PopSugar (http://popsugar.com)
common sense media says
Gossip site's guilty pleasure fun isn't always G-rated.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this humongous gossip site combines celebrity news, online shopping, and social networking, most of it harmless fun but some parts fairly adult in nature. The avatar bloggers and the guessing and matchup games could have been designed for celebrity-obsessed tween girls. But the sex advice, nudie movie clips and links to expensive designer brands are for the amusement of adults only.
Educational value:
Interspersed with the fluff are helpful tidbits and thought-provoking mini-essays on fitness, technology, health, and other serious topics. Recent sample: a blog entry about "solar forests," a futuristic concept design where treelike solar panel installations might be installed to juice up electric cars.
Violence:
References are no worse than a daily newspaper's. Example: a story about Stevie Wonder’s son being arrested for felony domestic violence.
Sex:
More than a little mature content, including a sex advice column called Hump Day, Cosmo tips on sex positions and Nicole Kidman's nude scenes from Eyes Wide Shut. Copious coverage of celebrity baby bumps, relationships, and make-out sessions. Responsible sex education in the form of well-written pieces on birth control and a fascinating photo retrospective of female protection ads through the years.
Language:
Some rough language in member posts such as s--t and f--k. One instance of "scum-sucking bastard."
Consumerism:
Shopping is so intertwined with content that it can be hard to tell legit stories from product pitches. Most pages have an ad at the top, in the middle, and occasionally disguised to look like a blog entry, plus text links by designer name to ShopStyle, a sister shopping site. More product name dropping occurs in the blogs, which cover celebrities favorite booty and where you can buy it. (Lindsay Lohan fan? Pick up her new tanning lotion and a pair of her fave leggings.) Then there are Bookmarks, a set of blogs that are nothing more than fashion, beauty, fitness, pet, food, gadget, and baby product descriptions with links. Members can earn points bookmarking their own online finds and can spend the points buying virtual gifts.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Passing mentions in member posts but not glamorized. Food section includes alcoholic drink recipes.
Privacy & safety:
Pretty good privacy is possible but setup isn't obvious. By default, user content is fairly exposed. Site moderators can be counted on to remove obscenities or threats and users can keep their status private. But profiles are public and users can't delete or withdraw their own blog entries or comments once posted, or even close down their own accounts without site intervention. The best way to keep posts private is to create a group, an option hidden under the TeamSugar tab, and make it invitation only.
None.
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