Babelgum

Review

Common Sense Media says

Diverse collection of videos ranges from tame to iffy.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that some clips on the Babelgum video site mention or involve discussion of sexual content, iffy language, and some violence. Users can't upload videos, and you don't need to register to watch the videos; but if you're 13 or older you can register in order to create a video playlist.

  • Positive messages1
    Some videos highlight topics like the importance of volunteering, and many encourage filmmaking and the arts, but the wide range of videos comes with a wide range of messages.
  • Violence4
    One video features girls jokingly electrocuting one girl's boyfriend; another black-and-white retro movie involves a man saving his decapitated wife's head in a coat after a car accident to attach it on another body. In another, blood-soaked vampires make out.
  • Sex4
    Several shorts feature sex-related content, including videos with an elderly woman discussing her porn career (with quick shots of it), a graphic cartoon about sex with naked characters, and "ads" for an "escort and computer help" service for congressmen.
  • Language4
    "S--t" appears in videos, as well as tamer words like "damn," but overall the site seems to make an effort to limit bad language. Part of an Ice Cube song is censored in a video, and many of the videos don't include swearing.
  • Consumerism2
    Ads for items like pistachios precede many of the videos (along with a sponsorship message from the company).
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking2
    A comedy video in which kids portray the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" features a written joke about drugs; a couple of joke-of-the-day videos are about drinking.
  • Privacy & safety3
    Site visitors can click on buttons to like a video on Facebook or Tweet about it but can't post comments on the site.
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Is it any good?

 

BABELGUM features a diverse collection of free videos, ranging from musician interview clips to full-length black-and-white movies. Some were created for other sites and others are Babelgum originals. There are several for-adults-only videos -- such as a preview for a documentary about an elderly woman's porn career (it emphasizes positive body image but still, she's seemingly naked and being groped).

Yet, much of the content is relatively tame. One of the more iffy videos on the "NSFW" comedy section, for example, involves characters mentioning a sex contest-winning alien and a blurred out image of an alien groin. Surprisingly, there also isn't much swearing on the site. You may not want to let your kids roam unsupervised -- but creating a playlist of pre-approved options and watching them together will allow your kid to enjoy the site's kid-friendly offerings.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how kids can safely search for videos on the Internet. How can you tell if a site's videos are kid-friendly?

  • It's easy to get sucked into video sites for hours -- there's often plenty to watch! But how much time is too much time to spend on a website (or in front of screens, in general)?

This review was written by Erin Brereton

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
This review was written by Erin Brereton
Genre:Video Sites
This review was written by Erin Brereton

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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