Boca native creates first website for teens- only
Published Tuesday, March 7, 2006
by Nicol Jenkins
Why is pop star Nick Lachey on the face of a new teen-only website?
Boca Raton native Danny Perkins says he’s a co-founder of his new teen site. Perkins along with long-time friend Drew Levin and Nick Lachey have created a website for teens only.
YFly.com is the first website designed solely for teens and to be used only by teens, the founder said. The site is geared for teens ages 13 to 18.
While attending the University of Florida, Perkins and Levin came up with the idea of a teen-only Internet site.
“Social networking was popular with Friendster and MySpace, but we realized that there wasn’t a networking site just for teens,” Perkins said. “There wasn’t one place where teens could all talk to each other at the same time.”
After graduation, the duo started up a business plan.
“We did research on what teens wanted to do on-line,” Perkins said. “The teens told us exactly what they wanted.”
Perkins, 22, said teens wanted to use the Internet to “text message, create an unique address, customize their profiles to express themselves, and they wanted their own environment to be part of their peers, not a huge network.”
After research, other supporters came forward, Perkins said, including pop singer Nick Lachey. AJ Discala, Founder of Calico Capital Group; Tom Petters, CEO of Petters Group Worldwide, and Parry Aftab, Executive Director of Wired Safety have also contributed, he said.
Perkins said Petters helped financially.
“He opened his arms to continue our dream and invest in the first stage,” he said.
While Aftab, known as a top cyber lawyer and the others, play a role in the safety features of the site.
“Parry has given up her life to keep teens safe on-line,” he said. “She told Nick [Lachey] that he was the most common name used by predators to lure teens on-line. And it hit home for him. He has a 14-year-old brother,”
Lachey said his 14-year-old brother’s life revolves around staying connected to friends on instant messenger and his cell phone.
“I’m excited that YFly is built on what teens want to do,” Lachey said.
Perkins thinks Lachey provides “the cool celebrity aspect, while Parry adds credibility.”
Co-founder Levin added that safety is the most important feature of the 24-hour site.
“YFly is a site just for teens that want a better way to connect with friends and express themselves in an environment they design and control. If they are going to enjoy it fully, though, it’s also important they feel safe.”
The Safety Factor
One out of 5 teens encounter a sexual predator on-line, Perkins said.
Because of this Perkins said teens must register what school they attend when first logging in and can choose the privacy setting, which allows only friends to see the profile.
“They have to request to be their friend,” he said.
Also the automatic message, “Don’t be stupid” pops up anytime a teen posts on-line information, Perkins said.
The founder said there is also a report abuse mechanism that allows teens under 18 to report cyber bullying or harassment.
“Parry has created an escalating plan to take care of the problems from small to large. She has direct contact with the FBI and the police,” he said.
“YFly is arming teens with the knowledge to protect themselves from some of the dangers the Internet poses and letting them choose how and how much to share online," Aftab said. She also offers parents advice. "Social networking is here to stay, whether we like it or not. It's essential that we teach our teens to use it safely and responsibly."
Teens ages 13 to 18 interested in joining, or to find out more information, can visit www.YFly.com.
Nicol Jenkins can be reached at njenkins@bocanews.com or 561-549-0844.
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Copyright 2006 - Boca Raton News
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