I'm really surprised this would be considered a "homework helper". What parents really need to know is that all the items on Wikipedia are user-generated. While some of the material on the site may be factual, other items are not. Still more items are heavily slanted due to the biases of the individuals who wrote the wiki entries. Students, especially college-bound students, need to be told that Wikipedia should only be used as a jumping off point. It's one thing to use it as a starting place to generate ideas and find initial sources, but in most cases, it should not be used as the primary source for a paper. Students need to be taught how to evaluate online sources and in most cases high schools are not doing a good enough job so those early college papers come as a rude awakening.
Wikipedia.org
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents feel user generated content is iffy |
| 50% | of parents feel users contributed great content |
| 50% | of parents say it's educational |
Use this Web site? 
Most Recent Reviews
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- User content isn't age appropriate
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- User content isn't age appropriate
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- User content is age appropriate
The world's encyclopedia, very educational
Wikipedia is just jam-packed with (mostly correct) information. It's a great jumping off spot for formal research and for informal research, there is nothing better (other than more topic-specific wikis). Sure, your kids might run accross something innapropriate, but the vast majority of content (and wikipedia is nothing but vast) is excelent. Also, wikipedia is participatory. So if your kid is an expert at Star Wars for example, he/she can go in and add to the Star Wars page or correct an error, make a comment, etc.
- I rate this title on for age 15 and give it
inopropiate launguige
i tiped in the f word and the article ezxits
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
Know how to search properly
+HUGE varity of searches +can be helpful for reports -lots of content is false -some searches will make a mom pass out
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
giving wikipedia a parental review is like giving a dictionary or an encyclopedia a review. there are some articles that are about sex, violence or swearing but there are also in any other encyclopedia.
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Great source of education!
Great resource.
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
Very Iffy...
Parents should know that this site covers everything from "House-pet" to "Hentai." There are explicit pictures and dialogue that go along with some of the more mature and violent articles. Making sure a child knows what to avoid doesn't do anything. Trust plays a big role in this one, so be sure that your child is responsible enough before you let them loose.
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
It is an indisputable fact that “Wikis†are not a reliable source of data.
A “Wiki†is an on-line database that can be edited by anyone, and thus is inherently unreliable and prone to error. This means that any information taken from a “Wiki†must be fact-checked against many other sources, for anyone, regardless of their credentials, can change, add, or delete any part of an article. I would never submit a paper that used a “Wiki†as a source, and sudents should never use them due to their unreliability and frequent errors.
- I rate this title on for age 17 and give it
not for children under 17
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
Great site
This is an excellent site. It has an article on anything you could possible dream of. The content is generally very reliable; they have "moderators" who correct mistakes in articles just minutes after they are written. I know, I tried. As long as your child is not looking up inapproptiate articles (which, by the way, he could be doing anywhere else on the internet) then there is nothing to worry about.
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
It's a reference
Wikipedia is no different than the Funk and Waggenel you used to look up naughty words in, or find some important information in. Wikipedia is a source of whatever you seek. If you seek the prurient, it's there. If you seek the wholesome, it's there. Rarely do the two cross, but they coexist. Commercialism isn't an issue, as there are no ads, and the userbase works to keep articles unbiased. But discussion is frank, so if your child is naive or incapable of dealing with surprising and perhaps enticing new information, you might be advised to monitor his/her use of this site until they are old enough.
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Great Informational Resource, But Use With Caution!
Wikipedia is a great resource to find information on just about anything! Just be careful to cross-check any information you find on there. The content on this site is all user-submitted meaning not every article you find is guaranteed to be accurate (Even they do a fantastic job of getting rid of faulty material – most inaccurate information is removed within minutes). ALSO, if your child is under the age of 13, make sure he/she knows to avoid mature topics. The language and images on there can be both sexually and vulgarly explicit, and some are actually quite disturbing. Make sure your child knows what types of links and search terms he/she should avoid. One other thing, the reading level can range from simple to complex; so while this site can be useful to kids as young as 8, they may not understand every article they read. Make sure you sit with them to make sure they understand what it is they’re reading. I hope this review helped.
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Great Site, Very Informative
I think this site is great for projects, information, and to just learn about anything. Wikipedia is quick and easy to use, informative, and has great links. Good pictures and in-depth. I recommend this site to people of ALL ages and I do not understand why it was suggested 15+. You can find an article on just about anything, from TV shows to countries to hurricanes. Although it can be edited by anyone, it is constantly being checked for accuracy and is up-to-date. I HIGHLY reccomend this website!!
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
Do not trust Wikipedia
Wikipedia is not an okay site to use. What anyone should know is that anyone can go onto Wikipedia and change the content on it. Although some content might be true, it is possible to find information that is fictional. Whenever I have projects I never use Wikipedia. Only use information from there if you know it is true. You should stick to websites that have a suffix of: ".org" ".edu" or ".gov" and just like many sites on the web, there are some bad words on Wikipedia that children should not read about.
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- User content isn't age appropriate
- My highlights are:
- Educational
An ok site...............................
A pretty good reference site, be cautious Wikipedia isn't too reliable. Pretty good info and research stuff. Foul language is a small issue, To avoid lots of stuff Just watch your search results! .........Not a bad site!
- I rate this title off for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
This website can contain things that are too mature for younger people. Even the word "F**K"can be used. (By age 12 people should know that word.)
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- User content isn't age appropriate
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- User content is age appropriate
Wikipedia is a site too many have become reliant on, even though it is a fan published site. Only accept information if 100% correct. Try Wookieepedia for Star Wars fans!
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- User content is age appropriate
I always trust Wikipedia
i love this site!!!!
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- User content isn't age appropriate
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Safety isn't an issue
Good site
Lots of inappropriate stuff. Good site
- I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- User content isn't age appropriate
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Safety isn't an issue
- User content is age appropriate
Not perfect, but reliable at the least bit
I absolutely adore wikipedia. It is a great online resource that adds to my random yet nearly endless memory. Of course, Security is not a problem, unless you release your phone number on a page, and the user-content is corrected when vandals decide to sneak in. It's a good website, but it's not always reliable.
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- User content isn't age appropriate
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Safety isn't an issue
- User content is age appropriate
Good site, but not always reliable or appropriate
Simply put, this is an encyclopedia covering every topic on the face of the planet. Obviously, there's going to be a lot of inappropriate content... IF you look for it specifically. Its 100% user-generated nature also makes it a very useful, though sometimes unreliable research tool that should be used as a jumping-off point instead of a source.
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Safety is an issue
- User content isn't age appropriate
Blah! :(
On Wikipedia anyone can say anything about a subject that they want even if it is not true, or is innapropriat. Kids think that it is a good resource, but it is not.
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- My highlights are:
- Educational
WATCH OUT!
The worst thing I saw was an anime image of a naked girl sitting on the back of a naked man lying on a bed. O_O
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- User content is age appropriate
If you trust your kids, let 'em at it.
Ok, look... This is one of those times I gotta quote Spider-man: "With great power comes great responsibility." Now, ponder that and tell me if your kids are responsible enough to know anything they ever wanted to with a few keystrokes. Do you trust them not to look up profane, sexual, or otherwise inappropriate things? If you answered "Yes", Wikipedia is for you AND your children. That's right, YOU TOO, supermom. In fact, I used to be on Wikipedia more than Gaia Online, Facebook, and Newgrounds COMBINED, just looking up video games (Im an avid gamer and aspiring programmer) and random stuff to add to my attache case of useless knowledge. I believe VERY STRONGLY Wikipedia is the most well-made, Well-Kept, and most fun site EVER. Over all... If you raised your kid right and they can read and type, let them go on for the love of Lob...
- I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
Would you ban Google for 14-year olds?
This website is very resourceful, and will give information on just about everything, which some may consider a dangerous thing. But Wikipedia simply gives you what YOU search for! It is rare to end up on an inappropriate page by searching "Christopher Columbus" or "Eiffel Tower" or "Dentures." Are you going to rate Google for ages 18+ and ban it from the house because you can search for bad content? Just like Google, Wikipedia is an essential tool and is fine for everyday purposes.
- I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
My Review
Like all other socal and collaborative web sites there are occasionally pitfalls of things parents may find inappropreate. I think that with parental control it's safe for all ages
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Very good
I love it no matter how dumb it is, and I don't usually search for inappropriate content. But why am I in NOT AGE APPROPRIATE? I shouldn't be. Does sex include if you were to do a research report on humans, and when you search for it, you look at the first image? I don't usually search for such crap like that. Our school allows us to use Wikipedia.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
i go on it at school
- I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
Good site
If your child lands on an inappropriate page, it is entirely his fault. He either clicked on something or searched for it. It is a good source. And trust me (you can try it yourself) within 30 seconds of vandalizing/falsifying a page, it will be restored. It is a great source, but do not cite it for projects, look at the individual references.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Good
Everyone should use it. I use it and love it no matter how dumb it is.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
AWESOME and weird that u made it 13+
ive been using it since i was 6
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
overreacting much!
It's a cool site,but there are inappropreate things on it!I mainly look up nature and geography,although I *ocasinaly* look ww 2 up!I'm 10 and I've liked it since I was 7!
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
not really bad
I'm 10 years old and this is one of my favorite websites! There is some sexuality and language pages but kids will not usually look up those pages. They usually look up there favorite video games, or use it for schoolwork. I look up a lot of extinct animals like leptictidium or sarcosuchus imperator.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
A very useful tool for children of all ages...
The most important thing to know is this website is no more (acctually, probably less) dangerous than Google or Google images. It's generally very accurate. I've used Wikipedia almost everyday for 2 years and I've only ever seen 3 vanalized articles, none of which contained foul langauge or anything else bad. To find bad stuff, you'd almost have to deliberately look for it. I'd say this site is no problem if your kids know not to look up anything X-rated. It's also very educational and can teach kids lots about history, math, foreign langauges, other cultures, technology and science. I'd say this site is great for kids about 7+.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Hello
Yes some people might vandalize wikipedia, but also people who have accounts on wikipedia may sometimes swear and message to other accounts saying mean things! educational though!
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Wikipedia.org Good/bad
you can have the possibilteay to have to use the new tecnolgy for good it holds a lot of good information but some can be harmfu, but they chech most of the information everyday fro if it is true but you can change it most of the information but in a way it is is using tecnolgy for good!!! USE It wikipedia.org site admin
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
