 | ON: Content is age-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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
GirlSense
Common Sense Media says
Creative fashionista outlet may offer too much contact.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that GirlSense is a style-related social networking site where girls can be creative and flex their fashion muscles. Registered users can design clothes and accessories, create a boutique, and sell virtual versions of their creations. That's all in good fun, however, some of the site's interactive elements pose a concern. Girls can correspond publicly and privately with strangers through message boards, chat, posts, and email. Although there is a language filter, posts appear instantly -- and it's very easy to meet and send messages to other users through the site's internal email system.
What's it about?
In Girlsense, kids decorate clothing, create a boutique business, advertise their creations, and network with other designers online. Kids can create their own stores, participate in auctions, and advertise their clothing designs. They can also send private and public messages, chat live with others, “follow” favorite users, and play a number of trivial mini-games about dress-up. Parents should talk with their kids about the body image promoted on the site, as well as appropriate clothing designs and language use.
Is it any good?
Girls can use the GIRLSENSE Designer Studio tool to create different looks, determine what they'll charge for them, and then showcase the creations in a customized boutique. Style-savvy girls should enjoy using the site's above-average design tool, which lets you customize each piece by adding fancy buttons, changing its length and more. Aside from the site's obvious emphasis on shopping/materialism, the fashion-related GirlSense activities are pretty tame.
The site's interactive elements, however, are a cause for concern. Although many of the group message boards contain positive posts, some also contain questionable content (such as a group called "Hook ups :)," which offers to help members find the perfect match). It's also a little scary how easily kids can connect with other users through the site's internal email system: You don't have to send a friend request first and can just key in a username to send a message. Filters prevent kids from typing in email addresses, URLs, or phone numbers, which should help reduce the likelihood safety mishaps. However, parents will still want to supervise their child's time on GirlSense to make sure it's about creating cool clothes -- and not connecting with strangers.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how people express themselves through their appearance, both online and in person. Can you express your creativity through clothes or make-up? How can you have fun with different looks without putting too much emphasis on your physical appearance?
Why do you need to be cautious about what you say when you're online? Is it safe to send email to someone you've never met in person? What about posting to someone's wall? Is one form of communication safer than the other?
How important it is to stay safe when you're in a social network, even when you share similar interests such as fashion?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
perfect for 11- 90 (for those who still have fashion designer ambitions, but not younger.
I really love this site, but there is a lot of "online dating". There are girls AND boys, not just girls like it seems. The chat rooms in the auctions are monitored, and you can flag inappropriate messages. however sometimes users work around the 'dictionary'. they also refer to 'do u want to do me' but i think this site is fine for 11 and up. it is really fun, designing your own fashions,making a boutique,selling your fashions and making friends.
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AGE
This is a very nice website I don't think there is any problem with it. Theres no educational value at all but it's not teaching kids anything bad.It may teach them about sales but thats not all bad overall I think it's a fantastic site.
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Kid, 12 years old
March 20, 2011
AGE
GIRL SENSE!
This website is perfect for kids who want to be a faison designer!! I know i love it and anyone can to. It doesn't matter how old you are(but you kinda have to be 5 and older) it is REALLY fun!!!!!!!:):):):)
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AGE
Beware of this website
My daughter wanted to sign up for this website so I checked it out and was horrified. The sexual language was really shocking in some f the "safe chat rooms". Parents please know that I observed that kids or those posing as kids are working the system. Leaving spaces in vulgar words, and using other terms for body parts are a way to sneak in bad content.
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AGE
Not Safe for Children
My daughter Age 12 has been on GirlSense for several months now and I thought that it was a pretty safe website. However, just this weekend she came to me to tell me that someone chatted with her using sexual references and graphic language. She even asked me to please set up the parental controls on our computer to ban the website completely. I'm just thankful that she came to me with this information. We had a talk about chat rooms and internet safety. I would be very careful about letting your daughters use this site unsupervised.
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AGE
GREAT!!!
Girlsense is awesome even though in has some bad contents in it. I think its okay for 12-19 yrs old like me. Parents should worry a little but not sooo much. LISTEN TO ME PARENTS ITS OKAY!!!
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AGE
Girlsense reviewed by Commonsense- and it ain't pretty.
There are lots of things to do on website! Though they have some inapropraiate ads on the website, and I've seen 6-year-olds. They also have chat, and it is not as safe as you think. It's very addicting, so I suggest you give your kid a strict time limit for this website- I've spent a whole day on girlsense and, well, let's just say I was very pooped in the morning lol. Also some boys join the website and "go out" with girls. And sometimes when a girl says something bad,she gets away with it! I've seen lots of bullying too. Think twice before joining girlsense, trust me.
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AGE
Inappropriate on SO many levels...
Ok I'm torn with this one. I love the website cause it's really fun to make clothes and play the games and do auctions (when the people are normal). But lots of people make shirts lately that say "if ur by click here" By meaning bisexual and post them on auctions. Then if you go in one, there are tons of people mostly girls saying "Hey wanna do it" meaning have sex. It's really disturbing. Also if you say something like please stop talking to me then (this has happened to me) they will send you a note saying something gross like "love u plz follow me to an auction so we can do it" I was so disturbed that from then on i stopped going on auctions. With product placement, for weeks at a time they have the same ads all over the website. And grossly, I have seen ads for Trojan condoms. There are girls as young as 6 on there and they have no idea what sex is yet. And if they go in to an auction room with inappropriate content then that is not a good situation. I've seen shirts that say F**K U even though you can't write those words, people use stamps or buttons. And I've also seen the words S**T, B***H, C**P and H E double hockey sticks. Some of the girls (and boys) are way out of line here... Out of 100% I would say that 15% is good about this website.
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Kid, 12 years old
December 26, 2009
AGE
i had a girlsence person and it was not good peole say lets have sex and thats not right and people say that they want to have sex in a chat room
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AGE
Well, the user content, at night... sometimes in the auction area there are things up for sale, often t-shirts that say 'bi people chat here' or 'if you want a gf click here' and sometimes there are explicit drawings of private parts (e.x. breasts). And I think that's reeeaaally disgusting. On the other hand, this usually only goes on at night (9pm-the am), all the other things people create are usually creative & appropriate. I love this game though it can get boring if you aren't sure what to make in your studio.
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| Genre: | Fashion/Beauty |
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