It isn't a complete substitute, but it can be a big help. My youngest D was pretty miserable in middle school -- PG, and really did not know anyone like herself. She was invited to join the Cogito online group as a result of SAT talent search test scores, and it was HUGE for her. She really bonded with a handful of kids on that site, and it helped her so much to "meet" people like herself. Eventually she met other kids at Davidson THINK, and the Cogito fervor cooled. But I was definitely grateful for the connection and her feeling that there really were other people like her out there. She is still Facebook friends with some of those Cogito kids, and one goes to a college in the consortium with her current school.
