PlumWillow

Review

Common Sense Media says

Teen social shopping site requires Facebook account.
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

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that users can browse PlumWillow without providing any personal information. However, to post comments, you need to be a registered member, and you must have a Facebook account and be 13 or older to register.

  • Positive messages2
    The site has a strong commercial focus -- but users are also encouraged to "show off creativity and sense of style" and "express kindness and encouragement when interacting with other members."
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex2
    The comments are pretty clean, although the site does feature some "Sex and the City" merchandise and a notepad from Urban Outfitters that lists reasons "why I must have sex with you." Some of the skirts are a little short, but nothing very risque.
  • Language2
    Comments appear instantly, so words like "damn" can appear in posts.
  • Consumerism4
    You can buy any of the outfits or accessories on the site by clicking on a link to the retailer site.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking1
    Occasionally a clothing item, accessory, or outfit has some kind of alcohol reference.
  • Privacy & safety3
    Some privacy concerns. Registration is handled through Facebook Connect. If you are currently logged into Facebook, a window will pop up asking users who are registering if it's OK for PlumWillow to access their profile information. The site collects both personally identifiable and non-personally identifiable information about its registered users.
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Is it any good?

 

PLUMWILLOW lets girls play cyberstylist by creating sample outfits
using images from a variety of retailer websites. Registered members
can comment on other girls' fashion creations and post quiz questions
about the looks. The site is easy to use: To create outfits, you just need to drag and click images of skirts, shirts, and other pieces. However,
there is a strong commercial bent to the site -- according to an article in the Hackensack, N.J. paper The Record, PlumWillow earns a
commission if a user buys an item by clicking on it from the site --
and there's plenty of retailer info listed for each item to encourage
girls to buy things. Also, although the comments are pretty tame, there
appears to be no language filter, which leaves some leeway for
potential abuse.

But for now, the site seems like a safe, fun
way for girls to be creative and experiment with different fashion
looks -- as long as users keep the critiques clean and your teen
doesn't feel the need to buy every item she sees.

Online interaction: You can follow members who you think are stylish on the site -- and can also click on a link to be directly taken to their Facebook profile. (Thanks to the site's usage of Facebook Connect, girls can easily link their Facebook friends into the fashion talk or friend other PlumWillow users on Facebook.)

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about what's good -- and what isn't so good -- about being a fashionista. Is it possible to put too much emphasis on your sense of style or appearance?

  • What kinds of things could be viewed as constructive criticism when rating someone else's outfit? What kind of comments and words might not be good to say about someone's
    appearance -- even if you think you're just being honest?

  • To register on this site, teens must have a Facebook account. Our Facebook Advice for Parents gives tips on helping your teen use the social networking site responsibly and respectfully.

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:Fashion/Beauty
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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