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The Troop: Troop Grid (http://www.nick.com/troop-grid/index.jhtml)

common sense media says

TV show's site lets viewers in on behind-the-scenes action.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this site is for fans of the Nick series, The Troop, a show about a monster-hunting high school team. The website mimics the series' reality-TV style and uses lots of video and first-person style games to create the illusion that this is actually a real squad of creature catchers. This approach might get some kids confused into thinking this is really happening, so it's designed more for tweens who are better equipped to distinguish fantasy from reality. 

Educational value: Not applicable.
Positive messages: The biggest message is teamwork and putting aside difference to work together on a single goal. The high school characters in the TV series are very dissimilar, but they try to accept each other to cooperate on their missions together. The main character, Jake blows off school assignments sometimes and doesn't take classwork seriously (he would rather work on his comic-book art).
Violence: The monsters this fictional team hunts are described as being very violent: "If disturbed, will gore or stamp to death its foes." "Doulos have killed several Troop members throughout the Troop's history." "...a
cunning and vicious creature that wants nothing more than to devour its
victim with its massive mouth of razor-sharp teeth." Team members also use gun with electricity to hunt the creatures.  
Sex: Teen flirtations, sexual tension, and talk of kissing and meeting up can all be found around the site.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: There are banner ads and advertising placed within the website's content. Sugary cereals and commercial websites are the biggest advertisers. There are also pop-up ads that can be very hard not to click on, as they appear without notice and are slightly invisible, so a visitor can click on one of these ads without realizing it.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Privacy & safety: You only have to be a registered user to make comments. To register, all a user has to share is his user name and birth date.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on The Troop: Troop Grid

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about understanding the difference between reality and fantasy. Reality TV isn't as real as it's made out to be. Some shows, like The Troop, use reality TV camera work to make the show seem more realistic.
  • Families can talk about Internet safety and good online behavior. This site allows users to register with the site and then be allowed to comment on content. Why do you think you need to register to be allowed to comment? What information should you never give out when registering with a site?
  • Families can talk about on-line advertising. Do you know how to recognize an ad on a web site and when not to click. When playing on commercial web sites, do you notice a lot of ads for any specific products like candy or junk food? Why do you think that's so?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
For tween fans of the supernatural this site should be the perfect partner to the Nick series THE TROOP, which premiered in the fall of 2009. With lots of video content and back-stories relating to the show, dedicated viewers will get the extras they are looking for, while visitors new to the show should have an entertaining time even if they've never watched an episode. With video content and first-person point of view gamers, visitors can feel like they are a real part of the monster-hunting action (right down to the "eye scan identifier" that pops up when a game is loading). Not too scary, but creepy enough for most 10-year old boys, this site offers good, cleaning monster hunting fun.

Online interaction: Users can post comments on the characters' profile pages. These comments appear to be moderated, as there is no bad language or rude behavior to be found here.

This review was written by Jacqueline Rupp
 
 

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nancym
teen, 16 years old
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great
i love the troop it is the greatest show ever
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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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