Website Review: Stardoll.com (PaperdollHeaven.com)
Rated by 4 members
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that some of the dolls wear thongs and
other skimpy underwear in this dress-up doll world. A few brand
names have opened up shop on the site and allow users to buy
their goods to wear online. Members can create personal
profiles and chat with each other, but there are filters that
catch the "bad" words. Kids can make their profiles private and
also report any other members. There are also numerous small
Google ads and some have mature content. Around the Usher doll,
for example, was an ad asking users to vote on "Is Usher Gay?"
Parents will also want to know that kids must register in order
to get access to special dolls and can buy stuff to dress their
dolls with earned Stardollars.
Families who visit this site might want to discuss why our society is so obsessed with celebrities. Also, is playing with your virtual doll more fun than playing with your actual doll? How is interacting with other kids online different than interacting with them at school or other "real" places? Families can also talk about setting time limits for this site -- it can be really addicting!
Common Sense Media Review
Wanna dress up an online doll? More than 300 "paper dolls"
are yours for the picking at STARDOLL.COM, including celebrity
actors, singers, models, and lots more. Each doll has a lavish
virtual wardrobe that can be clicked and dragged onto the doll
to create outfits. The most popular dolls, though, are singers.
Click on
50
Cent's name and you'll see a drawing of 50 stripped down to
his boxers, tattoos, jewelry, and baseball cap. On the left,
there are racks of tops, bottoms, and accessories you can mix
and match. Not all the apparel was drawn to work well together;
for example, sometimes belts don't appear on top of pants, and
sometimes shirts are not entirely covered by outer layers of
clothing.
Some of the dolls wear thongs and other very skimpy underwear. Then there's the "Doll House" which as some iffy content -- in one room a man and a woman, dressed only in their underwear were on the bed. It just looks and feels sort of creepy.
Besides dolls, there are makeovers. Click to select hair color, eye shadows, lipsticks, and other makeup. There's also a "History of Fashion" that is kind of fun.
Parents will also want to know that kids can register as a member of the site in order to get access to special dolls. Members can create personal profiles and instant message each other; both are monitored.
Fans of this site might also enjoy BarbieGirls.com.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
