Parents' Guide to Alloy

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Common Sense Media Review

Susan Yudt By Susan Yudt , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Celebs and shopping dominate fun but shallow teen site.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 17+

Based on 1 parent review

age 12+

Based on 1 kid review

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Unclear whether personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.

What's It About?

Fashion and gossip take center stage at ALLOY, an entertainment site created by the media and marketing giant of the same name. (The company produces teen-targeted books, magazines, movies, and more.) Interactive features like polls, quizzes, and games put a multimedia spin on traditional teen-mag topics like style, relationships, and horoscopes. Users can create profiles, find friends, and discuss issues on the message boards. There's also an online store that sells clothes and accessories.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say ( 1 ):

Packed with content, Alloy could keep some teens entertained for hours with its interactive elements and endless stream of celebrity gossip and fashion features. That said, it's a pretty shallow site that's sometimes too snarky for its own good. "Oh No She Didn't!" rips on unsuspecting strangers who've allegedly committed crimes of fashion and encourages readers to weigh in on a scale from "eww" to "of course." The entertainment features -- including interviews with both A-listers and up-and-coming artists -- are a better option.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the features that focus on "bad" fashion. Who decides what's "in" or "out?" What would you do if you liked something that wasn't in style or that your friends said wasn't cool? Where's the line between harmless fun and mean-girl behavior when it comes to evaluating style choices? Read our tips for battling stereotypes.

Website Details

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