| 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. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this barebones blog-based site is geared to tween girls and says it is dedicated to empowering them. There’s nothing fancy about this simple, pretty-in-pink site, but tween girls may find a smattering of fun advice, activities and inspiration, including book reviews, DIY crafts (fed from another site, MakeItRuby.com), gift ideas, and message boards. Though it has a powerful call to action (“join GirlMogul.com and change the world!”), there’s really not a lot of meat or motivation to back up that aspiration.
GirlMogul is all about girls. It has girl hosts (scholar Rose, techie Daisy, scientist Poppy and go-getter Lily) and a lot of pink and polka dots. While the site’s tagline encourages girls to join “and change the world,” it doesn’t really provide the means to take on that charge. Tweens won’t uncover a lot of substantial material here and won’t walk away armed with the tools to effect much change – or become a mogul of any kind. But they will find some mildly entertaining crafts, articles, contests, and quizzes. The bulk of the site is comprised of well-written blog content that sounds like it’s coming from that cool older aunt who likes to pass down brief bits of advice. Girls will likely be drawn to the “How to Deal” section, which offers up some sound advice for dealing with jealousy or being ditched by your BFF. A science section touches on science-related tidbits such as the scientific method and the neuron’s role in sleep. Overall, tweens may not find much in the way of life-changing substance, but they won’t find anything offensive either. And there’s certainly no harm in girls making a brief detour here on their journey to change the world.
Online interaction: Postings feature spaces for comments, and though there aren’t currently a lot of postings, what’s there is primarily appropriate and clean. By linking to an outside site, girls can get a “gravator” (globally recognized avatar) to use with their posting; this could be a photo of themselves or any other image they want to associate with their name and comment. All posts are read, but only non-members posts are manually approved.
What it means to be empowered. Why is being empowered important? What does it take to be empowered, and how do websites, television, and magazines help girls achieve that?
What type of advice helps kids learn “how to deal.” Is it more helpful when it comes from an anonymous person on a website than if it comes from a parent or friend? Why is it important to have a code of conduct to follow when you’re posting advice or making comments online?
Why you need to be cautious about where you click and what you say when you’re online. Even if you’re on a website full of friendly faces and positive posts, there are still some safety tips you should remember.
| Genre: | Blogging |
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