Common Sense Media Review
By Liz Perle
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Great way for kids to learn critical thinking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Based on 14 kid reviews
Kids say this website is a lot of fun and serves as a valuable learning tool for children, especially for tweens. However, some users expressed disappointment over the lack of saving features and suggested the site could benefit from more updated activities.
- fun experience
- educational value
- user-friendly
- update needed
- age-appropriate
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
MY POP STUDIO is more focused on pop culture's influence than turning your tween into a rock star -- specifically how marketing targets and affects consumers. Through examples involving music, TV, magazines, and digital life, the site illustrates how mass media messages can alter girls' body image perceptions, create rumors, and play into consumers' emotions. Users can style their own pop star, add music and dialogue to change a video's theme, and make magazine editorial calls; additional materials are also available for parents and teachers.
Is It Any Good?
My Pop Studio challenges girls to think critically about the messages embedded in the pop-media culture in which they marinate, particularly those that influence their attitudes about beauty, nutrition, celebrity culture, and their own identity. Millions of girls spend a significant chunk of their time surfing the Internet, watching MTV, thumbing through teen and celebrity magazines, and listening to CDs by their newest favorite recording stars.
While they may view it as "entertainment," the flood of imagery delivered via all this media is also subtly shaping young girls' social and emotional development, along with their perceptions of body image and health, according to media literacy researchers at Temple University, who created this site aimed at promoting dialogue and strengthening critical thinking and communication skills.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the ways in which pop culture is both enjoyable and manipulative. Who makes the decisions behind what a pop star wears, and whose best interest do those people have in mind?
Are all images in a magazine air-brushed and how does that affect how we view ourselves?What do the TV shows you watch really say about you?
Website Details
- Subjects : Arts : improvising and music analysis , music , Language & Reading : reading comprehension , storytelling
- Skills : Tech Skills : digital creation , evaluating media messages , Communication : conveying messages effectively , multiple forms of expression
- Genre : Creating
- Pricing structure : Free
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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