New website aims to curb anxiety in teens

By Staff Writer

A start-up company has launched a web-based program to help reduce anxiety in teenagers.

MyVerse has created a website that provides an interactive road map that can help children imagine a future career that satisfies them. The organization recently released information that says anxiety among teens is starting earlier, as some adolescents start to project their future plans as young as 13 years old.

Unlike other social networking sites, MyVerse.com focuses on personal and professional development. On the site, teenagers can identify their strengths by taking a personality test. Once the user expresses interest in a particular field, the website reveals a path to that destination by listing colleges that specialize in their desired career.

MyVerse.com also provides a resume builder and a personal-development center.

Wayne Sharp, the website's founder, created the website after nine years as a teen mentor. He said he was alarmed by the number of kids who were fearful and anxious about their future plans.

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 8 percent of teenagers ages 13 to 18 are severely impaired by one type of anxiety disorder.