Parents' Guide to

Upworthy

By Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Light take on social issues may be too mature for some kids.

Website https://www.upworthy.com/
Upworthy Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What’s It About?

Designed to draw attention to societal issues ranging from inequality to the environment, Upworthy's chatty, often opinionated posts frequently feature videos, graphics, and other visual elements. Site editors add daily items under one of Upworthy's eight designated topic areas: democracy, diversity and equality, economics, environment, health, humanity and culture, justice, and science and technology. Users are encouraged to share stories that resonate with them with their networks; according to Upworthy, 50 million do each month.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

UPWORTHY bills itself as "social media with a mission" -- you'll have to provide the social media part, though, because the site primarily offers a static experience. Users can't comment on posts, and they can't upload items of their own. They can, however -- and are encouraged to -- share Upworthy posts on their Facebook, Twitter, and other pages.

The site has received some flak for its unconventional headlines. Some are clever and quirky; others sound a bit cumbersome. (For example, "Most pregnant women know what they need to bring to the hospital. Doris' list had something extra.") But you can't really blame the site for trying to grab readers' attention, and once you've been drawn into an item, the editors do a pretty good job of breaking the subject matter down with text, images, videos, and other elements.

You won't find totally impartial news coverage on the site; it doesn't tackle every current events topic, and posts often feature a pretty clear position, which some parents may not be completely comfortable with. Upworthy wasn't created for kids, and, as a result, some items also contain some adults-only elements, such as nudity (in videos about body image) or swearing (in headlines). With a little supervision, however, parents may be able to use the site to help explain some of today's most talked-about social issues -- Upworthy provides just enough information and visuals to get kids up-to-date on most of the topics it covers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the news is covered online, in newspapers, and on TV news. How does each medium differ?

  • Can your child point out the who, what, when, where, and why elements in an article?

  • Use some of Upworthy's posts to start a discussion about topics that might be difficult to bring up with your child, such as body image. Does your child have strong feelings about the subject?

Website Details

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.

See all recommended website lists

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.

See how we rate