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  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 15.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Gruesome tales abound on this debunker of urban myths.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–16

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    What kids may learn negatively from this site, including some anxiety provoking stories and graphic images, outweigh the benefits they may get from learning about which stories are true or false.
 

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    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.
  • Violence:

    Stories listed under the Crime and Horror sections include graphic details about violence of all kinds, including stories of cannibilism and "murdering madmen."
  • Sex:

    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.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    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.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some stories may include information about drugs, alcohol or tobacco. For example, one story verifies reports of teens dying due to "huffing."
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Snopes

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.

Did this review help you decide?

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.

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Our Members Say

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See all 7 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational

    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.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational

    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.

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Alabama
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational

    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.

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in South Carolina
    I rate this title off for age 17 and give it 1.0

    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!

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Tennessee
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 4.0

    Really Cool Website

    Although it is "educational", it is sort of inappropriate. Their are categories such as risque business.

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