Handpicked by Our Editors

The Mouse Club
Age 4+
4

The Mouse Club

Why We Recommend It

Imaginative, colorful, and fun, kids can log on to read, count, match, and have fun learning computer skills.

Read our full review
How do I get my kid using teen websites beyond Facebook and YouTube?

Teens develop a variety of interests, and the beauty of the Internet is that there's a teen website for each one. They can still hang out on social networks or watch YouTube videos or TV on Hulu, but they can also find sites where they can get involved in local or distant communities.

A good place to start: Encourage your teens to find websites that help them with community service. It's natural for kids this age to care passionately. Check out our lists for more ideas.

Web Site Reviews

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New Web Site Reviews for Teenagers (ages 15-17)

Textnovel.jpg
Textnovel
Parents Need to Know...

that while Textnovel encourages creativity and writing, there aren't a lot of restrictions on what you write about -- or how you phrase it. As a result, many of the stories posted on the site include adult themes (such as prostitution and ... read more

Age 16+
Textnovel
3
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Adult Swim
Parents Need to Know...

that the ADULT SWIM Web site is chock full of sex and violence. The online counterpart to the Adult Swim network promotes its shows with articles, clips, and full episodes; many of the shows feature extreme violence and sexually ... read more

Age 16+
Adult Swim
3
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Espin
Parents Need to Know...

that although ESPIN is all about flirting, sex, and indulging in teen hormones, that's not the major problem. This is a site that can pose a major danger to a teen user's delicate self-esteem. Because the site encourages members to judge ... read more

Age 15+
Espin
2
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at15
Parents Need to Know...

that this site from retail giant Best Buy is a place where teens earn points that they can later give to Best Buy's featured charities. In other words, teens get power over Best Buy's charitable donations. There are also contests and ... read more

Age 15+
at15
3
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My Death Space
Parents Need to Know...

that this site details stories of untimely deaths, linking the profiles of MySpace users with their obituaries -- although the two sites are completely unrelated. The stories are generally about young people who have died tragically -- ... read more

No Kids
My Death Space
1
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Bossip
Parents Need to Know...

that Bossip is a gossip blog that reports on black celebrities in the news. Unfortunately, a lot of the coverage is dedicated to hating on those celebs and spreading nasty rumors, à la PerezHilton. There's lots of strong language, sex ... read more

Age 17+
Bossip
1
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fbomb
Parents Need to Know...

that this buzzed-about blog is the brainchild of 16-year-old feminist Julie Zeilinger. Zeilinger and other contributors tackle feminist topics ranging from mild -- extraordinary women, sexism in pop culture -- to more controversial or ... read more

Age 16+
fbomb
4
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PopSugar
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 ... read more

Age 15+
PopSugar
3
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Tibesti
Parents Need to Know...

that this shopping-centric social networking site is all about products, shopping, and buying and sharing that experience with online friends. Users set up their own pages and post images of favorite products -- and not all photos and ... read more

Age 17+
Tibesti
2
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Omegle
Parents Need to Know...

This chat site’s catchphrase, "Talk to strangers!", says it all. Though created by an 18-year-old, Omegle is not for kids. The site puts two strangers together in a chat room. Though chats start out anonymous, users often ask ... read more

Age 15+
Omegle
3
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Jefferson Lab Student Zone
Parents Need to Know...

that this educational Web site, developed by an advanced government physics lab, provides in-depth science and mathematics lessons and games aimed at high school students and older. They cover electricity, magnetism and other topics, but ... read more

Age 15+
Jefferson Lab Student Zone
3
yr logo.jpg
Youth Radio
Parents Need to Know...

that this Web site is an excellent example for kids interested in journalism and new media. The site features articles and editorials written by Youth Radio students and contributors and also includes links to articles on other news ... read more

Age 15+
Youth Radio
4
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Bill My Parents
Parents Need to Know...

that this site allows kids to charge purchases on pre-selected sites to the credit cards of their parents, grandparents, and other adults in their life who sign up for this service. The site is free to sign up with but charges 50 cents ... read more

Age 15+
Bill My Parents
2
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Bing
Parents Need to Know...

that Bing, an excellent search tool, makes it too easy to find and watch Internet sex videos. All a child has to do is hover a mouse over a sex video thumbnail and it starts playing. Unless you set your preferences to "Strict" ... read more

No Kids
Bing
4
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Justin.tv
Parents Need to Know...

that this site is a mixed bag when it comes to content. Most of videos are fine for teens, but sometimes sexually explicit content -- including links to porn sites -- slips through, despite being prohibited by community guidelines. Teens ... read more

Age 15+
Justin.tv
4
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Blerp
Parents Need to Know...

that the creators of Blerp seem committed to making the discussion app a fun, wholesome tool for everyone, including high schoolers. Blerp has banned thousands of adult-content sites out of the gate, and users can opt to block posts that ... read more

Age 15+
Blerp
4
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Mashade
Parents Need to Know...

that there is a substantial amount of violence in the form of war imagery, car crashes, and more. While the violence is moderated, and there are some games included for mash-up that would certainly suit younger users, this is definitely a ... read more

Age 15+
Mashade
4
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Google Scholar
Parents Need to Know...

that this Web search engine from Google is limited to scholarly works and contains no ads. There's no inappropriate content, but the material indexed is too challenging for younger users. read more

Age 15+
Google Scholar
4
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Make: Online
Parents Need to Know...

that this online version of Make Magazine encourages people to take on a wide variety of interesting projects, from creating homemade musical instruments to building toys to customizing and modifying common electronics. Most of the ... read more

Age 15+
Make: Online
3
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Tumblr
Parents Need to Know...

that this online hangout is hip and creative but too raunchy for tykes. Privacy is available only via an awkward workaround: the first profile a member creates is public, viewable by anyone on the Internet. Members desiring full privacy ... read more

Age 15+
Tumblr
3
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JibJab
Parents Need to Know...

that this site allows users to customize a broad selection of unique e-cards to send to friends. But while much of the offerings are fun, a lot of the content includes political satire, raunchy humor, and racy gags best suited for ... read more

Age 15+
JibJab
4

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