The Parent Resource Depot

Question:
I’ve noticed that on many ‘advice’ or ‘parenting’ websites/blogs/forums tweens and teens are generally clumped into one collective group, DESPITE the website/blog/forum itself mentioning the ages of a tween is accepted as 10-12 and a teen’s age is, usually, accepted as 13-17.
I find it confusing as to why the groups are put together. From my personal experience, I don’t see many groups of 16-18 year-olds hanging out with 10-12 year-olds. Do you? I have a difficult time understanding how parenting advice or tips for a 10 year old can realistically apply to a 17 year old. Here’s why:
a) Puberty is just starting for tweens. Things like body hair, menstrual cycles, voice changes, or the idea of sex is new. Relationships are, more or less, simple in nature. Tweens, for the most part, are expected to act like children. A tween’s outlook on life may be more short-term than anything, worrying more about whether or not they get the latest iPod or go to their friend’s sleepover rather than how current decisons/actions will affect their future.
b) By the time someone is an older teenager, Puberty is old news. Now sexual health, forming healthy realtionships, and making good decisions are the more concerning topics. Older teens are starting to become comfortable in their bodies and learning to deal with the complex emotions that may have classified them as brats in their tween years. Relationships for teens are taking on a complex structure; small touches, slight glances, entendres, and other forms of communication develop, replacing (or adding to) a linear form of sarcasm that, for me, is a staple of the annoying tween years. A teen is, generally, more aware of the big picture and plans his/her life with realistic and attainable goals in mind. iPods are still cool, but usually take a back seat to getting into a choice college.
I realize that much advice can be beneficial to both groups, but article titles such as ‘How to Talk to Your Tween and/or Teen About Sex’ drive me up a wall. Tweens need to learn that sex makes babies. Teens already know that, and have known that for a while, so why beat a dead horse and rehash the mechanics? A teen would need info about how sex impacts emotions, family, friends, health, etc, topics most likely beyond the grasp of the average tween. Tweens and teens are on a whole different level of understanding of various topics, so why not try to individualize advice or tips in respect to those groups? TWEENs and TEENs are different.