. Perhaps the creators of this magazine felt that kids are more interested in television and movies. Perhaps, in some households they’d be correct, but not in this household. I expected a higher-quality children's magazine then the one that found its way into my mailbox.

An example of what can be found in this magazine
After wading through the full-page ads in this month’s issue for ‘NeoPets’ trading cards, Hostess cupcakes, a new movie called ‘Dig It’ and Campbell’s soup, the reader is treated to “fascinating” tidbits about Johnny Depp, the Dave Matthews Band, Harry Potter and the Cartoon Network to name a few. I’m sure the aforementioned guys all have degrees in Bioecology, Vulcanology (the study of volcanoes and not ‘Star Trek’ characters) or Meteorology? If they do, the articles certainly failed to mention those important facts.

You’ll also find several pages devoted to the ‘Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed’ as well as readers’ drawings of Harry Potter. The last issue included full-page ads for ‘Twinkies’, ‘Shrek 2’, and M&M’s. And, of course, what young scientist in the making is going to want to miss the riveting articles about American Idol, Orlando Bloom and whether your birthstone “reflects the inner you.”

Yes, of course, you’ll find more in the magazine
If you dig far enough into the each issue, you’ll find some appropriate articles for your children. My son was fascinated with several articles including one on earthquakes, the debate about whether cats or dogs are smarter (and we learn that both are smart in their own ways) and what happens when people encroach into mountain lion habitat.

What can be found in each issue
Take a look at the magazine’s index and you would really think this is a magazine for children. Each month you’ll find:
- a calendar in which every day has an interesting tidbit. Too bad some of the tidbits are things like the day Britney Spears’ album hit stores or the day Jim Carrey is born.
- the ‘Guinness World Records’ page which would be fascinating for most children but do we really need titles like ‘blowhole’ or ‘potty of gold’?
- a section titled ‘Amazing Animals’ which is a fun page for children of all ages. The pages highlight some pets who have done amazing things like the lost parrot who announced his name to ‘animal control officers’ hence aiding the return to his family.
- the ‘total Techno’ section in which some modern innovation such as satellites is highlighted. This section is worthwhile reading as well once you find it amidst all the other articles
- other sections including ‘Just Joking’ ‘Fun Stuff’ and ‘Reality Check’ which may include some nature-type photos among the other photos of Hillary Duff, Justin Timberlake or some other world-renowned ‘nature expert’.

Okay, but how are the photos
Ask any person why they subscribe to National Geographic and the first word out of their mouth is usually, “The photos.” Since the magazine is so well known for their photos, you’d expect the children’s magazine to carry some of the more fun photos. The children’s version does have some of the cuter photos but, again, the colorful, splashy advertisements on the opposing page often detract from the photos themselves. Rather than give us a pull-out poster of Pokemon this month, we would have preferred a poster of one of the wonderful photos of perhaps a harp seal from this month’s National Geographic.

Final Thoughts
My son loves receiving mail and I hate to do this, but I’m canceling our subscription. I think National Geographic Kids is a waste of the paper on which it is printed. The magazine is a blend of pop-culture, commercialism and some nature stuff thrown in for good measure. Yes, you’ll find some nice nature and science-related articles mixed into this magazine, but you end up dealing with a lot more needless fluff in the process.

Would I recommend this magazine for anybody? Probably not, but if you have an older child who is interested in more of a tabloid magazine for kids, then this could be the magazine for you. For everybody else, I’d heartily recommend that National Geographic Kids take some lessons from its parent magazine and stop wasting trees with this drivel.


Related National Geographic Article of Interest:

National Geographic Maps: Too Sexy for this Computer