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in a chat room than to risk embarrassment face to face, (and all children are shy with one another, even when they cover it with bravado). Simply put, if they suffer for having spoken wrongly in cyber-space, they do not have to endure the mocking laughter that might echo through the hallways within a school setting. Additionally, if the child remains on a chat board for any period of time, they soon realize that they are not the only ones who speak "out of turn." Thus, they learn social, conversational and tolerance skills from the experience.

It has been exciting for me, as an adult, to visit youth forums. Did you know that some of the most strongly-worded political chiding began in chat rooms where young people, (high school and college), got together to "just talk," and began voicing their concerns for our nation? From these meager beginnings, prominent youth organizations have been formed. To learn about a few of them visit: http://www.freechild.org/polit ics.htm, or do a Google search. These concerned voices are now being recognized and heard. Being pro-active has become a well-respected activity among collegiate and high school students. This component of our society had been absent for a period of time prior to the Internet, because many of us remained isolated within the confines of our own homes. Communication had become nearly non-existent for us outside of school, work or church.

With the advent of the Internet, opportunities for expressing ourselves to differing age groups have emerged. There are sites that allow you to submit true stories, diary-type journals, articles, fictional stories, or role-playing-game scenarios. The safest of these sites have moderators who give participants warnings and/or ban them if they step outside acceptable boundaries. The writers mentor one another, critiquing each submission and providing insights about both writing skills and points-of-view. While it is indeed valuable to have a teacher or parent take note of a child's work, when a PEER approves their efforts, a young person's self-esteem is elevated in a way unobtainable from even the best-intentioned adult.

Many of us, as "older" citizens, have things we long to say, as well. Our circumstances, (being estranged from family members, or friends moving away), have our expression. By visiting a journal site, forum board or blog site, we now have an opportunity to convey our pains, desires and memories. Want privacy? Most journal sites do not require that we share our

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