Adolescents' self-presentation on a teen dating web site: A risk-content analysis

Abstract

Purpose: To analzye adolescents' profiles on MyLol.net, a teen dating Web site, for risk content. We hypothesized that risk content would vary by age and gender. Methods: We selected and coded 752 publicly viewable profiles of adolescents aged 14-18 years for the following five risks: sex, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, and violence. Results: Of the total profiles, 27.7% contained risk-related content: 15.8% sexual behavior, 13.8% alcohol use, 1.6% drug use, 6.8% cigarette smoking, and.9% violence activity. Being female, "single" relationship status, and use of profanity (p