Product Review and Giveaway: Senario’s My Secret Circle
Raising children- especially girls- in this technologically advanced world can be extremely nerve-wrecking. We’ve all seen the Lifetime movies where young girls on the Internet are lured into dangerous situations by predators looking to take advantage of their innocence. After all, sites like MySpace and Facebook are not supposed to be used by anyone under the age of 13, and if a child under that age has a profile there, it is done illegally by lying about his/her ages, and with great risk.
So, how do we give our young girls the freedom to use the Internet and interact in a digital world but provide them with the safety need to ensure that they do not become victims of an virtually uncontrolled environment?
The answer is My Secret Circle (MSC), a very secure social-networking site that is invisible to the online world for girls ages 8- 12. The actual community is stored on a USB-drive called a key and it is password protected so that no one other than the owner can have access to the information stored within. The password cannot be retrieved for any reason at all (although I really wish has a MSC Key, she can connect with her friends (who also need a MSC Key) through blogging, chatting, games, and with photos in a 100% secure environment. In fact, each friend will need a special key that is automatically generated and can only be used once to connect on the system. This eliminates would-be predators from gaining access to your child and any information that is stored in the system. And the best thing is that all you have to do is plug it in to get started.
While the safety is the obvious appeal for parents, children will love the ability to customize their clubs to their liking. Firstly, there is the Diva Designer where your child can create an online avatar in her likeness. I love that there are a variety of skin tones, hair styles, and hair colors, but I wish there were a few more options in terms of accessories and clothing (with more coming soon, I imagine). Hopefully, there will be younger looking avatars available for the children ages 8-10. As a mom of a younger daughter, I would prefer that that segment of the target audience had avatars that were more age accurate.
Next, there is the personal blog/journal. This digital version of the diary allows girls to write about things that they may not feel comfortable sharing out loud. And the best part is that their friends can comment, offer advice, and even share their own stories. In addition, because the club is private these thoughts are only shared with those invited to join the club. Say goodbye to the cyber-bullying that has become commonplace on sites like MySpace.
Girls can also play games, add photos, and chat/IM. The photo editor encourages creativity and allows users to create slideshows to showcase her photos with ease. The puzzle game uses stored photos to create a puzzle that is one of a kind and personal.
My niece loved the community. She was excited to have something just for herself and while she was a little disappointed that the avatar options did not include a basketball (a kid after my own heart) or a baseball, she wanted to rush right out to get a BFF pack so that she could use it with her friends. The BFF pack includes 2 keys so that a child and her best friend can connect right away. This makes a great guilt-free gift.
The Giveaway
I, along with Senario, am offering a lucky mom a chance to surprise her tween with a My Secret Circle Key of her own. The Giveaway starts today and will continue until Saturday, July 25, 2009.
How do you enter?
REQUIRED: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what your biggest concern is regarding the Internet and children.
EXTRA ENTRIES
(1) One Additional Entry: Subscribe to my feed by email and leave a comment here telling me that you did. Make sure you confirm your address once you receive the email. If you are already a subscriber, please leave a comment too.
(2) One Additional Entry: Tweet the contest using the following text:
@momontherise Protect Your Child On the Internet w/ My Secret Circle social community for tweens Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/kv2tp6. Enter to Win
My oldest daughter is 8 and loves being online – already! I supervise her online activity, but I can’t help but worry about online predators lurking around the “safe” Web sites she visits. We’ve talked extensively about how she interacts with “friends” online and I explain that she doesn’t really know who she’s talking to and to always ask me before entering any personal information.
My Secret Circle is an awesome alternative and will help her stay connected with her real-life BFF in a safe, secure environment.
Hi Kristina!
It was great meeting you last night at the focus group! I love your blog.
aimee camilien
So far not too many worries becuase I am there like aways. However, I know one day I won’t be there and I worry that an adult will try to lure my child into an unsafe situation and take advantage.
.-= adiaha´s last blog ..Homeschool Decision Update =-.
I tweeted
http://twitter.com/adiaha/status/2661648538
.-= adiaha´s last blog ..Homeschool Decision Update =-.
My main worry is predators seeking my daughter’s out online. But that can happen offline too. I just try to teach them safety tips and pray everything will be fine.
Love your blog!
Cindy