Social sites: Teen 'confessionals'?

The focus of Forbes's profile of MyYearbook.com is how it can monetize this "freewheeling chatfest," I guess after it burns through the $13 million round of venture capital it recently received. But it's the lead of the article that I found arresting: Forbes writer Emily Schmall tells of a 14-year-old MyYearbook user's story of self-mutilation in the site: "Her 1,240-word piece is illustrated by a photo of an arm lined with scars. More than 400 people commented on the piece 24 hours after it was posted July 10." Very rarely do the most popular bloggers on the Web get 400 responses to a post, much less a 1,240-word one. Among other things, then, MyYearbook is a safe and anonymous place for teens to talk about huge, life-affecting secrets. "Confessional" seems too dismissive. [See also "Fictionalizing their profiles."]