Youth Voices

• YOUTH VOICES | Sucked In: the Power of Online Role Playing Kids of all ages are logging on to online games where players interact with each other—from Webkinz to World of Warcraft. This issue, we feature perspectives from two boys at the ends of the "tween" age spectrum: Alex, 14 and Olivier, 9.
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• YOUTH VOICES | Students Sound Off about Online Safety How do young teens feel about online safety, wireless phones, and meeting up offline? Students at Hampshire High School in Illinois shared their thoughts with bNetS@vvy.  more...

• YOUTH VOICES | The Lowdown on Cyberbullying and What if You Have a Friend Who’s a Bully? This month’s Youth Voices feature includes two columns are written by girls in the Youth Village after-school program. They both say that cyberbullying is on the rise, in part because more of their peers have access to computers and wireless devices. Both say that developing a positive self-image can help curtail this problem.  more...

• Minimizing Conflict: Tips from a Parent Kelli Kennison, mother of this month's Youth Voices writer, shares tips for parents whose children are beginning to use new technologies.  more...

• YOUTH VOICES | “Hooked In” an Interview with Lisea Lark, 13 Staying up-to-date on how kids use computers and wireless devices can be tough—especially when they make a mass movement from one platform to another. Lisea Lark, 13, an eighth grader in Columbia South Carolina, says she and her friends recently dropped MySpace in favor of Facebook, perhaps signaling a trend. In this Q&A, Lisea talks about this switch, how e-mail became “old school,” and the hidden side of texting. She also offers a look at how young teens use technology, and what parents and younger kids should know about connecting more safely. Read the article.  more...