Go Ask Alice!

http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/

Common Sense Media says

Health professionals tackle personal questions with candor.

Age

Quality

Learning

Positive messages5
All questions are taken seriously and answers make askers feel normal and valued for their curiosity. Answers often suggest talking to a health professional in person and give references for additional health resources.
Violence0
Not applicable.
Sex5
The target audience is college kids, and there are many frank questions about sex including preferences, desires, concerns, relationships, and puberty. Some are more innocent (kissing) than others (fetishes, sexual variety).
Language0
Not applicable.

Consumerism0
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking5
All types of drug- and alcohol-related issues are covered in the Drugs & Alcohol section, from use and abuse to effects on personality and sexual desire.
Privacy & safety1
The Q&A is "mostly anonymous;" if a question contains a name and location, they'll change it to something else (An example given by the site is "Jose in San Diego" might be changed to "Jorge in San Francisco").

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this award-winning health reference website, fully produced and funded by Columbia University, seeks to provide reliable, accurate information in a sincere and sensitive way so people can make informed decisions about their health and well-being. Go Ask Alice! receives over 1,000 very honest and frank questions each week in seven categories: alcohol and drugs, emotional health, fitness and nutrition, general health, relationships, and sexual and reproductive health. Every question is read, and each week a handful of health professionals give five new thoughtful and thorough answers. The site takes pride in being ad- and sponsor-free, respects privacy, and does not answer questions asking for medical diagnoses. Questions come from students, parents, teachers, professionals, and other adults; however, most topics cover issues concerning college students.

What kids can learn

Kids can learn about topics related to alcohol and drugs, emotional health, fitness and nutrition, general health, relationships, and sexual and reproductive health. Go Ask Alice! has been rewarded several times over for its approach to health issues. Kids can find accurate, honest information within its answers plus activities like games and polls that bring up important topics they may not think about. They can also search for answers to questions or ask questions themselves. Go Ask Alice! takes an encyclopedic amount of health information and gives it a personal feel.

Subjects and Skills

Subjects

Language & Reading
Math

Science
biology
Social Studies

Arts
Hobbies

Skills

Thinking & Reasoning
Creativity
Self-Direction

Emotional Development
handling stress, identifying emotions, self-awareness
Communication
Collaboration

Responsibility & Ethics
Tech Skills
Health & Fitness
body awareness, fitness, mental health

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What's the story?

What's it about?

All of the site’s main features are accessible from the home page. Kids can read New Q&A to find questions answered that week or browse questions by topic in the Q&A Library. They can click “Ask Alice” if they have a question; however, with so many questions submitted weekly, users are always referred to the library first. Kids can answer a few short questions in a Quick Quiz, respond to a poll, and explore the Theme of the Week where answers about a particular topic are grouped together.

What's the story?

What's it about?

Is it any good?

For anyone who longed for a cooler, older sibling to not laugh at your questions and tell you the answers, she’s here and her name is Alice. Originally designed for college students, Go Ask Alice!’s accurate, friendly, and sometimes humorous answers say “you’re OK!” to a curious audience. Teens who visit the site may sigh in relief that someone else has the same very personal question they do. Some have criticized the site’s openness as condoning inappropriate behavior, but it’s not all weird stuff (for example, how to deal with the loss of a pet, stress, roommates) and it can be a good resource for parents who need to talk to their kids about sex. An independent study from Stanford University lists Go Ask Alice! first among websites for reputable and credible reproductive health information on the web. However, some questions are definitely more “out there” than others, so it’s best to leave the independent browsing to older teens.

Explore, discuss, enjoy

Families can talk about body image. Talk about developing a positive self-image and recognizing misleading messages in the media about getting and having the “perfect body.” Read Common Sense Media’s Girls and Body Image Tips and Boys and Body Image Tips.
Families can talk about sex. Kids will start asking questions long before they’re officially teenagers, and not just about puberty and kissing. Many resources can help nervous parents arm themselves with answers for their kids, or approach the topic with their teens.
When the media features alcohol and drug use, it affects kids. Ads or movies may make alcohol look cool while reality-TV rehab presents the dark side of addition. Check out Common Sense Media’s Alcohol in the Media Tips for advice about how to discuss drug and alcohol issues with teens.

More details

Genre:

Educational

This review of Go Ask Alice! was written by Michelle Kitt

Most useful reviews by all members

madsmooney1214

Parent of 6 year old

July 9, 2012

Pause for kids & under

Learning2

go ask alice

Families can talk about sex. Kids will start asking questions long before they’re officially teenagers, and not just about puberty and kissing. Many resources can help nervous parents arm themselves with answers for their kids, or approach the topic with their teens.

What other families should know

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Kid, 11 years old

August 6, 2012

Not for Kids

NO THANKS

I THINK I'LL ASK THE MAD HATTER INSTEAD

What other families should know

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Kid, 11 years old

April 12, 2013

OK for kids & up

Awesome website to tackle very important health questions - if you're ready, though

What other families should know

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I Wanna Know

(http://www.iwannaknow.org/)

Frank sexual health site from a trustworthy organization.

AGE

Learning1

Check Yourself

(http://www.checkyourself.com)

Teens share detailed stories of addiction and recovery.

AGE

Learning2

Scarleteen

(http://www.scarleteen.com)

Edgy sex-ed site best suited for mature teens.

AGE

Learning2

The Common Sense and Common Sense Media names, associated trademarks and logos, including the Decider Slider and Age Ratings Bugs,
are trademarks of Common Sense Media, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (FEIN 41-2024986).

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Go Ask Alice!

Common Sense Media says

What parents need to know

What kids can learn

Subjects

Skills

What's it about?

What's it about?

Is it any good?

Explore, discuss, enjoy

Most useful reviews by all members

go ask alice

NO THANKS

Awesome website to tackle very important health questions - if you're ready, though

I Wanna Know

Check Yourself

Scarleteen