What is the ultimate homepage for teenage girls?

March 11, 2006 8:30 PM

Please recommend a homepage for a teenage girl who loves to websurf

I'm setting up a spare computer for my daughters, ages 16, 13 and 9 and I'd like recommendations on a good homepage for them. Something with all the goodies teenagers like (ie: music, fashion/health, games) but nothing racy or obnoxious.

The computer is also a tad slow and is running Fedora w/firefox, so shockwave sites are not an option (although I've got mplayer setup and it's got high speed).

I'd like to show my daughters the old man still knows a thing or two about teh intarweb!

posted by rinkjustice to computers & internet (30 comments total)

Probably the best thing for that would be Yahoo or MSN or some mainstream site like that. I know it's cliche and obvious, and it might not score you points on being a master of teh intarwebs, but it has everything a teenager needs. Pop culture, music, fashion, games, horoscopes - all the things you listed and more. And it's all family friendly.

Somebody may be able to give you a hipper page that will better aid in upping your street cred, but I think those would work out fine. :P
posted by jahmoon at 8:59 PM on March 11, 2006

I'm partial to Google myself, but that's more for someone who comes in already knowing what they want. Why don't you cruise over to ivillage.com, see if it might do? they bill themselves as being woman oriented. they have a "what-we-are page at:

http://www.ivillage.com/editor/0,,79f46hq0,00.html?ice=iv,mp,bn,ed
posted by Ken McE at 9:02 PM on March 11, 2006

The youngest might get into the evil timesink that is Neopets... it has Flash games, but it should run just fine on Fedora/Firefox...

Your older daughter likely already knows about MySpace. So, y'know, keep an eye out.

Seventeen? Cosmo Teen?

It's hard to gauge what you'd love to throw to them, because there's plenty of nasty out there (as you're assuredly aware; you are a MeFite...) but the regular gaming sites are good times, even if you don't think they'll run too well.

Or CNN. To spite them.
posted by disillusioned at 9:03 PM on March 11, 2006

If they were already familar with the internet, I doubt that setting a homepage for them would have much effect. I know that whenever I use a public computer with a set homepage google is my first stop, followed by mefi.

If your motive is to impress them, I would say
for the 16 year old - seventeen
for the 9 year old - yahooligans!
for the 13 year old - I got nothing...
posted by bigmusic at 9:04 PM on March 11, 2006

What kinds of things do they like to do? I assume they have different tastes? Will they all three have the same home page, or will there be different user accounts?

If you can make the older ones think they found scarleteen on their own, and that you don't know they're reading it, that would be a great thing for them. Assuming you're on a similar wavelength re: sexuality and responsibility.

My intended posted this question about my sister and politics sites; if any of them are of that persuasion, you might take a look at that, especially if they're raised liberal and like to be challenged.

Or what about MetaFilter?
posted by librarina at 9:14 PM on March 11, 2006

They sound like just the right age to appreciate Homestar Runner. Maybe Homestar has been played out with "the kids these days" but it's still something my 19-year old "baby sister" and I can watch and giggle at.
posted by Robot Johnny at 9:16 PM on March 11, 2006

www.bolt2.com is a site geared for 13-25 year olds, mostly teenagers.
posted by 45moore45 at 10:15 PM on March 11, 2006

about:blank.

It's a freedom thing.

Homepages are teh suxx0r5 - they just distract you from your bookmarks.
posted by flabdablet at 10:19 PM on March 11, 2006

I agree with librarina - if the older ones already love to websurf, why not Metafilter? I joined here when I was 15 and lurked for about a year before I did, so it's not inconceivable that the 16 year old - if not the 13 year old - would be interested.

Ask MeFi itself might be even better, since I think it addresses music, fashion, and health slightly more often then the main page.

Or maybe the random article URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random at Wikipedia?
posted by bubukaba at 10:47 PM on March 11, 2006

I'm 16 and I love ask metafilter (maybe that's a given?), much more than metafilter itself. It's friendlier. I am terrified of MeTa. The random wikipedia article is on my bookmark toolbar :). But I'm a total nerd, so YDaughtersMMV. Honestly, I'd suggest going with google or about:blank. That will neighter offend nor impress, but it will show them you are willing to let them make their own decision (not like they wouldn't anyway).
posted by MadamM at 11:12 PM on March 11, 2006

What about a custom start page? Launched from your own PC locally rather than the web, with links to some of their favorite sites. You can dress it up and let each have their own Start Page. There are a lot of templates out there. If you want a good one - drop me an email.
posted by Gerard Sorme at 11:24 PM on March 11, 2006

Thanks for all suggestions thus far (but myspace is not an option - I consider it both racy and obnoxious).
posted by rinkjustice at 11:24 PM on March 11, 2006

They're probably capable of finding their own sites - IMHO.
posted by k8t at 12:08 AM on March 12, 2006

It sounds to me like you want to give your daughters as much freedom as possible, but you are hoping they make good decisions. Perhaps on a subconscious level you are hopelessly hoping thatif you find the Holy Grail of homepages for teenage girls - the ultimate homepage, then they will fell no need to explore the rest of the web, content in their Garden of Eden.


I only say this because I dont know why else a homepage would matter so much. as you know the hompage is a launching point, a rabbit hole into the intarwebs.

With that said, Gerard Serme's suggestion of a custom homepage is your best bet. Any site you choose will not be enough, they will want to go all over the net. But if you talk to them, ask them what websites they like, and make a mini-home page for them with links to flash games, etc, that is the best way to hold them captive on the websites you find acceptable.
posted by JokingClown at 1:40 AM on March 12, 2006

As everyone says, MeFi is hard to go past. But, maybe she isn't ready for it.

I'm really glad there are teenagers that appreciate MeFi and really, kudos to them, but its not really a place for all. A vanishingly small proportion of the adults on the web appreciate the place in the end.

Personally, perhaps there isn't a recommendation for where to go, maybe yahooligns come closest, but honestly, perhaps the best thing you can do is talk to her about what she likes and the websites that she finds a likes.

Maybe you can help with teaching her taste, but you as for where that taste takes her, well, you can advise and you can teach critical skills, but she's going to go where she wants to go.
posted by sien at 4:32 AM on March 12, 2006

I'll second Gerard's suggestion of a custom homepage - all their favourite links grouped together, maybe throw in a few headline feeds from sites they read regularly or their friends' weblogs, a Flickr badge based on the 'fashion' tag, etc.

I'd imagine sitting down with your daughters and making their pages would be good fun, and they'd probably appreciate having their very own personal web portals. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up hacking their own secret versions up, with all the links they don't want you knowing about!
posted by jack_mo at 4:41 AM on March 12, 2006

well netvibes.com makes a good homepage if your into that whole rss thing
posted by psychobum at 5:43 AM on March 12, 2006

I just have an HTML page I made myself that is just a long list of target=_blank links to stuff I visit often, so I can open a dozen of them up at a time.
posted by vanoakenfold at 6:40 AM on March 12, 2006

There is way too much stuff on MetaFilter that is definitely not appropriate for a 13- or a 9-year-old. And whether a 16-year-old should be exposed to some of this stuff by their parents is also debatable.
posted by grouse at 6:41 AM on March 12, 2006

Since the computer is shared, and it seems you're not setting up user accounts on the machine and thus won't have 3 different home pages, I definitely think that a custom homepage set up for your daughter's would be the best bet.

Think about this...

They start up the browser, click the thumbnail of their picture, and then get their own personal page. There's links to their favorite sites, sites that help with homework, links to their own livejournal/blog/whatever and those of their friends. You could even pull in age appropriate feeds that you think they should know about.

You can even add to-do lists and calendars, so that when they start their browser, they'll know they have a dentist appointment on friday and that it's their turn to do the dishes.

Let your daughters pick the colors, the fonts, and the pictures used on the site. Let them help you pick the links and put together the page. You might even show them how to update parts of it so they can add their own links.

Think of hosting their site online rather than locally on the computer. That way you can update the site without having to use their computer (unless you're setting up the network & it'll be pulling from a shared folder on your box). You might also get them to head straight for their page whenever they use a computer anywhere. A site on Googlepages, at least for the moment, is ad-free.

You might like to add these links to the page or if all else fails, use one of these:

http://www.dailycandy.com/ - an online product review site that nearly ever young woman between 16 and 20 I know is in love with. Custom local version if you live in a large US city like Atlanta or Chicago.

http://www.girlstart.com/ - A site that profiles the role of when in Math, Science, and technology. Recent articles have been about a women who developed silicon based amplifier for cellphones and 'Web Diva' lessons, teaching basic HTML.

http://www.studio2b.org/ - any of your daughter in the Girl Scouts? Then this site is perfect for them. GSA has developed a safe site for teens & preteens that features an advice column written by a psychologist and tips for picking & getting into a good college.

http://www.girlynation.com/ - an online style site, seems to have some interesting information, but kind of ad heavy. Has some great DIY fashion projects, like how to make your own 'deconstructed' jeans.

http://www.zoeysroom.com/ - aimed more toward your younger daughters, this site also features women's roles in math, science, in technology. Recently had a chat with the food technologist at NASA and had a story about why MySpace may be dangerous.
posted by aristan at 7:19 AM on March 12, 2006

I think you might be underestimating your daughters' ability, especially your oldest. If they want to find something racy on the Internet, they will. (Especially MySpace -- every highschooler I know would rebel if that was put off-limits.)
posted by danb at 8:57 AM on March 12, 2006

As a couple have already said, you're wasting your time with your 16 year old, at the very least (a custom start page? for a 16 year old? please). If she can't handle myspace then you better never let her leave the house.
posted by justgary at 9:35 AM on March 12, 2006

Of course there is always homestarrunner, which is the cleanest, funniest, web cartoon out there, that is, if you get the dry humor and the 80s refrences, Its here
posted by wheelieman at 10:02 AM on March 12, 2006

Your girls are most likely going to make a beeline to someplace like MYSPACE (supposedly you have to at least 14 to join but...). They will make their own page and their friends will have pages.

No disrespect intended, but if you want to show them old dad knows something about the internet, you need to talk to them about safety issues on places like myspace.

Worrying about the homepage (I just use google) isn't that critical.
posted by bim at 10:46 AM on March 12, 2006

Thanks to all of you and your awesome comments. I wish I could mark them all as best answer!

However, I just want to clear something up regarding my homepage question:
1) I am merely trying to use up a question before the week was up. This was the question that came to my mind since I was setting up this pc anyway.
...and 2) I'm not naive enough to think that the homepage I put for the start page will their fave website 4ever and ever and they will never change it. They likely will change the homepage to something more to their particular tastes, and that's fine by me, as long as it's appropriate.
Myspace is not appropriate and I will continue to monitor their websurfing habits and make changes when required.

Again, thanks for the suggestions, and keep 'em coming!
posted by rinkjustice at 11:36 AM on March 12, 2006

When I was 16, I read Metafilter, but as MadamM said, YMMV! Here are some sites that aren't general enough to be homepages, but are some browsing suggestions:

Flickr/Interesting (photos from the interestingness category, might be great for the homepage--always clean and thoughtful)
Go Fug Yourself (hilarious fashion bashing)
Superbad (an endless linkfarm of design weirdness)
StyleDiary (daily fashion photo blogs)
Pink is the New Blog (celeb addicted, but they'll come across it anyway)
Makeup Alley (clean, safe, friendly makeup review site)
I Am Fashion (one of the best amateur fashion blogs)
ExplodingDog (inexplicably amazing drawings)
Threadless (tshirt design contest and store)
Devoted Bee (softer, quieter drawings)
TheSpark (for the college-minded age)
iSketch (interactive sketching game)
Delight (network of female-friendly blogs)
Wists (visual bookmarking)
Pandora (streaming music suggestion app)

If you want to try a custom homepage with links, email, calendars, etc, try:

PageFlakes
Favoor
NetVibes
ProtoPage

Putting together one of these pages can be a great learning lesson on how powerful RSS is for keeping up with their favorite sites. You could even give each of your daughters a section on the page for their own links. Have fun!
posted by superfem at 11:51 AM on March 12, 2006

I think it's been a few years since my browsing habits utilized the concept of a "homepage".

Get them a bloglines account and a browser that saves tab state when it closes (Opera's mom says it's cool).
posted by Caviar at 12:10 PM on March 12, 2006

I am merely trying to use up a question before the week was up.

If that's true, then you deserve a slap in the face. A refreshing one, of course, but a slap nonetheless.
posted by grouse at 3:46 PM on March 12, 2006

If the slap isn't refreshing, I don't want one.
posted by rinkjustice at 6:21 PM on March 12, 2006

*gives rinkjustice a refreshing e-slap*

I dont see how you could get a better suggest that the homepae idea. and there is no need for them to get a new homepage if you let them alter the one you give them..
posted by JokingClown at 3:02 AM on March 15, 2006