Yoursphere (http://www.yoursphere.com)
common sense media says
Kid-only social network promises to block dangerous adults.
parents & educators say
- 40% say language is an issue
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Yoursphere requires parents to submit to a background check for identity verification before activating a child's account. The social networking site for kids 18 and under includes games, a virtual world, a credit system where are rewarded for positive interaction in the community, and more. That said, content is squeaky clean, the strict membership rules surely will weed out some undesirables, and sign-ups are vetted against a database of registered sex offenders.
Educational value:
Aims to be more than a networking site by offering original content including articles and games.
Violence:
Not applicable.
Sex:
Not applicable.
Language:
Not applicable.
Consumerism:
Participating in site activities earns credits, which can be exchanged for prizes such as gaming consoles, iPhones, and other desirable items. Gold memberships, which cost $4.95 monthly (annual and family plans are also available), premium benefits including contests, access to a scholarship program, and more credits.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Not applicable.
Privacy & safety:
Kids can -- but don't have to -- submit an email address when registering and are reminded during registration not to offer information like their name, phone number, or IM address anywhere on the site. Users profiles often include real photos and are visible to anyone. During the registration process, parents submit personal information for identity verification, which includes conducting a background check.
The site is for users 18 and under; and even if a child is over 13, a parent's email is requested during registration. To activate a child's membership, parents submit to a background check for identity verification. Parents, once verified, can manage their child's account via a parent dashboard.
More on Yoursphere
Review It
Most useful reviews by all members
hoss88
parent of 5 , 9 , and 12 year old
parent of 5 , 9 , and 12 year old
dangerous!
first of all, part of this site is OURWORLD, which CSM rates at age 13, but this site is rated 9. what gives????
I can tell you that I find the content far too violent and sex-infused for my 10 and 12 yo's. and my 12 yo has been found by and able to find other participants via the site itself, so the privacy is a joke.
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Ambi Bambi
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
I love this site my daughters go on it all the time. I feel like they are perfectly face
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MusingsfromMe
parent of and 8 , 12 , 15 year old
parent of and 8 , 12 , 15 year old
My Daughter Loves Yoursphere
Like any 13-year-old my daughter wants to dive head first in to the "rule free" world of adults. She grimaces and rolls her eyes with the best of them. Like any mom I want to keep my daughter young and protected.
I cringe at the number of my daughter's friends who have set up MySpace and FaceBook pages -- without their parent's permission AND using phony ages. Yes, these 12- and 13-year-olds are listing themselves as 15 or older. As an adult I know to only accept friends who I KNOW. I have a feeling a 13-year-old might accept any and all friendship requests. Who knows who is lurking on FaceBook trolling for unsuspecting teens. Scary.
For me, Yoursphere is a safe place for my daughter to network. I am confident about and comfortable with the environment of the spheres on Yoursphere. My daughter, a budding writer, loves writing on Yoursphere. Yoursphere allows kids to write about what they want -- I am sure at times the writing seems juvenile and irrelevant to adults, but these are kids 9-18 writing for other kids 9-18. My daughter loves the feedback she gets from other budding writers in her writing sphere. She refers to them as her "peer editors."
As for the cost of Yoursphere, I look back at the computer games and online services I have purchased in the past for my children when they were younger. In the past I have purchased a CD-ROM game or two per year for approx. $30 per game. I've also paid for about 30 WebKinz and the online experience for my little ones @$12-$14 each. Yoursphere is an extension of my child's online learning experience.
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ForeverandAlwa ...
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
Lurv it!
Really love it here! The only problem is I can't go to the included virtual world, but it is very awesome other than that!
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aimeejohns
adult
adult
Not very safe
Not as safe as it seems. It has a long way to go
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ChandDad
parent
parent
Yoursphere is great fun for kids, educational & safe
My 10 year old son is a huge fan of Yoursphere. He is on the shy side so the social aspect of this site has really helped build his confidence by connecting him to kids who share his interests. He's made friends from kids all over the country, and I don't worry about inappropriate contact from adults one bit.
The site monitors activity very closely and handles any off-limits behavior in a timely. sensitive manner.
Also, the founder has a website called YoursphereForParents that I subscribed to awhile ago. It has easy to understand practical advice for setting privacy controls on all your kids' electronic toys, and I've learned a lot about some of the seriously privacy and safety issues that affect families. I encourage my family and friends to be informed and proactive. The Internet and social sites have so much to offer but like anything else you need to use these tools appropriately.
My son told me I should be sure to tell you that Yoursphere is :"fun", kids can do "a lot of cool stuff" and the virtual world is "awesome."
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Jane Fleck
educator
educator
Yousphere site is not very active. ClubPonyPals* has an active social network, lots of positive messages and its 100% adult human moderated. There are fun games and the social site is free. Plus you can adopt and ride a pony!
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youngerkid12
kid, 9 years old
kid, 9 years old
okk...................
its ok... there are no sexual Preditors on that site.
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AnEpicKid
kid, 10 years old
kid, 10 years old
I love this channel-i mean site.
This is the best kids social network ever.
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Beachgurl
kid, 11 years old
kid, 11 years old
Awesomeness!!! xD
I love it!! I registered today and I can't get enough!! Haha your kidding me right language isn't a problem? Wrong! I've seen the words cr*p h*ll sl*tty *ss. I thought bad language wasn't allowed?
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HappyHoney
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
Pretty good
I think YourSphere is good for kids 9 and over. The virtual world is okay too but confusing and nobody is ever on it. There are all sorts of "spheres" which are like special groups for people who share the same interests. However younger kids would most likely find it boring because the sphere part has only text mainly
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