 | 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. |
My Secret Circle
Common Sense Media says
Invitation-only social network limited to real-life friends.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this private social networking site -- actually a program that loads only when a special USB key is plugged into the computer -- is super secure. A completely closed environment, My Secret Circle is invisible to the rest of the Internet and has no links to other sites. The only people who can see a child's profile are real-life friends who have been given a set of numbers to type into their own copy of the program. My Secret Circle doesn't have the breadth of features or the richness of, say, Miss O & Friends, a real Web site where girls from all walks of life can meet. However, it does give tweens a cute gadget to show off and a safe place online to hang out with BFFs, including a cool voice chat option with headset. Parents just need to make sure girls don't give in to the temptation to use the product as a social weapon.
Is it any good?
Kids don't need any extra encouragement to form cliques. Nevertheless, we recommend My Secret Circle, a private social network that comes on a pink USB keychain. Girls invite only other girls they know and want to be in their network, using printed invitations and secret codes. In exchange, parents can feel pretty secure knowing their daughters are playing with real-life friends in a safe, closed environment. Access codes generated by the program work one time only, which makes the site pretty predator proof.
When we reviewed it in July 2009, My Secret Circle still needed some work. The game selection was wimpy and a resolution problem squished uploaded photos. But tweens will love the cute interface, choosing an avatar, journaling, instant messaging, and following others in a Facebooklike "friend feed". Parents should be prepared to shell out again when tweens lose the USB key or password needed to log on. On the other hand, $20 is a small price to pay for this kind of safety.
Online interaction: Girls are able to interact only with friends to whom they've given a unique 12-digit "friend code." To ensure girls invite only people they know, the product encourages users to print out the code and a small pink envelope to personally hand to friends. If the circle of friends changes, users can delete members of their network.
What families can talk about
Discuss whom girls intend to invite to join their My Secret Circle social network. Should they talk about their special online group at school? Why or why not? Read our social networking tips.
Diaries are usually places to record private thoughts, dreams and
gripes. Discuss how writing in an online journal can give people a
false sense of privacy and make them less careful about what they say
and who sees their entries. Is it ever a good idea to let someone else
read your journal, even if you're best friends?
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- Teens & kids
Kid, 12 years old
June 3, 2010
AGE
I think its a little young for about 10+
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Kid, 11 years old
May 28, 2011
AGE
First time to see a girly social networking site.
I even haven't tried it yet.But after I downloaded the "quick-start" guide and read it.The site looks interesting.So colorful.It said that you can have your own "Diva"(Avatar for "My Secret Circle").Even the games.I love games.
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Kid, 8 years old
April 18, 2011
AGE
awesomeness
its awesome
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AGE
Not so sure about this one at all
I wasn't able to adequately review this site as you need to buy it at Walmart or Target and can't get it online. However, while it may be a step-up from some other social network sites, with its security issues, it seems to promote secrecy and exclusionary behaviour which are not things I want to promoted by kids. The instructions to parents did little to make me feel positive about the site and the promotion of things like BFF just seemed silly. So if my daughter decides she wants to use this site, our family will have to discuss at length and likely she will have to get with her own money. However, we do let our son use facebook (although obviously I have concerns with facebook), with significant guidance and discussion and a completely closed account.
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Kid, 11 years old
November 6, 2010
AGE
NOT GOOD TO HARD ??
i don't think .... its really hard to upload all these hard stuff for girls
i bett its a reall good website for girls
but u have to do HARD stuff
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| Genre: | Social Networking |
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