Parents' Guide to The Club

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Common Sense Media Review

Erin Brereton By Erin Brereton , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 8+

Safe virtual playground for tween fans of Nick characters.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 8+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 17+

Based on 1 parent review

age 9+

Based on 77 kid reviews

Kids say that while there are fun aspects to the website, such as chatting and games, many express significant concerns about safety, inappropriate behavior, and the overwhelming number of ads. There's a divided opinion: some find it enjoyable and age-appropriate, whereas others criticize it for being unsafe, with reports of bullying and a lack of effective moderation.

  • safety concerns
  • bullying issues
  • enjoyable features
  • excessive advertising
  • divided opinions
Summarized with AI

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say ( 77 ):

THE CLUB, the Nickelodeon virtual community/playground (previously called Nicktropolis) that allows kids to interact with each other in real time, has all the trappings of kids' entertainment -- games, video, and cute customizable avatars. But the site was clearly designed to offer a safe place for kids to do what they love best: hang out and talk to each other. Posts are approved before going live, and chat conversations can only include pre-approved terms.

Naturally, the site has a commercial bent -- after all, one of its main goals is to promote Nick's popular shows. However, although there are lots of references to iCarly and SpongeBob, plus plugs for other companies (like Lucky Charms cereal), the site is noticeably devoid of much Nick-themed merchandise -- which gives kids the opportunity to focus on watching video clips, gabbing, and playing games.

Online interaction: Due to strong site controls, kids' interactions on the site are safe, though some kids find ways to push the limits of the safeguards.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about online safety -- and what's appropriate to share on a website. What kind of information should you always keep private? How can you apply the social skills you've learned in a virtual world to life offline? How are relationships created online different and similar to those created face-to-face?

  • How can kids deal with bullying or other unwanted behavior they encounter online?

Website Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

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