As gestures of affection, young people are sharing passwords to their email and Facebook accounts with their friends and significant others, according to the New York Times. Seems like risky business, especially when you ask parents. But to many teens, it’s sweet.

The Times cites a Pew Research study that says 30 percent of online teenagers have shared a password with a friend. Girls are more likely than boys to share passwords, and 14 - 17 year-olds are more likely than younger teens to share passwords. Also according to Pew, 33 percent of teens who use social networks have shared a password, compared to 19 percent of online teens who do not use social networking sites.

The Times quotes Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabes--a book with advice for parents of teenage girls--who says that sharing passwords is a forbidden act, just like sex. 

Sharing passwords, she noted, feels forbidden because it is generally discouraged by adults and involves vulnerability. And there is pressure in many teenage relationships to share passwords, just as there is to have sex.

Just like sex, there are major risks involved in sharing a password. If the relationship sours, personal information could be used against someone or leaked to parents or the teenager's community. But taking that risk is the ultimate sign of trust for many teenagers, according to the Times.

By Melvin Berry

Ant colonies are complex, much like human societies. In fact, as small as they are, ants in many ways remind me of people. But here's one big difference: while there's only one human species, scientists have classified over 22,000 distinct species of ants.

A thousand of them have been discovered by Dr. Brian Fisher of the California Academy of Sciences. We invited Dr. Fisher to Youth Radio to give us an overview of what he's learned hunting for ants in Madagascar. His wonderful presentation made me realize that there's a lot to know about ants.

It amazed me how the colonies are run by the worker ants -- they're the backbone of the colony. And, a lot of people don’t know that ants play a big role in many ecosystems all over the world, even in our urban ecosystem in Oakland!

The following originally aired on KCBS.

By Morgan Wilson

A boy playing dress-up. A girl playing with toy trucks. Common gender expectations are swapped, but why does this seem so strange to society?

When a child asks for a toy that “isn’t for them,” such as a boy wanting a Barbie doll, parents often say “no” because the toy is gender inappropriate. But they don’t realize that they’re denying much more than just a toy.

I remember when a friend of my mom’s criticized my nephew for pushing a stroller with a baby doll in it. My mom stuck up for him and said that it was okay because he was just a kid.

When I was younger, I was repeatedly told that “boys don’t cry,” even once when my finger had been cut open. It made me feel like my feelings were invalid, and even today I try not to show any emotion when I get hurt.

Children should be allowed to be who they want without being measured against gender stereotypes. If parents want to support their kids, they should support their kids’ choices of identity.
For Youth Radio, I’m Morgan Wilson.

Two million children are bought and sold worldwide for sex. In the United States alone, between 100,000 to 300,000 children are commercially sexually exploited and sold. But despite the number being so high, many people are unaware of this issue, or simply choose to avoid it.

Rachel Lloyd, anti-sex trafficking advocate, has been fighting to educate people on the sexual abuse of minors for over 10 years. Lloyd decided to tackle this issue - after she was commercially exploited as a minor by a pimp - by founding Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), the only non-profit organization in New York City that provides support for girls - some as young as 11 - who were victimized by the commercial sex industry.

Lloyd recently released a book titled “Girls Like Us”, which includes stories about her rough childhood in England, her own experiences with the commercial sex industry, and the stories of other young girls she has encountered through her organization GEMS.

The inspiration for this book stems from the frustration of constantly hearing people refer to girls as prostitutes, when they’re not. “I was continuously saying the same thing over and over again. They're victims, it’s not their fault; they didn’t choose this… and so kind of just wanting to put that all in one place and try to really change people’s perception of girls like us. “

Lloyd was 17-years-old when her so-called boyfriend sold her for sex and repeatedly abused her.

The following originally aired on KCBS.

By David Villamarina

Recently I saw a friend of mine who was furious at a woman for giving him an STD. In his rage, he plotted his violent revenge. Listening to his threats I thought to myself - is it really her fault or his?

According to the Center for Disease Control, teens have a higher risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases. So why aren't we preventing them?

It seems like every time the conversation of getting tested comes up between two people someone takes offense. “You think I gave you something?” Wanting to be safe doesn't mean you don't trust your partner, it shows you care about them, as well as yourself.

Try saying “Hey, I’ve been thinking we should get tested because I want us to be healthy.” It may be an awkward conversation to have, but with this being sexual health awareness month - bring it up and face the objections. I don’t think a few moments of pleasure are worth a lifetime of health issues.

Talking about sex may not be the most comfortable conversation for people, but it’s definitely something young people are talking about more than ever. Students of Wesleyan University created the “I Have Sex” video as their way to protest against the cuts that would target Planned Parenthood. The video shows young people holding a sign and admitting that they are sexually active and on birth control.

Planned Parenthood provides affordable forms of birth control and contraceptives, sex-ed programs, free cancer screenings, pap smears, gynecological exams, free STI and STD testing and other health services.

Teenagers who choose to continue their sexting extravaganza no longer have to worry about going to jail for it—well, at least in New Jersey. Teens who get caught sexting for the first time are no longer in danger of having a criminal record. Criminal records can prevent young people from getting jobs and even going to college. Instead, teens who are caught sexting will have to complete a diversionary program that the attorney’s general office will develop.

According to NBC, GOP Assemblyman Jon Bramnick spoke in favor of the legislation, saying it was a good bill that "Sends a clear signal to the Judiciary that when young people make a mistake, this Legislature is saying, 'give them a chance, give them an option other than a criminal past.'"

The court will decide who is eligible for the diversionary program.

J. Cole to me is a phenomenal rapper. He was born in frankfurt, germany, but he was raised in fayetteville, north carolina. He is currently signed to roc nation. I like him because he reflects upon is life a lot through his music and tells about some of the struggles he went through.  He also speaks about certain problems going on like people being stereotyped, and black people being discriminated against.

The following originally aired on KCBS.

By Jaylyn Burns

No home training. That’s the phrase my friends and I use when we see a boy bothering a girl.

Nowadays when a young lady rejects a boy who’s flirting with her, she is at risk of being verbally abused or worse.

One day on my way home from school, a guy said to me “ay lil mama lemme get your number.” I said I had a boyfriend. But he wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I had to pull out my pepper spray to make him leave. I almost had to fight a boy over whether I wanted to talk to him!

Looking back I see that his insecurities led to him lashing out at me, but guys it’s not okay to use a woman as an anger outlet, to make yourself feel better.

Everyone deserves respect. I want young men to think about their sisters and the female figures in their lives. I want guys to ask themselves how they’d feel if their sister was disrespected by a man for saying no? The bottom line guys, is if we say no, we mean no!

Previously:

• Neither Side Right In Gun Debate
• Raising Muffin
• Muslim-American Celebrates Christmas

By Denise Tejada

New Jersey kids who are caught "sexting" for the first time won’t be charged as sex offenders, but will be placed in a program that will help them understand the consequences of sending sexually explicit pictures.

Sexting is the notion of sending these photos via cell phone or email and posting them online. Teenagers have been charged with possessing and distributing child pornography. What may seem like an innocent, playful way of communicating can therefore lead to a permanent criminal background.

The proposed measure would require the attorney general’s office to create a program that teaches young people the criminal penalties and social consequences of sending or receiving nude or semi-nude images via cell phone or email.

Sponsoring the bill is State Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt. She said there needs to be a different method to bring awareness to teens without creating a criminal background. "We need to create a path that places education and forgiveness before arrest and prosecution," Lampitt told Philly.com. "Young people, especially teen girls , need to understand that sending inappropriate pictures is not only potentially illegal, but can leave an indelible mark on them socially and educationally."

Parents now have the opportunity to start taking measures into their own hands. Apple created a text-based communication control that monitors a person’s incoming and outgoing text messages, serving as a filter that controls a conversation. In other words, any messages containing “forbidden” content will not be received or sent. This is one way of monitoring sexting amongst teens.