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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Users' trivia too much of a mixed bag to be educational.

On this site kids can:   create an avatar, create and share content, design a game, learn about a specific topic, play games, play multiplayer games, share their knowledge

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–15

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    The site aims to be educational but doesn't always succeed -- games and trivia questions are hit-or-miss, and the numerous spelling and grammatical errors on the site undermine its credibility.

  • User-created content:

    Encouraging users to submit questions and create educational games is a cool idea, but it doesn't always work. Other users are supposed to determine whether the submissions are factually correct, educational, and age-appropriate, but there's no certified "expert" who calls the shots.

  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Online interaction:

    Not an issue.

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    One ad for a gaming site featured a woman with lots of cleavage showing.

  • Language:

    There's no bad language -- it's prohibited -- but it's unclear if administrators screen the user-submitted games and trivia questions for objectionable content.

  • Consumerism:

    Some links to outside Web sites. Users earn points by creating trivia questions and games if their contributions are approved by other users. Points can be redeemed for prizes like gift cards and gaming systems. Accumulating points is very time-consuming.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

How safe is it?

  • Personal privacy:

    Registered users can send messages (open text field) to each other, even if they're not "friends." Users can't display email addresses or other personal information in their profiles.

  • Parental controls:

    Email is required for registration; kids under 16 are supposed to get a parent's permission to register.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Karooba

Parents need to know that this educational gaming site isn't a very trustworthy teacher. Players answer trivia questions that are submitted and reviewed by users -- not experts -- so there’s no guarantee that the information is correct (or relevant to the target age group). In addition, there are spelling and grammatical errors throughout the site. Registered users can send messages to other users -- including those who aren't their online friends. Users can play games -- but not create trivia -- without registering.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about pitfalls of user-generated content that’s intended to inform. How can you tell which sites are accurate? What sites do you trust for reliable information?
  • Families can talk about Internet safety on social sites. How do you choose a safe screen name? What would you do if someone sent you unwanted or bullying messages?
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