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Parents' Guide to

The Onion

By Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Mock news articles meant for a mature audience.

Website http://www.theonion.com
The Onion Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this website.

  • The site's homepage features recent headlines -- and advertising.
  • The Onion's articles take a satirical approach to real or fabricated issues.
  • Some articles touch on current events; others mock various behaviors, such as the public's obession with the cause of various celebrities' deaths.
  • The site also features videos that offer pseudo advice on various topics.
  • The seemingly serious text and photos that accompany stories may make some kids think articles are factual.

Community Reviews

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age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

PS4Fan
PS4Fan Parent of 3, 6, 8, 11 and 13-year-old
May 18, 2019
age 18+

To satire for kids

"the onion" is a good news source.. for horrible content. The articles are very satire and negative. It has a ton of "death celebration" etc. It is extremely inappropriate for kids of any age even teen. And really don't let tweens see this site
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

THE ONION features articles on politics, entertainment, sports, and other subjects, written in the sardonic tone the print newspaper became famous for. It also hosts videos, editorial cartoons, commentary and opinion pieces, and sarcastic horoscopes. Video content ranges from quick jokes paired with still images to clips from The Onion's faux news network and sponsored videos from companies like car2go. All of the articles The Onion has published since 1996 are available on the site.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

Readers will enjoy scrolling through this humorous website's treasure trove of humorous articles, although its meant for a mature audience. With headlines that mock public figures, suggest mutant creatures are living in theme park rides, and poke fun at common behaviors, there's plenty to draw them in and keep them coming back for more in the future. The site doesn't post violent photos, or anything sexual that's not for laughs; that said, parents may still not be comfortable with kids seeing all of its content -- whether it's in jest or not -- particularly if their children are young.

Supervising the content kids click on wouldn't be a bad idea; parents won't have to worry, though, that unescorted kids will end up on YouTube or another site with free-for-all content because The Onion's videos are hosted on its site and aren't linked to an exterior page. In addition, The Onion's site doesn't offer chat capabilities or the chance to create a profile and post comments, removing the risk kids will talk to people they don't know.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about news coverage. How does news coverage compares to the articles on the site? Do they sound different? What kind of information varies?

  • Do you know how to tell the difference between a legitimate information source and a site like this that's just for fun -- or a resource that can't be substantiated?

Website Details

  • Genre: Fan Sites
  • Pricing structure: Free
  • Last updated: March 23, 2017

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 suggesting a diversity update.

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