Espin (http://www.espin.com/)
common sense media says
Flirtatious site focuses on judging teens by their looks.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
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.
Educational value:
Not applicable.
Violence:
Not applicable.
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.
Privacy & safety:
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.
None.
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Most useful reviews by all members
vyrgomd
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
I love it it is the best game ever. It teaches kids to use their brains.
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iluvjbsomuch
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
a dissapointment
i thought this was going to be a fun site where u just created avatars, quizzes and got to im people. well it is.....but at a high price. when u first sign up u get all these features: iming, note passing, and stuff for a day or two. But then you have to unlock them by downloading stuff to your commputor, giving out personal info to take surveys, and giving out ur phone number for downloads. It's really anoying because even after all that it only lasts 30 days then u have to earn it back again. Creating the avatar, and taking quizzes is fun but to have fun on this site you have to do a lot of work for it.
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