Amy Poehler is probably best known for her role on “Parks and Recreation.” She was also a main cast member on “Saturday Night Live” for many years. In addition to her work as an actress, writer and comedienne, Poehler has a website “dedicated to providing a healthy alternative to so much that is being marketed to young people on the Internet.” It is called the Smart Girls website.
According to Christianity Today, the Smart Girls website is a place where girls, and women, can go to find stories and inspiration from other females. In a world filled with negativity and things that bring you down, the Smart Girl website is one that is entirely focused on lifting you up. It has been likened to an “Internet Cheering Squad.” When you let them know what is going on in your life, somebody will email or Tweet you back with uplifting thoughts or encouragement.
Christianity Today lists some other websites that are also inspiring, positive, and great places for young women. One of them is A Mighty Girl which provides resources for raising your girls to be “smart, confident, and courageous.” The website highlights girls and women who are positive role models.
Another featured website is Toward the Stars. This is a website that sells things to inspire girls and young women to reach their potential. Some of the items are books featuring positive stories of women and female action figures. The website is global and wants women around the world to come together to make the world a better place.
In America, most teens use the Internet. Some statistics show that upwards of 90 percent are online every day, and nearly a quarter “live” on the Internet. With kids spending so much time online, it is nice to know that there are some positive places they can go to get uplifting messages that encourage them to be everything they were created to be.
The Internet can be a very dark place. We don’t need to look back more than a couple weeks to remember how one young man in South Carolina was influenced by the material he found online to become a hate-filled murder. That young man committed a horrendous crime in support of information he found on the Internet.
We know our children will be going online. Keeping them off is not the answer. Finding positive places where they can be inspired is. Let’s hope that more websites like Smart Girls pop up and offer a positive online experience for our children.
