Snopes

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Gruesome tales abound on this debunker of urban myths.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Learning2
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Find out more

Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that while this site is the authority on debunking urban myths, its content is not appropriate for kids. In fact the site asserts that it's for adults: "Urban legends are expressions of adult fears and concerns and, as such, often convey those messages via stories that are unsuitable for children." But since children might be tempted to verify urban myths, too, we recommend supervision with this site.

  • On the upside, the site's effectiveness of separating the fact from fiction in online stories may be a useful tool for adults. But there's also a significant amount of gory, sexual, and generally not child appropriates stories (true and not), images, and information.
  • Stories listed under the Crime and Horror sections include graphic details about violence of all kinds, including stories of cannibilism and "murdering madmen."
  • Stories listed under certain categories including "Risque Business" and even "Disney" include topics like "penile pranks," "bestiality," and even photos of an image of a bare breasted woman hidden in the '70s version of Disney's movie The Rescuers.
  • Not applicable.
  • This is an ad-supported site, and there are a lot of Google AdSense ads, as well as banner ads for major corporations like AT&T.
  • Some stories may include information about drugs, alcohol or tobacco. For example, one story verifies reports of teens dying due to "huffing."

What kids can learn

2

Teens can learn about truths and falsehoods behind common and outlandish urban legends, folklore, myths, and rumors. Just the idea behind the site conveys to teens the value of investigation and critical thinking. Did you know that flour and egg whites aren't an adequate treatment for burns? Myths about Coca-Cola, Internet scams, deadly animals, and more are put into question, and articles are linked to citations. More info about the investigative process would boost this myth-busting site.

Subjects
  • Arts
  • Hobbies
  • Science
  • Social Studies
Skills
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Creativity
  • Emotional Development
  • Health & Fitness
  • Responsibility & Ethics

What's it about?

If you're wondering about the verity of the latest Internet scare or computer virus, Snopes has likely sorted the facts from the fiction. As one of the foremost sites on the Internet for checking out urban legends and other e-truths or lies, Snopes takes pride in uncovering the reality behind stories circulating around the news and Internet. The site uses a rating system to indicate truth, falsehood, part true, part false, or undetermined. Thousands of stories are categorized by general subject -- everything from "freakish fatalities" (odd ways to go) to "drug horrors" to "gruesome finds of corpses and assorted body parts."


Is it any good?

 

Helpful as it is, Snopes is not a site that kids should be visiting unsupervised. While some of the stories have a ghost-story like quality, many are sexual, gory, crime-related, or very, very strange and may be upsetting for young kids and teens. If your kids want to verify a story, either preview Snopes first or read it with your child and discuss it.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about why some Web sites that your teens might hear about often on the Web or in the media may still not be appropriate for them to browse unknowingly. A lot of the political and pop culture material on this site is informative, but wander off that mainstream path and you might find some images and stories that you wouldn't want to know about.


This review was written by Dana Villamagna

What kids can learn

2

Teens can learn about truths and falsehoods behind common and outlandish urban legends, folklore, myths, and rumors. Just the idea behind the site conveys to teens the value of investigation and critical thinking. Did you know that flour and egg whites aren't an adequate treatment for burns? Myths about Coca-Cola, Internet scams, deadly animals, and more are put into question, and articles are linked to citations. More info about the investigative process would boost this myth-busting site.


Subjects
  • Arts:
  • Hobbies:
  • Language & Reading: storytelling
  • Math:
  • Science:
  • Social Studies:
Skills
  • Collaboration:
  • Communication:
  • Creativity:
  • Emotional Development:
  • Health & Fitness:
  • Responsibility & Ethics:
  • Self-Direction:
  • Tech Skills:
  • Thinking & Reasoning: investigation, thinking critically

What's it about?

If you're wondering about the verity of the latest Internet scare or computer virus, Snopes has likely sorted the facts from the fiction. As one of the foremost sites on the Internet for checking out urban legends and other e-truths or lies, Snopes takes pride in uncovering the reality behind stories circulating around the news and Internet. The site uses a rating system to indicate truth, falsehood, part true, part false, or undetermined. Thousands of stories are categorized by general subject -- everything from "freakish fatalities" (odd ways to go) to "drug horrors" to "gruesome finds of corpses and assorted body parts."


How kids will learn

Scouring the site is fun -- especially for teens who are naturally curious. Criteria for which myths and legends are addressed are briefly laid out. Still, there are many that seem not widely known. Added information about how the site's myths are investigated and a more friendly user experience would make Snopes more useful.

 


How parents can help

  • Use Snopes as a resource to clarify urban legends, myths, and rumors when kids bring them up.
  • Look up popular urban legends and myths and see if there are patterns in how they're told.
  • Talk about the importance of using several trustworthy sources to validate information.

This review was written by Jinny Ree
Parent of 4 year old
April 18, 2009
 
missed launguige
i tiped in th word f-k and their was an erban legend called what the f-k

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
May 29, 2009
 
great laughs, lots of information.
It has all the things adults like to read about and see! I feel it is very inappropiate for children, especially children 13 and under! no way! Not good at all!

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
August 9, 2009
 
As a young adult myself, it wasn't that long ago when I was reading these stories as an adolescent, and while some may think the content is a little objectionable, it is nothing your kid hasn't seen before. I would say that a mature 12 year old should have no trouble here. It is really up to you to decide what is appropriate for your child.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
June 28, 2009
 
Wonderful site, but maybe not for young kids.
I absolutely love this site. It is so interesting and educational, and best of all, all of its content is researched and verified so you know that what you're reading is true. I wish more people knew about Snopes so they would stop ignorantly spreading untrue urban legends. However, I can't recommend Snopes for kids, because it does have a "Risque" and a "Horror" section and some of its stories can contain mature content. I think this is a great site for older teens, or maybe for older kids with adult supervision.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
May 17, 2009
 
Really Cool Website
Although it is "educational", it is sort of inappropriate. Their are categories such as risque business.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
July 28, 2009
 
good website just dont click on horror or risque because it can make you get computer virus!!!
cool website. my brother goes on this once in a while. Kids can go on this but parents should just tell them not to click on horror or risque because it isnt appropriate for them to look at.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
January 28, 2009
 
Good site to know about
This is an important site for anybody who gets emails forwarded to them with dire warnings of headlight flashing, exploding pop bottles or even how forwarding and email from Bill Gates can save poor kids in Africa.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
May 11, 2012
 
Great site, but not for younger kids
I've visited this site MANY times and it's a great website. It does have some rumors on there that have some mature content, but nothing too bad for kids 12+. Also, it has a positive message about sticking to the facts when it comes to rumors and legends. Learning potential: Kids will learn a little about how rumors get started and how to find out if their true or not, but the site's mostly for entertainment. Violence: Some rumors about violent/scary topics (Ex. One rumor says that two girls who were murdered skin and hang their parents for not telling their son (who was born after the girls' deaths) about them). One section in the "fauxography" portion of the site is labeled "Gallery Of Gruesome" which showcases pictures of horrific injuries. There's even a warning that states that some pictures might disturb sensitive viewers. But most articles on the site aren't too horrific. Sex: Some rumors are about sexual topics. One article about the rumor that a scene in the movie "The Rescuers" showing a brief picture of a naked woman shows the scene without censoring the nudity. But there's nothing very graphic that I've seen. Language: Some profanity, but not a lot. Consumerism: Mentioning of movies, actors, singers, authors, books, and other people, places, and things. Drinking: Some articles deal with rumors about incidents involving drinking or drug use, like a rumor about a babysitter who, high of LSD, cooks a baby thinking it was a turkey.

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Dana Villamagna
Genre:Educational

This review was written by Dana Villamagna

Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.

 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Tell us what you think about our new Learning Ratings. We value your feedback.


About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you visit Snopes?


Already visited it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it