| 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. |
Parents need to know that this social networking site for tweens looks like it was slapped together quickly in hopes of making a few bucks off advertising. It's too bad because the idea -- networking mixed with plenty of opportunities to be creative -- is good, and we found nothing harmful. However, the look and content are of poor quality. The kids this site might attract if it were better executed are better off building online relationships someplace else like Yomod or Ning.
With its emphasis on creativity, Kidgurus has the potential to be a great social networking site for kids -- but it needs a complete overhaul. To start with, it's been poorly translated from another language; (the log-in instructions, for example, say: "the people to register for free to upload the articles"). This will confuse and put off kids, as will the poor graphics, nonworking tools, and odd content, a lot of which appears to be filler posted to make the site look more active than it is. Kidgurus targets kids 19 and younger but the current incarnation is unlikely to appeal to kids of any age.
Online interaction: There are so few ways to interact that it's hard to gauge the tenor of the community. Email doesn't work and the chat rooms were empty every time we visited. The few entries submitted appear to have been posted mostly by adults (e.g. photo albums of new cars, new babies, etc.). Visitors are encouraged to flag objectionable content but there's no easy way to do this, just a contact email address.
What makes a good social networking site for kids? Discuss tools, content and community: are the features easy to use, content created by other users inspiring, and the community lively? Read our social network tips.
Discuss how a site like Kidgurus does not have to be as slick as Disney.com to be worthwhile, but poor production values can be a tip-off to overall unsuitability.
| Genre: | Social Networking |
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