Website Review: Takkle.com
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this sports social networking site
requires users to be 13 or older to register, but it's really
not appropriate for younger teens. Many of the profiles have
racy photos (like a girl in skimpy underwear barely covering
her breasts with her hands), and some of the comments are rude
("how f--king stupid are people"), way sexual ("I want to f--k
you real bad baby"), or downright creepy ("hey beautiful do you
like your feet licked"). As on many social networking sites,
teens are posting things they shouldn't, like full names, email
addresses and IMs, hometowns, and high schools. The site does
allow users to make their profiles private and contains a page
of safety tips, but it takes a more permissive stance on
sharing information than most parents would. There are some
cool features such as videos of impressive feats and the
positive comments left about them.
Families can talk about Internet safety with social networking sites. Our Top Ten Tips for Kids for Viral Media is a great resource, but these questions should get the conversation started: What information should you include in your profile? What should you leave out? How do you know if you can trust someone enough to make them a "friend" so they have access to your private information? What can you do if you feel like someone is bullying you or wants to meet you in person? Families can also talk about commercialism in sports, and how advertising is sometimes disguised as content -- like asking users to list their favorite sports drink, or organizing groups around products like Brine lacrosse gear and even Tampax Pearl tampons. And what about the "High School Heisman" contest that's sponsored by Wendy's? Check out our guides Selling to Kids and Talking to Your Kids About Junk Food and Fast Food Advertising for some talking tips.
Common Sense Media Review
TAKKLE.COM --
Sports Illustrated's partner site and social networking
hub for high school athletes and fans -- might just get a
time-out. Athletes are encouraged to create profiles with
stats, photos, and videos that show off their skills to college
recruiters, and coaches can use the site to organize schedules
and practices and scout rival teams. What scores? Videos of a
kid hitting 19 three-pointers in a row, a 17' 9" pole vault,
gravity-defying cheerleading stunts, and users giving each
other props for these great athletic feats. Users can also
nominate their favorite Takkle.com athletes to star in "Faces
in the Crowd," a popular
Sports Illustrated feature, and join groups dedicated to
favorite sports, teams, and events. What tanks? Relentless
advertising, risqué user profiles, and rude and off-color
comments put a real damper on team spirit.
For a safer sports sites, check out NBCSports.com and HighSchoolSports.net.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
