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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 15.
  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Flirtatious site focuses on judging teens by their looks.

On this site kids can:   create a social network, create an avatar, create and share content, meet people, post comments

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–16

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

 

What to watch out for

  • Online interaction:

    Users can rate other members in an impersonal manner. Messages between "matches" are filtered to avoid the exchange of contact information, but by initiating these flirtatious connections, the site is tempting users to want to meet. The site advises users to keep relations casual and strictly online, but then allows users to narrow their search for people close to their ZIP code and says things like "Get new photo profiles of highly-compatible Spinners every time you log in. Kind of like The Bachelor, except your relationship might actually work out!"
  • User-created content:

    Users set up a profile that includes information like their city and state, height, ethnicity, status, and body specs. When visiting a profile, you can send notes, gifts and judge profiles.
  • Messages:

    While there are a few positive messages on Espin -- the advice column provides relatively sound suggestions -- overall the site promotes judging people on their physical appearance and criticizing people for no reason. The "judge me" poll lets users rate others from "hot" to "not that special." Profile photos are pitted against each other and users can pick which person is hotter.
  • Violence:

    Not an issue.
  • Sex:

    Some photos are risque, with girls showing off their behinds in shorty shorts. "Do Something" icons take smilies to the next level with various emoticons that range from "chest bump" to "tonsil hockey." Other features include the "Expose Yourself" tool which lets your profile get advertised, and quizzes such as "Which Sexy Are You?" that include multiple choice options like "a midnight tryst in the back of a Dodge Ram." There are references to sneaking a view of mature TV and strip poker.
  • Language:

    "Asshole" is used several times and some photos show members putting up their middle finger.
  • Consumerism:

    The site is owned by Hearst Magazines and sister sites for magazines like Seventeen and CosmoGirl are promoted and linked to the site. Ads for cell phones and make-up companies are prevalent on the site and many times it's hard to tell these are ads.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A quiz question asks "if you found a kitten, what would you name it?" One of the multiple choice options is "Jagermeister," the 70-proof German liquor.
 

How safe is it?

  • Personal privacy:

    The site seems to take privacy very seriously. It states that "no personally identifiable info is allowed in users' profiles." All photos are screened for appropriateness and the site will attempt to delete anything that's not allowed. In addition, no one can receive unsolicited mail. You can also create a filter to block certainb people from contacting you. But the site does ask for some personally identifying information that it uses in creating certain search results.
  • Parental controls:

    None.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Espin

Parents need to know that although ESPIN is all about flirting, sex, and indulging in teen hormones, that's not the major problem. This is a site that can pose a major danger to a teen user's delicate self-esteem. Because the site encourages members to judge peers by their profile photos, it sets up a contest that is solely based on looks and equates physical attractiveness with success in finding love and self-worth. The site also attempts to "match" up teens for love connections, but cautions that all of the interactions should remain exclusively on the site, a goal that seems to be too ambitious for its teen audience to obey.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how the media pressures teens to be pretty and attractive. Can you think of any ads, Web sites, or music videos that have made you feel unsure of yourself? Boys and girls both tackle these problems when they are teens. What can you do to feel more confident?
  • What makes a social networking site safe to use and what can you do to be safe while socializing on-line? Have you discussed safe habits with your family? Do your friends play it safe on-line or do they sometimes do irresponsible things?
  • How do you feel about a Web site that encourages teens to judge others by what they look like in a photograph? Do you think this type of criticism brings out the best or worst in people? If a person gets all low ratings for her photo, do you think that will make her feel good about herself? Would this have the same effect as cyberbullying?


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