Generation Myspace: Helping Your Teen Survive Online Adolescence: How Social Networking is Changing Friendship, Gossip, Sex, Drugs and Our Kids' Self-Esteem by Candice M. Kelsey

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Synopsis

Does it seem like your teen can’t tear herself away from friends on the computer screen (except to text them on her cell phone)? That’s because MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube are your son or daughter’s life, not just another passing diversion. All that energy and time spent online is affecting your teen’s life in countless ways, from sexual pressure and privacy to social standing and self-esteem.

Some schools are banning online networking sites, yet your child insists they’re "no big deal." Who’s right? Drawing on personal interviews with hundreds of teens, educator Candice M. Kelsey helps parents assess what they should — and shouldn't — be worried about when it comes to technology. A landmark book, Generation MySpace is the first guide to the new world of online adolescence, where you’ll discover:

• The Appeal of MySpace: How interaction becomes addictive, and how to stop it from taking control
• Profiles, Adds, and Top 8 Popularity: How “friending” is redefining friendship
• Baring It All: How young kids are learning to market themselves — and why they’re looking to celebrities and porn stars first
• From Predators to Cyber-Bullies: How to help your kids protect themselves

Biography

Candice M. Kelsey earned her B.A. in English from Miami University (OH), her M.A. in English from Loyola Marymount University, and has over 200 hours of professional development in education, rhetoric, and teen counseling. She currently helped found a new private high school in Santa Monica, CA, where she serves on the Advisory Board. She is an essay reader/grader for both the College Board’s Advanced Placement program and the S.A.T. She freelances for the U.S. Department of Education as an evaluator of grant proposals.

She has studied the influence of the Internet on youth culture for over eight years; more recently her interests have been focused on MySpace.com. She has been actively researching its impact on teens for the last eighteen months, interviewing countless teenagers, parents, educators, and school administrators.