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ESPN
Common Sense says
A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this website.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this comprehensive sports site isn't really geared toward kids, but there's not much here that's inappropriate for them. Sports fans must be 13 years old to become a member, giving them access to safe forums and other "MyESPN" features, like personal profiles, blogs, and friends lists. Members only have to give their first name and a parent's email address. Even though most of the content is straightforward stats, analysis, and just plain fun, sometimes the sporting world's underbelly shows a more serious side (doping, racism, gambling) that requires a parent's -- not a message board's -- explanation and guidance.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
most 9 and above
National anthem protest
I don't think so!
What's it about?
Sports fans young and old cheer whenever they go to ESPN.com, a comprehensive sports site packed with news, stats, schedules, polls, analysis, discussion, sports-related arcade games, videos, and more.
Is it any good?
Brimming with features, the site boasts so much info for kids that many may not even feel the need to move onto the ESPN.com SportsNation message boards. Indeed, the boards seem to be relatively on-topic and clean, and there's a "report violation" option on every post if anything does appear that is against the site's stringent rules. Yet there are some hard-hitting topics like doping, racism in sports, and other politically and ethically charged discussions that less mature teens may not be ready to engage in without guidance from a parent.
Fully registered users can create a MyESPN profile to customize the site, have conversations with other users, and create a profile and blog. But this, too, has a safer privacy feature built in for the younger users or anyone who wants to keep it private.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about why athletes are idolized in our culture. What do athletes do that should be praised? Criticized? On a lighter note, how can young sports fans use the information on ESPN to learn math (check out the stats), geography (team locations), or history?
Website details
- Genre: Fan Sites
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts
- Pricing structure: Free
Themes & Topics
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.