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EnveMe (http://www.enveme.com)

common sense media says

Music and style site's virtual world has privacy problems.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this fashion-meets-music site has a lot for sale, from clothes to downloadable music. It also has a virtual world -- EnveZones -- that charges $10.95 per month; it requires downloading software from VZones, a site that considers itself “PG-13.” In order to sign up for a free two-week trial, users have to provide lots of personal information, including their mailing address and phone number. EnveZones’ "Terms of Service" link is broken, so it's impossible to know what you're getting yourself into.

Educational value: This just-for-fun site has lots of spelling and grammatical errors.
Positive messages: The site is heavily focused on shopping and keeping up with trends. On the plus side, a Q&A feature about relationships offers good advice: be yourself; trust is important in a relationship.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: One artist's music is described as "the perfect soundtrack for striptease and lap dancing."
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Users can buy clothes and music. The site's virtual world charges $10.95 per month.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: One band likens its music to "sipping red wine, smoking hashish, and drinking a shot of espresso."
Privacy & safety: Signing up for the virtual world requires users to share their real name, phone number, and mailing address.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on EnveMe

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

  • Families can talk about protecting privacy online. Why would a site want your mailing address or phone number? How do you know what information is OK to share? Parents can stress the importance of checking a site's privacy policy and terms of service to figure out how it might use your information. Sometimes those sections can be hard to understand, so when in doubt, it's a good idea to ask for an adult's help.

  • Families can also talk about the risks involved in downloading software and how "free" offers sometimes carry hidden fees.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Billed as a "community for the fashion and music lifestyle," EnveMe ("Envy Me") sells rock-inspired attire and downloadable tracks from up-and-coming artists. With only eight bands featured on the site, the "music" half of the equation is a bit underrepresented, and the trend-spotting "EnveMeter" blog doesn't break any new ground, either. The "community" component includes the virtual world EnveZones, which requires downloading software and disclosing lots of personal info, even if you're only signing up for the two-week free trial.

Online interaction: Users can chat and interact in a virtual world.

This review was written by Susan Yudt
 
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age
Our child development rating guidelines