If I had this site accessible to me when I was a teen it's very possible that my life could have turned out differently, and I mean for the better.
Teenagers aren't as green and as nieve as you may think. They have a lot of information online that they have access to. I don't think they're going to read anything here that they won't be able to read elsewhere. I'm not concerned about that. I am concerned about the power of suggesting. Like the SI threads. Nothing wrong with the SI thread but it may give a struggling teen some ideas. But then again-there are sites out there about SI without the support and encouragement NOT to do and try it as it is here. I SI when I was 14 and I didn't learn it from anybody-I just did it and was so confused as to why I was doing it and thought I was the only moron in the world cutting myself. I felt isolated and scared. I had no support system.
I think this is a great site for teens. I think it's a very supportive place for them to talk about their stresses with parents, school and feelings of inadaquacies. I think we can nurture them and help to guide them as we do for one another.
I don't think we talk about anything so inappropriate on this site that a teen should not be able to read it. Even when we skim around something like that-I guarantee what they're hearing in high school from other kids their age is a hundred times worst. If anything we can help clear up any misconceptions about a subject or give them advice when they have nobody else to talk to about the subject.
JMO
I say "Welcome TEENS!!!!"
HUGS
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