| 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 teen social networking site is all about connecting with classmates. High schoolers are the target audience; but many of the features aren't for teens. Basic profiles (users can upgrade to VIP memberships for $6.99-$19.99 per month) can have racy photos, videos, and other personal stuff like what mood you're in (one of the popular choices is "horny"). Users can interact by posting comments in the unfiltered forums and profiles or becoming someone's secret admirer. A blind date game matches you with other users; many of the profile questions are date-oriented -- like listing turn-ons or your idea of the perfect first date.
MYYEARBOOK.COM gives kids a way to connect -- but also features some things parents probably wish they’d wouldn’t see. Created by a 16- and 15-year-old brother and sister, the site offers the chance to create or take quizzes, play games like mini golf, and notify other users that you have a crush on them -- or guess who is crushing on you.
You can get about $1,200 in “Lunch Money" for registering and more for inviting friends. The virtual cash can be spent on things like premium virtual gifts, which range from $1-$2,500,000. There’s plenty to keep teens busy on MyYearbook.com, but it’s not all feel-good family fun. The site’s “Battles” section lets users vote on the more attractive of two viewers; you can also buy and sell user photos, which is just a little creepy. The MyMag section features questions about sex, abuse, and more, and the site doesn’t restrict much -- you can even embed the NSFW YouTube video of your choice on your main profile page. This is supposed to be a teen site?
Online interaction: Users can interact by doing things like posting comments on articles or becoming someone’s secret admirer. A new feature, Live, lets you play video games and video chat so you see who you play.
Families can talk about why posting a suggestive photo of yourself -- even with a fake name -- might be a bad idea. Why would that put you at risk?
Who might see a photo or post you make online?
Also, what information is OK to share online and what is better left unsaid?
| Genre: | Social Networking |
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