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Tweens Browser

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 6, age appropriate for kids over 7; suggested age 7.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Free browser is safe, but not a sub for parental oversight.

On this site kids can:   do research, get homework help, get news, play games, post comments

Why We Rated This on for Ages 7 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Choosing from hundreds of sites divided into 10 categories, kids can explore and learn a lot. There are tons of interesting things to see and do, ranging from cute YouTube videos ("the world's largest goldfish") to homework help to grownup sites such as the National Endowment for the Arts. There are lots of games, sports, TV and movie sites, too.

  • User-created content:

    Kids can leave comments after the YouTube videos and stories posted in The Tweens News. There were no comments when we visited shortly after launch, but the staff will monitor comment and remove offensive language if necessary.

  • Messages:

    Some parents will like the fact that this kids' browser focuses more on mainstream educational and informational sites suitable for kids, such as PBS and Pixar, rather than girl- or kiddie-centric content like Barbie or Sesame Street. 
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Real-world violence seeps into the content on Web sites such as ABC News, which includes the usual stories about sensational murders and kidnappings.  The Biography on A&E site includes episodes of "I Survived," a cable show featuring first-person accounts of rapes, shootings, and animal attacks. 

  • Sex:

    The browser does not block all sex-tinged news and pop-culture stories, either.   

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Kids can see but not click on ads, no matter how harmless the product. (Even Disney banners are blocked.)

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Mentioned but not glorified in some news and celebrity stories.   
 

How safe is it?

  • Personal privacy:

    Kids don't have to provide any personal information, and as long as they stay inside the browser, they're limited to Web sites that practice good privacy. However, kids can easily exit the browser to other areas of the computer simply by hitting Alt-Tab.

  • Online interaction:

    Kids can leave comments in The Tweens News, a blog where YouTube and article links are posted by the browser's own teen staff. Unlike some other kids' browsers such as KidZui, this one does not come with  social networking tools. However, kids can safely chat and network on several of the browser's featured sites, such as Disney.com and Miss O & Friends.  

  • Parental controls:

    The prescreened sites help ease parents' worries. However, the browser does not lock down the rest of the computer and, as a matter of convenience, parents can’t add their own sites to the preapproved list. People CD does take requests, though.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Tweens Browser

Parents need to know that this browser is a safe, ad-free window onto the Web for tweens. Racist, pornographic, and overtly violent content -- as well as chat -- is automatically filtered by software. In addition, sites are vetted by a human team of parents and educators. Kids aren't completely shielded from reality -- some of the sites, such as PBS and ABC News, cover the same world events, local tragedies and pop culture as the 6 o'clock news. But in general the sites are fine for kid consumption, and do an especially good job of appealing to older tweens' more sophisticated tastes. While kid-oriented browsers offer parents peace of mind, they won't completely restrict kids from accessing the Internet, either by getting around your computer's filter or doing it at someone else's house. So parents should use kids' browsers in combination with their own rules about safe and responsible Internet behavior.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • This browser helps restrict inappropriate content and offers parents peace of mind, but kids need to learn responsible online behavior so they can stay safe online.
  • Discuss why it's important for kids to focus on fun, educational -- and most important, safe -- Internet content in their formative years.
  • Internet filtering software is another way to control what kids do on the Web. Read our tips.
Tools and tips that can help

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