• Is it age appropriate?

  About our ratings

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  Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 15.

• Is it any good?

  3.0

• Common Sense says

  Teens voice their angst -- and offer support to others.

Why We Rated This for Ages 15 and Up

The good stuff

• Educational value:

  Gives teens the opportunity to write and publish their own works and read what other teens have contributed. Poetry, critical reviews, and blogs can all be found on the site; there are also opportunities for teens to volunteer in editorial positions on the site.

What to watch out for

• Messages:

  Because this is an open forum for teens to post messages and blogs, there are posts that deal with some heavy issues. Some posts include discussions on suicidal thoughts, abuse, self-injury, and depression. The discussion pages allow teens to give each other advice.
• Violence:

  Some posts include references to abuse.
• Sex:

  Although for the most part there is generally no explicit sexual discussions, many blogs focus on some aspect of teen relationships. Many of the bloggers describe themselves as being in middle school and discuss breaking up with boys, dating, kissing, and "relationship issues." Some posts include references to having sex.
• Language:

  Because there is very little that is edited from these blogs, there is profanity. Words like s--t, f--k, and whore can all be found in posts. However the profanity is not rampant and usually there is only one or two expletives in a blog.
• Consumerism:

  No ads, no sponsors.
• Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

  One blog discusses a friend's death due to a drug overdose and another mentions the use of Oxycontin. Writers openly discuss the use of drugs and alcohol. Most of the posts that discuss drug use include information on the consequences and don't make the drug use sound appealing.

What Parents Need to Know

About MyCyc

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