A study being released today of more than 10 million online messages written by teens in the past year shows they regularly chat about drinking alcohol, smoking pot, partying and hooking up. The Caron Treatment Centers, a non-profit program in Wernersville, Pa., that also funds research into drug addiction, commissioned the study by Nielsen BuzzMetrics.
Nielsen analysts used a computer program to search blogs, public chat rooms, message boards and other places that attract teens. About 2% of the posts specifically mentioned drugs or alcohol.
The study offers insight into what teens talk about online and classifies the messages into common themes. Many of the teens who posted messages about drugs or alcohol often traded information about using illicit substances without getting hurt or caught. Some teens debated drug legalization and the drinking age. Other teens recounted their partying experiences, including sexual liaisons while drunk or high, the study says.
Now kids are talking about drinking and partying on the internet instead of just talking about it while they are drinking and partying. NOOOOO!!!!!
This was my favorite part:
The misinformation on the Internet about drugs is staggering, says Carol Falkowski, director of research communications for Hazelden Foundation, an addiction treatment, education and research center in Center City, Minn. "What kids used to learn about drugs on street corners, they now learn online," Falkowski says. The Internet "erases geographic and social boundaries," she says. "Kids who live in remote areas can develop a camaraderie online of drug-abusing kids. They can share stories about drug experiences."
Better stay away from Pushing Back. The drug czar lies constantly. I would trust the dopiest myspace teen over THAT guy.
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