Teens Trust Parents More Than the Internet

Teenagers may seem to spend most of their lives on the Internet, but when they need answers to intimate questions about sexuality and health, they are more likely to seek information from parents and other people they trust.

According to a study by the Guttmacher Institute, high-school students are wary of Internet sources because they know that much of the content is user generated and thus likely to be incorrect. Also, having to sort through a sea of prurient content to find useful information may be another deterrent to many young users.

There are sites offering a great deal of accurate, useful, teen-friendly information about sexuality on the Internet, however. Capitalizing on teens’ trust in their parents and schools could help these sites bridge the information gap, the study’s authors conclude.

Source: Guttmacher Institute, www.guttmacher.org.