As you may know, my favorite website is http://www.gurl.com/ . As a teenager I absolutely love this website. So I looked up some information about this website that you might be interested in.
What’s the Story?
Packed with informative articles, interviews and more, GURL.COM is divided into six sections. Connect hosts interactive elements; Find Out features facts on topics like acne and alcohol; Play has daily horoscopes, quizzes, and a cool make-your-own ga ... More
Packed with informative articles, interviews and more, GURL.COM is divided into six sections. Connect hosts interactive elements; Find Out features facts on topics like acne and alcohol; Play has daily horoscopes, quizzes, and a cool make-your-own game function. The Show Off section houses more than 150 teen-friendly comics, React has polls, and the Explore section neatly groups the content by topic. Membership -- required to post anything -- is free. Users can view and react to video clips from news shows and other outlets; they also can (and do) also ask other users for advice via the boards or through the site's advice column. A daily blog also covers sex topics.
Is It Any Good?
It may take users their entire gURLhood to try out all the sections on GURL.com, but it's worth the wait. The site's tone is spot-on -- conversational and frank -- and longer sections are broken down into easy-to-digest sections. It tackles tough, em ... More
It may take users their entire gURLhood to try out all the sections on GURL.com, but it's worth the wait. The site's tone is spot-on -- conversational and frank -- and longer sections are broken down into easy-to-digest sections. It tackles tough, emotionally- and politically-charged topics like eating disorders, bisexuality, and abortion with a refreshing honesty, so the site isn't appropriate for very young users, but rest assured: The subject matter is presented in a nonjudgmental way without a hint of sensationalism that's perfect for teens.
THE GOOD STUFF:
Educational value:The site offers information about STDs, mental health issues, and other topics in its "Fast Facts" section.
Messages:Encourages girls to focus on self-esteem and health.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Violence:Not an issue.
Sex:The site encourages open dialogue that sometimes gets sexual. Girls discuss having sex and post topics like "If I could f--k someone famous..."
Language:The site prohibits "pornographic, racist, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate usernames" and removes language deemed inappropriate -- but words like "Hellz," "penis" and "martini" can be found.
Consumerism:Nair sponsors an advertorial section on hair removal; clothes in an avatar dress-up section link to Sears' online store
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:Many of the photos users post include drinking champagne and hard liquor.
WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW!
Parents need to know that this hub for teen girls does have some valuable information (health issues) and can foster creativity (encourages poetry writing), but also has several interactive elements that might raise some eyebrows. The site monitors its message boards only "as often as we can" -- not 24 hours a day -- so questionable language and photos do slip through, although users are discouraged from posting either. Girls also ask and answer questions on frank topics like having sex in the woods; some user-posted photos show girls downing Jack Daniels or posing seductively in their underwear on a bed.
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