There is no doubt about it. We are an electronic society. From our cable television sets to our satellite radios, our cell phones to our beepers, our global positioning devices to our palm pilots, and of course the world wide web  we are a truly connected society.

There are opportunities for educational and interest driven activities all around us but no where are they more readily available than on the World Wide Web. I wonder if we parents are prepared for the global reach of these intrusions into our parenting practices?

Our children no longer depend solely on the advice of their closest friends. Friends that we as parents can get to know and trust as not more or less worldly than our own children. There is so much information available to our children today on the internet, in the privacy of our homes, that it is often easier for our children to look for answers to personal questions on the web than risk the inquiry and concerns of their parents.

Children today are tech savvy  so we parents had better be too! Often our children are independent on the computer before we are. Writing their own web pages, downloading their own pictures, getting into chat rooms and sometimes circumstances that their limited experience hasnt prepared them for, gleaning advice from young or uneducated individuals or people with different values than those of your family.

Of the many potential hazards on the internet faced by our children the sites with the biggest potential for causing the most serious harm are the teen advice web sites. These kind of sites have the ability to give out incorrect information to a stunningly large number of individuals by posting questions and the answering reply right to their web page. Only one teenager need ask the question and many more will believe the answer, correct or not, because its written right there in front of them and they are often too afraid or too embarrassed to look for another opinion. These question and answer sites are most often presided over by young, inexperienced or barely experienced, teens. These teen counselors are typically ages 13 and up. They give free, solicited, advice on everything from health care, sex and birth control, mental / emotional health concerns and legal issues.

These sites rarely have adult preceptors. Most sites do have a disclaimer stating that they are not responsible, nor liable for your teens life or any further problems your teen may experience in relation to the advice given. Those simply worded disclaimers wont protect your teenager from the potential harm of an often-misinformed teen counselor who dishes out incorrect and possibly dangerous information.

Anything your teen wants to know and may not want to ask you about is available on the internet. These teen advice sites cover just about every subject you can imagine and many you wouldnt want to. There are "Pro-Anorexia." sites - dedicated to the encouragement of anorexic and bulimic behaviors. Sites specifically to give advice to young teens on methods of birth control (one of these I was presided over by a sexually active, 13 year old, girl). Gay, lesbian and straight sexuality sites. Sites for the practice of self-abuse and mutilation, Sites for finding ways to get high and more.

In reading some of these I was most amazed by the sheer volume of incorrect, often potentially life-threatening advice doled out by these teen counselors. They covered such topics as how many additional birth control pills to take if your partner didnt use a condom. How to maintain a successful anorexic diet. The best way to purge and getting the cheapest high from everyday, household items. Do these internet sites serve a useful purpose? Yes, I think they can if they are catalysts for discussion between parents and their children. We have all read the flood of warnings about the internet hazards our children face, there seems to be a plethora of new ones daily, but these hazards can be educational tools as Injuries: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/ This is a great site for younger children to gain comforting information about common childhood questions, illnesses and injuries. Great basic information without the “fear-factor”.

CoolNurse: http://www.coolnurse.com/ Lots of high quality teen information! As a nurse myself I was gratified to see this site up. It’s upbeat and packed with information that is up to date and complete on just about any topic a teen could wonder about. This comprehensive site is also written in a modern, straightforward, non-condescending style that all age groups will appreciate.

Teen Advice On-Line: http://www.teenadviceonline.org/ This site has many articles with teen oriented topics. Seems conservative without preaching. Most of these counselors are 18 to 24 years in and they are from all over the globe.

About The Author

Angela Butera Dickson is a full service, freelance copywriter offering some of the best prices on the web. From articles to brochure copy, ghostwriting to marketing letters, she can help you cultivate a polished, professional business image. www.angeladickson.com

angela@angeladickson.com