QuinceGirl.com

Coming-of-age party site is all about spending $$.

Entertainment Value: Medium Graphics: Photos, video, lots of ads Playability: Easy to medium Reading Level: Medium Website: http://www.quincegirl.com

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know QUINCEGIRL.COM is the online verison of Quince Girl magazine. This site's a mixed bag of some iffy information sharing, ads, and photos and articles. The user posts are often unpredictable -- some helpful and kind, others rude and irrelevant. Couple that with the hyper-focus on the material side of this cultural tradition, and parents will have to decide if the pros outweigh the cons of this site.

Families can talk about how media can frame a tradition to focus on the commercial side of the event and encourage people to buy, buy, buy. Many of the articles on this site focus on extremely high-end Quinceaneras that probably cost as much as a new car. Discuss with your teen the real meaning behind the event, and how easy it is to get caught up in the hype created by advertisers and an entire industry built around an event like a Quinceanera or a wedding.

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Dana Villamagna

QUINCEGIRL.COM targets the Latina market of teen girls preparing to celebrate their Quinceanera around age 15. The site is loaded with Quinceaneara-related articles, photos, videos, planning tools, quizzes and -- most of all -- ads for teen girls preparing for the Big Event.

The expectations that this site sets for heavily influenced, media image-driven teen girls may be more than many families want to grapple with when planning a budget for their Quince (one "cost-cutting tip" the site offers is to choose a buffet-style meal for guests "instead of paying for a wait staff"). If families can frankly discuss reality versus image and safe social networking, there are many helpful tips and teen discussions about the Quinceanera experience on this site.

For Latin music to play at a Quinceanera, check out Shakira or Jennifer Lopez.

Reviewed: 02/14/2008

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Some suggestive photos of teen girls, photos of boyfriends, messages posted that include slang like "sexxy" and "pimp."
Violence
Language Posts from registered users sometimes include swearing, like "damn," "s--t." Posts responding to other girls' photos sometimes include name-calling like "ugly" and "fat."
Message
	Social Behavior While the Quinceanera itself and this site's posts about the tradition in Latina families include many positive messages for teen girls, this site focuses heavily on the consumer side of the event. Also, while some posts are supportive and complimentary of other girls' photos and posts, others are rude and mean.
	Commercialism There are tons of ads on this site, quince-related and others.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco
	Educational Value On a positive note, teens can read the site in Spanish or English. The downside is, teens may walk away from this site having learned that they must spend $20,000 or more to have an adequate event.