Teen Ink

Review

Common Sense Media says

Creative, supportive forum for teens to share their work.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

AGE
13
QUALITY
 

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this outlet for teen creativity is a safe, supportive environment for kids to express themselves through words and art. With thousands of teen-created submissions to read and view, there's the potential for sensitive or mature subject matter, but the material here is pre-screened for inappropriate language or content and the result is extremely clean creative content.

  • Positive messages3
    There are numerous positive messages to be found and lessons to be learned. Those who submit their work are living through experiences that are common to all teens, so there’s solidarity and camaraderie. Much of the work has strong, positive messages of responsibility, overcoming adversity, and successfully navigating the trials of the teen years. The site can help users -- whether they submit work or not -- build confidence in themselves and their creativity. Comments and critiques are mostly favorable, supportive and encouraging, making it a nurturing environment.
  • Violence1
    With the sheer quantity of original written content in the fiction and non-fiction sections, there are certain to be some instances of violence (concocted or real), but most are mild or alluded to. A drunken frat boy breaks down a door. A parent yells menacingly at a teenager. A sibling dies in an accident.
  • Sex1
    All submissions are reviewed and screened by the editors, and the content is highly scrutinized for its appropriateness. As one would expect from teen writing and art, there are pieces devoted to relationships, flirting and sensuality, but the heavily monitored submissions are mild and appropriate for its audience.
  • Language3
    Some of the written submissions contain occasional mild swearing, but because the work is screened for its appropriateness, all curse words are not spelled in their entirety. S- -t, damn, hell are common but used within the context of the fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.
  • Consumerism2
    The site has several Google ads on each page, each promoting something “teen” related such as a “12-step program for troubled teens” or “parenting tips for teens.” There are also several small display ads touting other Teen Ink products including the print magazine and various online writing courses. Some brand names and products may appear within the individual submissions.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking2
    There are occasional references to drinking, smoking, and drugs in the written submissions, but they are most often framed in a negative light (i.e. drunk college boy makes a fool of himself and quiet sober boy gets the girl).
  • Privacy & safety0
    Kids use pen names or their first name and last initial, along with the name of their city and state. It's possible that they could disclose their identity, although the site's extensive privacy policy discourages it.
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Is it any good?

 

Teens -- and even their parents -- will glean a lot from perusing the work on this site, which is supported by The Young Authors Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to giving teens a voice and boosting their self-esteem. Not only are there great examples of strong writing and fine art here, but the subject matter is extremely relevant to teens anywhere. Because the content is created by teens, young visitors will find a good deal they can relate to and may even find themselves quickly caught up in the short stories, articles and poetry. The themes vary in tone, but the subject matter touches on topics ranging from dating and driving to divorce and death. Kids of all creativity levels will find inspiration here. Those with aspirations to write or draw will be encouraged to continue pursuing their interests, and those who may struggle with writing or creativity may recognize that hard work pays off.

Online interaction: All submissions are subject to critique from other Teen Ink visitors, so anyone submitting is able to see comments -- good or bad -- from other registered users. The vast majority of comments are positive, constructive, and supportive. Even the reviewers who have negative comments about the submissions manage to frame their criticism in kind, gentle ways.

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What families can talk about

This review was written by Conny Coon
Teen, 16 years old
January 10, 2010
AGE
14
 
What don i do on this web site
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Helped me decide (14) | Had useful details (18) | Read my mind (13)
Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
January 5, 2010
AGE
14
 
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (12) | Had useful details (13) | Read my mind (15)
Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 17 years old
March 15, 2010
AGE
13
 
Writers and Readers Will LOVE!
I found out about Teen Ink from my local library. I love reading their magazine, and submitting my own work on their website. I'm also on their Student Advisory Board, and am glad to have such a great website to head to to read other teens writing, and post my own. It's a very safe website, that I trust when using. I don't find any problems with the work, occasionally you'll see a swear word, or something "sexually" related but the writing is very well thought out and for the most part positive. I definitely recommend The website and the magazine!
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Helped me decide (11) | Had useful details (11) | Read my mind (12)
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Kid, 13 years old
February 7, 2012
AGE
12
 
Teninks Family
Hey. I chose this name beause it is the same as my teenink one. I get on teenink and I love it. You post your writing and get open and honest reviews. I am a poet and people comment on my stuff honestly, and say that it's good. You can even chat with other teens. This is a site ONLY for teenagers. My boyfriend gets on, his friends get on. Teenink is a site for teens to post their writing, talk about problems and just randomly talk to our big happy "family." I hope you let your children join because we welcome new members with warm welcomes and tell who we are, our ages, and about us. Then we ask about them.Thank you.
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Teen, 16 years old
April 11, 2012
AGE
13
 
I LOVE TEEN INK
I love this website. I post my poems on there a lot and people can comment on it. I love teen ink a lot if i never knew about it my life would be very different
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This review was written by Conny Coon
Genre:Creating
This review was written by Conny Coon

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
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