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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Health site takes "whole life" approach to teen well-being.

On this site kids can:   find support, learn about a specific topic, set goals, watch videos

Why We Rated This on for Ages 12 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Teaches teens facts about physical, emotional, and sexual health, and presents the information in an engaging and age-appropriate way. Includes lots of links to resources, although some won't be useful to teens in the U.S. (like helplines and places that offer support).

  • Messages:

    Offers advice and resources to help teens make healthy choices, improve their self-esteem, respect others, feel safe, and other important issues. Encourages teens to set goals to improve areas in their lives that could use a boost.

  • User-created content:

    Not an issue.

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    The Safe Sex section discusses the benefits of waiting to have sex, offers advice about avoiding pressure, and briefly addresses birth control and STD prevention. (Note: The site mentions it's illegal for teens under 16 to have sex; in the U.S., laws about teen sex vary from state to state.) The section links to a teen sexual health site that offers more detailed factual information on anatomy, birth control, abortion, and other topics.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    The site strongly discourages smoking and drug use and offers resources for quitting or getting help. Because the drinking age is lower in the England than the U.S., the site allows for the fact that teens may drink, but warns about the dangers of alcohol abuse.

How safe is it?

  • Personal privacy:

    Users may enter a first name or nickname when they take the quiz, but the site doesn't collect email addresses or any other information.

  • Online interaction:

    Not an issue.

  • Parental controls:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Teen LifeCheck was written by Susan Yudt

Parents need to know that this educational site was developed by the U.K.'s National Health Service. Designed for ages 12-15, it features a "test" that helps visitors assess how healthy they are when it comes to emotions, nutrition, family life, sexuality, substance use, and more. Generally, the site offers solid information and advice about making good choices, but parents may want to review the Alcohol and Safe Sex sections because the U.S. and U.K. have different laws about teen drinking and teen sex -- and because parents' opinions on the "best answer" to a question may not be the same as the site's.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Why do some people smoke cigarettes and abuse alcohol and other drugs? Why would people do something that's harmful to their bodies and minds? How might messages from the media influence their decisions?
  • Families can talk about how communicating about feelings is an important part of being emotionally healthy. What are some healthy ways to express yourself when you're feeling angry or sad? Who can you talk to when you need help with a problem?
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More on Teen LifeCheck

Is It Any Good?

Teen LifeCheck takes a comprehensive "whole life" approach that tackles issues like crime, friendship, and attitudes about school -- topics that are frequently overlooked by adolescent health sites. The smartly designed site will keep teens engaged as they're learning helpful tips about getting -- and staying -- healthy. After users complete the quiz, they'll find out where they can go for support or additional information. Some of that information is specific to the U.K. and won't be useful for American teens, but the tips and the goal-setting feature are helpful regardless of a visitor's location.
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