Emoticons

Saskia is fourteen years old. She is pestered and bullied at school, which makes her daily life miserable and lonely. At home, she sits at the computer for hours playing violent video games, which brings her relief and consolation. Sanne, sixteen years old, writes the loneliness out of her system by publishing her poetry on the Internet. The reactions of others give her comfort and a sense of self. Samantha was raped at fifteen and draws strength from giving advice to other girls about love and sex on Internet forums. Debbie and Inge both lost their mothers to breast cancer. They met online and have sent each other hundreds of e-mail messages. Zineb chats with her family in Algeria and with friends who understand what it is like to wait for a decision regarding a residence permit. For all these girls, the Internet is a safe haven where they can be themselves without fear of being judged. The computer has become crucial to their emotional well-being, and they submerge themselves in a virtual world that has become more important than the "ordinary world." They have found their soul mates via the Internet.