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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 18; suggested age 15.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Great social tool, but use the privacy controls.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–18

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    For some users, Twitter and its related applications provide an opportunity to learn about technology, politics, culture, etc. For others, it's purely a social tool.
 

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    As in any unrestricted forum, there are some jerks. The Terms of Service prohibit harassment and abuse, but some users say Twitter fails to enforce this. If teens make their posts public, anyone who knows their user ID can follow them.

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    Teens can use a separate Web application to search Twitter, which yielded some tweets (posts) with sexual comments, and one with links to porn sites.

  • Language:

    Language isn't restricted, so there's plenty of profanity.

  • Consumerism:

    Currently ad-free.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some users talk about getting drunk and doing drugs.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Twitter

Parents need to know that Twitter is a free "microblogging" and social networking site that's quickly growing in popularity. Twitter's Terms of Service prohibit abuse and harassment, but at least one user has reported being stalked and harassed, with no action taken by Twitter. Users post short updates (called "tweets") to their pages and follow their friends' activities through the Web, IM, or cell phones. There are options for making tweets private (friends only) or public. Users can curse or make sexual comments since there are no filters. An application called Twiddeo allows users to upload videos to the site.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about what's safe to post and what's not (e.g. "prnts gone, party @ 123 main st tonite!!"), and why it's a good idea for teens to limit tweeting to friends only. How do you know if you can trust someone enough to make them a "friend" so they have access to your private information?
  • Families can also discuss what's a reasonable amount of time to spend using Twitter and related services, since it's very easy to get carried away.
  • For more information about what Twitter is, check out our tips: What is Twitter?
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    John vonshlofenb ...
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 5.0

    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    mizzy baby
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    Perfect 4 teen'ss && ppl in there 20's

    Well idk i juss signed up i'm att school soo... really don't understand howw it works yet lolz:)))

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  3. Parent Reviewer
    Big JC
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 5.0

    Flag as inappropriate
  4. Parent Reviewer
    CSM Screen name ...
    I rate this title and give it 0.0

    I LOVE YOU SO MUCH SO YEA

    I LOVE YOU BO YOU WANT TO GO OUT YES OR NO

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  5. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    pande bagus
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Safety is an issue
    • User content isn't age appropriate

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Positive messages

    Flag as inappropriate

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