iCue

Review

Common Sense Media says

NBC's safe and informative political haven.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a top-notch education, news, and discussion site for those who want to dig into politics, especially the '08 presidential elections. Created with the help of research based on MIT's Education Arcade, this site knows how to keep users on track for a quality educational experience -- that means respectful, diverse, and on point message boards and ways to report posters if they're inappropriate. Featuring video clips from the NBC news video archives that take on the form of "cue cards," users can save, archive, write on, and discuss their favorites.

  • Positive messages3
    The site's current focus is helping teens educate themselves and discuss the '08 presidential election in interactive, fun ways. Thus far, the message boards contain no flaming and include some meaty topics.
  • Violence0
    Only in a newsy way.
  • Sex0
    None observed on the iCue site; however, if teens go to the Student Center, they're sometimes routed to the MSNBC.MSN.com site where celebrity gossip includes some racy Hollywood-style news. For example, there's currently a slide show of photos of a bra-only wearing Britney Spears.
  • Language0
    Although not watched 24/7, moderators do keep tabs on content posted on the message boards, which thus far seems to be respectful, diverse, and on point. There's a report abuse button on the bottom of each post, and moderators even delete messages posted in all caps, to discourage escalating heated debates.
  • Consumerism3
    NBC logos are the only ads here. If users go to the Student Center, however, the MSNBC site they're linked to contains lots of ads.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    See above warning about link to MSNBC celeb gossip site. Some Hollywood news talks about drinking and drugs.
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What's it about?

The upcoming presidential election is a hot topic across the Internet, yet it can be difficult for teens to find a site that brings the issues to them in an attractive and informative way. NBC News has created a teen political junkie's dream site -- and may even attract some teens who aren't that into politics -- with ICUE.COM. Keeping it real, the site also has a Student Center where teens who get tired of politics can go for pop culture and sports news. But the main focus is politics, both today's and historical video clips.

Is it any good?

 

The site's video, discussion boards, games, quizzes, and daily discussion starters help users dig into the people and issues in politics. Teens interested in broadcast journalism will also find the extensive video archives excellent case studies in political broadcasting. The site doesn't have a ton of registered users yet, and the discussion boards are only moderately active, but as the presidential election heats up, iCue.com may just be the hot spot in political education and discussion for junior high, high school, college, and even parents looking for a place to research, debate, and decide.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about everything related to the '08 presidential election using this information-packed site as a discussion starter, reference, and current events log. Discuss with your teen some of the site's rules for civil discourse, an important reminder on- and offline during an election year. View the site through the lens of media criticism and discuss the downsides of getting political news from only one media outlet. Is NBC presenting all candidates in an unbiased light? Do they seem to favor one candidate more than others? How can your teen make sure they're getting balanced news coverage?

This review was written by Dana Villamagna

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This review was written by Dana Villamagna
Genre:Educational
This review was written by Dana Villamagna

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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