Bebo.com

Like all social sites, some iffy content is here.

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About Our Ratings
Common Sense rates it
3
Seen the site?
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details
  • URL: http://www.bebo.com
  • Entertainment Value: High

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that although this social networking site is open to anyone 13 and up, it's primarily geared toward college kids, and young teens shouldn't be roaming around. There's a lot going on on this award-winning social networking site -- including sexual slang, pics with underage drinking or suggestive images, mentions of suicide, cartoon graphics of guns, and links to iffy content, just to name a few. Kids can also chat with each other in real time with Bebo's AIM. There are a lot of ads and it's quite confusing to distinguish between free user sites and commercial featured sites. The good news? Kids can make their profile only accessible to friends and family. And, they can block or report people to make things safer.

Families can talk about Internet safety and commercialism. What personal information is okay to post online? Also, which home pages are created specifically to sell you something, like the new Bratz movie or a band's latest album?

Message

Social Behavior:

Lots of content geared toward college set, not appropriate for the 13-year-old minimum site age.

Consumerism:

Blurring of lines between free user sites and commercial featured sites. Ads on a lot of pages.

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Specific to individual home pages. Underage alcohol drinking in posted pics.

Educational Value:

Good skills in graphic design, layout, and site creativity.

Violence

Specific to individual home pages. Mentions of suicide, cartoon graphics of guns.

Sex

Specific to individual home pages. Sexual slang, suggestive pics, links to iffy content.

Language

Specific to individual home pages. Occasional swearing, sexual slang.

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Dana Villamagna

Already ranked the top social networking site in the U.K., Ireland, and New Zealand, BEBO.COM is next in line behind MySpace and Facebook in the U.S. as the place for teens and young adults to showcase their life in multimedia, keep in touch with and meet friends, or just hang out. The endless options for personal home page content are dizzying: Photos, organized by event or subject; YouTube videos; widgets, including a timed countdown to events; music; polls, like a celebrity look-alike photo game with the user as the real star; blogs and messages that others can also comment on; photos of friends with links of their own sites; a whiteboard that anyone can draw or write on (and the site "owner" can erase); and more.

Is it any good?

3
Straight-up advertising is posted clearly on Bebo.com's main page. The more subversive advertising, however, comes in the form of "Featured Sponsored Profiles" and videos that look just like the kids' free sites, but when viewed are clearly promoting a product, movie, or other commercial venture.

Good News: Bebo.com's user rules and Internet safety guidelines, posted on the networking site's main page, are some of the most practical and thorough among social networking sites. Bad News: Not a shocker, but not all users follow those safety tips and some explicit sites find ways to get their links onto some pages. Some of the content posted by users includes the standard teen social networking bugaboos like the latest camera phone shots of partying teens downing beers in the rented limo. That said, site creators have established safety tools, like a "Report Abuse" click available on each member's profile. And they've established sound rules and guides, like remembering that your online "friends" are not really friends to be trusted. Probably the best safety feature of all? The Bebo.com option to only allow access to your home page to real-life friends and family.

Nuts and bolts

  • Playability: Easy to medium
  • Reading Required: Medium
  • Graphics: Endless video and graphic options

Other choices

Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 14 reviews.

5


Posted on 06/12/08 by thewifeytype94 Kid contributor, age 14

The Kids Way To Express Ourselves

this is one of the sites were kids can do what ever they feel when they are on this site they dont have to worry about they can be there selves and do what they want to do without getting in trouble for it. its basically what us kids do just have fun!!! yes i am a 14 year old kid that has a bebo page
4


Posted on 06/09/08 by p1ng m3 Kid contributor, age 12

Okay for kids that want a myspace

Its all rite for kids wanting a myspace its moderated that means no porn but music player has songs with profanity and there are some suggestive stickers for your page
4

Posted on 05/03/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 14

Fun...

I use it because all my friends do. It's safe if you a) keep it private, b) dont invite friends unless you know they actually are your friends and c) don't post your picture. They have some sexual references, like a 'what kind of condom are you' application and other things, but other than that it is pretty innocent. Its much better than myspace becuase of the fact that you cant chat w/ people and how you have to confirm that they're your friend and stuff. If your kids want to use it, let them.
Age 2+
5

Posted on 04/21/08 by Anonymous Adult contributor

hey

hey friend,s
4

Posted on 03/14/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 10

I Do Use Bebo, But it's In Appropriate.

There are gross,disturbing and just messed up skins on there. There are also really cool ones. So I would check your kids site for bad things, but if theres nothng wrong on it. Let them keep it.
5


Posted on 03/01/08 by bookluver101 Kid contributor, age 14

A very good website for kids ages 8 and up

All bebo is is a safer version of myspace. A very good way for kids to communicate or stay in touch with friends. I would reccommned this to all kids. My mom who is a guidence counseler and has to go to internet safety courses, suggested it to me as a safe alternative to myspace, which is the medias main outlet for internet safetys blame.
5


Posted on 01/16/08 by billyfoe Kid contributor, age 15

lost six brain cells watching this

i dont have a lot to say
2


Posted on 12/29/07 by MikaylaLovesEdwardCullen Kid contributor, age 12

It is hard to find your friends on this site, because you can't see their profile pictures unless they are already your friends. (I could be wrong about that, though, that was just my findings) I never go on this site, and it isn't nearly as fun as MySpace. There is really nothing wrong content wise with this site, but it is really pretty boring.
5


Posted on 12/18/07 by sexywoods01 Kid contributor, age 15

5


Posted on 11/22/07 by sugarmonkey Kid contributor, age 12

I Love Bebo!

Bebo.com is a really protective site but thats only if you don't have an URL. Bebo.com is awsoome to talk to friends, because it actually tells you when you have a message on the top of the screen next to the word "MAIL", and how many messages you have. Bebo.com is better than MySpace.com but as good as MyYearbook.com

See all 14 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 1 reviews.

Age 2+
5

Posted on 04/21/08 by Anonymous Adult contributor

hey

hey friend,s

Kids Reviews

There are 13 reviews.

5


Posted on 06/12/08 by thewifeytype94 Kid contributor, age 14

The Kids Way To Express Ourselves

this is one of the sites were kids can do what ever they feel when they are on this site they dont have to worry about they can be there selves and do what they want to do without getting in trouble for it. its basically what us kids do just have fun!!! yes i am a 14 year old kid that has a bebo page
4


Posted on 06/09/08 by p1ng m3 Kid contributor, age 12

Okay for kids that want a myspace

Its all rite for kids wanting a myspace its moderated that means no porn but music player has songs with profanity and there are some suggestive stickers for your page
4

Posted on 05/03/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 14

Fun...

I use it because all my friends do. It's safe if you a) keep it private, b) dont invite friends unless you know they actually are your friends and c) don't post your picture. They have some sexual references, like a 'what kind of condom are you' application and other things, but other than that it is pretty innocent. Its much better than myspace becuase of the fact that you cant chat w/ people and how you have to confirm that they're your friend and stuff. If your kids want to use it, let them.
4

Posted on 03/14/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 10

I Do Use Bebo, But it's In Appropriate.

There are gross,disturbing and just messed up skins on there. There are also really cool ones. So I would check your kids site for bad things, but if theres nothng wrong on it. Let them keep it.
5


Posted on 03/01/08 by bookluver101 Kid contributor, age 14

A very good website for kids ages 8 and up

All bebo is is a safer version of myspace. A very good way for kids to communicate or stay in touch with friends. I would reccommned this to all kids. My mom who is a guidence counseler and has to go to internet safety courses, suggested it to me as a safe alternative to myspace, which is the medias main outlet for internet safetys blame.
5


Posted on 01/16/08 by billyfoe Kid contributor, age 15

lost six brain cells watching this

i dont have a lot to say
2


Posted on 12/29/07 by MikaylaLovesEdwardCullen Kid contributor, age 12

It is hard to find your friends on this site, because you can't see their profile pictures unless they are already your friends. (I could be wrong about that, though, that was just my findings) I never go on this site, and it isn't nearly as fun as MySpace. There is really nothing wrong content wise with this site, but it is really pretty boring.
5


Posted on 12/18/07 by sexywoods01 Kid contributor, age 15

5


Posted on 11/22/07 by sugarmonkey Kid contributor, age 12

I Love Bebo!

Bebo.com is a really protective site but thats only if you don't have an URL. Bebo.com is awsoome to talk to friends, because it actually tells you when you have a message on the top of the screen next to the word "MAIL", and how many messages you have. Bebo.com is better than MySpace.com but as good as MyYearbook.com
5


Posted on 11/14/07 by the_boss07 Kid contributor, age 15

See all 13 kids reviews >
Review It
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What do your kids do online?
Surf
34%
Homework and research
19%
Download music
10%
Chat with friends
37%
132 votes