As fascinated as I am by the Internet, I'm not unaware that my teenagers don't visit the same sites that I do or even share many of the same interests (if any).
My seventeen year old daughter prefers "cool" sites which often dispense free hip commentary advise about fashions. A favorite page is Teen Surf which has chat areas divided by age and discussions on a wide variety of subjects including sports and of course, guys. Her main interest, however, is in the Virtual World, because mall shopping has now come to the web. Shops such as Eddie Bauer, The Sharper Image, and Spiegel, among others, offer current fashions and "hard to find items" at discount savings. That's right! With a few keystrokes or the simple click of a mouse and a little help from a package delivery service and whatever she desired is on its way.
Not quite sure what your teen might be interested in? Certainly nothing too heavy! Search vehicles like Yahoo provide lists of sites under titles like: Advice, Cool links, Humor - jokes - fun, Internet based magazines, Movies and films, People and Useless pages.
My fourteen year old son could care less about fashion, his main interest is in on-line gaming and downloads. Most software manufacturers provide demos that can be downloaded free so the player can determine whether he wishes to buy the full version.
Nearly all the big titles, including MechWarrior 2, Quake, and DukeNukem have provided playable demos, usually consisting of the first few levels. Does this type of marketing strategy work? You betcha! Best yet, these games allow for multiplayers which means my son and his friends can play head to head through their modems.
Programs have been developed that allow on-line gaming through the Internet itself. On-line gaming once consisted simply of role playing games (text based). Now on-line gaming supports multiple players participating (usually in warfare) in 3D virtual worlds.
Downloading has become bigger and bigger. Happy Puppy (one of many download sites) is very popular and receives over half a million hits per day. However downloading is not just for the gamer. C-net has nearly 200,000 software titles and most are utilities and shareware programs that perform various tasks. Not all of these programs are freeware. However, most are shareware and give the user a chance to evaluate the product before committing to its purchase. Most software and hardware manufacturers have download sites through their pages that provide free upgrades to registered users.
Visiting sites like Cybertown provide a lot of fun. Cybertown is a virtual town where a visitor can chat or shop or even visit other worlds. With several sections, there is a lot to see and do. The addition of music to surf by is a nice touch.
Chatting is a popular activity on the net and most is done by teenagers and young adults. Some on-line service providers have private "chat rooms" where their members can share their views on specific topics and monitoring is common to help prevent abuse. Direct Internet providers often provide access to restricted chat groups for their members only, but few groups, if any, are monitored. IRC (Internet Relay Chat) groups which can be found on the Internet have thousands of channels where topic matter is unlimited and language is unrestricted.
Another chat service that boomed in popularity especially during the Superbowl is virtual chat. Starting with a 3D ball, the user could add items like facial expressions, hats, helmets, or jerseys. Customized little "people" then floated from chat room to chat room and commentary was displayed in text bubbles. Virtual chat rooms are out there still, and a lot of fun to visit.
Chatting is not the only way to stay in contact. E-mail is a tremendous way to develop writing skills. All my children have had pen-pals at one time or another. On the net, no one is too far away and of course differences are minimized. Currently my youngest has pen-pals in Kentucky, England and Australia.
Two big interests for teenagers are music and movies. Want to know if that new band is any good? Reviews of albums and movies are on the net almost before they reach the store or theater. You can even hear sound clips from the album or sound track. Want to visit the Rolling Stones? They have their own home page. Animated of course!
Does your teenager prefer sports to other pursuits? The web offers home pages for all the major teams. Sports Illustrated on-line provides articles on sports and athletes. Stats, game schedules and updates are available and updated continuously. E-mail or chat with your favorite athlete through either your on-line service or through the team page.
For the older teen, sites for research are available and nearly all the college guides are now available through the Internet. Deadlines, class schedules and admission requirements can be easily accessed. Use of the Internet for research on any topic is unparalleled. Scholarship requirements, forms and offers from various organizations are often listed on the net.
Having problems getting your teens interested? Did you intend for the computer to be a learning tool and not an expensive game arcade? Help your teens find sites that are fun and educational. A couple recent additions to our bookmark file include: Beakman & Jax, two weird science guys who discuss outlandish topics and detail wacky scientific experiments and the Why Files Page, a great page to answer questions like what does pond mud tell us and why mosquitoes bite. Science that's safe interesting and fun, that's what I call a great investment!
Teenagers will use the net more and more as they become comfortable with it. Chatting and research, however do take a lot of on-line time and a flat monthly fee is much more practical than an hourly rate. As with any purchase, compare services and shop around for the best rates.
Net Sites:
C-net:http://www.cnet.com/
Cybertown: http://www.cybertown.com/cybertown/index.html
Happy Puppy: http://happypuppy.com/
Teen Surf:http://www.planetc.com/kidsurf/teensurf.html
Why Files: http://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu/index.html
Yahoo: http://www.yahoo.com/
You Can: http://www.youcan.com/
Susan Wehe
swehe@ix.netcom.com
http://www.netcom/~swehe/family.html
Susan Wehe is a member of the Seguin Internet Club.
Matt McDaniel will offer an IRC Internet Relay Chat on-line demonstration for members of the Seguin Internet Club, next Thursday at 6:30 pm at Century 21 D & D on the intersection of 123 Bypass and Hwy. 90A. Non members are welcome to attend and join the club. To join the club, contact Jerry Weers, weersjt@texas.net, 303-0818 or Alton Hierholzer, altonh@connecti.com, 303-9260.
To write for the Internet Beat column, contact column coordinator Gloria Rivera, riverag@connecti.com, 303-4764. All the past articles published in this column can be found in the Internet at http://lonestar.texas.net/~weersjt/club/intbeat.html
Next week: Donald Daugherty: "The whole universe is almost at their fingertips".