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Bridgman Buzz Click on the link below to view the latest edition of the "Bridgman Buzz". The "Bridgman Buzz" is available in .pdf format which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print. February, 2008 From The Principal: Sex, Drugs and Alcohol Are Popular Parents who think their teens’ online conversations with their peers are innocent may want to reconsider. A new Caron Treatment Centers qualitative study conducted by Nielsen BuzzMetrics found that one in 10 message analyzed involved teens seeking advice from their peers on how to take illicit drugs “safely” and without getting caught. The messages were posted on common online message boards, forums and social networks, such as MySpace.com, ym.com and teenspot.com, among others. The study also found that in messages about alcohol, hooking up and having sex when drinking were the top behaviors discussed by teens. While a few teens expressed regret over things they did while drunk, many chalked them up to “fun” “being wasted” and “having a good time.” While both genders discussed hooking up and sex, more girls than boys talked about it, where gender was identifiable. More than 160,000 of the 10.3 million messages posted by teens were about drugs or alcohol. Despite increased focus on drug trends, such as abuse of prescription medications like OxyContin and club favorites like Ecstasy, less “trendy” substances were more commonly discussed. Almost 80% of the drug-related messages posted by teens mentioned alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and acid/LSD. “While much attention has been given to adult sexual predators preying on teens online, it’s important for parents to know conversations with peers can be equally dangerous,” said David Rotenberg, executive director of Adolescent Services at Caron, the industry’s leading authority on adolescent addiction treatment. Source: Berrien County Intermediate School District
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