Last week, Kids Help Phone unveiled their new website on the world wide web. The Kids Help site is a place for youth to visit in the privacy of their own homes, yet still recieve the guidance and knowledge that the Kids Help phone line counsellors provide. It can be accessed any time of the day or night, for as long as it takes.The site was initiated as a way to keep up with too many calls. Executive Director of Kids Help Phone, Heather Sproule, said that the counsellors "only answer 1, 400 of the 4,000" phone calls everyday. Kids Help Phone is hoping to not only service those that can't get through on the phone lines, but also to appeal more to teen boys, who may find the computer a more appealing way of finding information, than speaking with a counsellor.
Boys aside, girls will like the site too. Unlike most "teen" sites, this one isn't graphically sexist. The graphics are neutral; not pink and frilly, but not blue and masculine either. It appeals to everyone simply because it is not supposed to appeal to anyone in particlular.
The home page features a side bar of bricks with graffiti-type writing on the wall. This graffiti lists the topics that are covered. This side bar is a constant throughout the site and allows easy access to other topics, or back to the home page.
Each section has straight information and also a section called "Tips for Parents/Others." The topics are Friendship and Love, Diversity, Family, Birth Control, STIs andAIDS, Eating Disorders, Drug Abuse, Abuse, Sexual Violence and Suicide.The site manages to do something tricky, that most magazines aren't able to. It gives honest answers to honest questions. Nothing is sugarcoated. This is real life, not the movies or t.v. and Kids Help knows it. The section on drug abuse answers the questions "What do I do if I just wanted to try it once but now I can't stop?" and "How can I be cool without using drugs?" Instead of preacing "Just Say No," (which despite it's prevalence doesn't seem to working anyway) the site gives real answers and provides the information for teens to understand the why behind tough situations, not only the how. The eating disorders section examines the social, individual and family reasons that the disorders occur. It also provides suggestions on what can be done to help a victim, but emphasizes that you can't force someone to help themself.
The site in terms of content is excellent and very useful. It would help with personal problems or questions, and also would be a great source of information for school projects. There are also links to other sites for more specific information on topics like birth control and planned parenthood.
© 1997 TG Magazine/The Students Commission
le magazine TG/la commission des étudiants
