Stardoll

Cindy Sundersingh

Stardoll is the largest online community for girls who love fashion, shopping, decorating, creativity, and making new friends from around the world. Members create their own MeDoll avatar, go shopping, dress up, decorate their suite, express themselves creatively and socialize with each other.
 * Explore the site and answer the following questions:**
 * What is the site's mission? (i.e. purpose of the community and its objectives). **
 * The site's mission is a fun website for kids to explore and dress up dolls. Its more creative and builds imagination . **

The members are young girls who like fashion.
 * Who are the community's members?**

In order to register and participate as a member of Stardoll, we might ask you to provide us with the following personal data: - Your first and last name, - your e-mail, instant messaging address, - parent e-mail address - your mobile phone number - your user name, - your age, - your gender, - the country where you live . your home telephone number By providing Stardoll with personal data as defined above, to the extent permitted by law, you give Stardoll permission to use the above personal data so that Stardoll can send out news, contests, offers and advertising to your e-mail address and/or mobile phone via sms, mms or similar messaging system, and you allow Stardoll to adjust the content and advertising on its website to your or others' age group and gender. Examples of communication are, for instance, that Stardoll wants to notify you about new or improved services on Stardoll, that Stardoll is carrying out membership surveys in order to improve our services or that Stardoll is creating targeted content and offers for you based on information about how you act on the Web site, what your age is and where you are located geographically. Stardoll agrees not to sell or transfer your personal data to a third party. An exception is if all or essentially all resources of the Stardoll company, that is to say, the entire website, are acquired by another company (a so-called acquisition of assets and liabilities). In that case the personal data required in order to continue to operate Stardoll are acquired by the buyer. It can happen that Stardoll comes to rely on other companies in order to carry out various tasks such as, for example, help with marketing, the performing of technical services for our websites, etc. These companies can in certain cases gain access to personal data which they need in order to complete an assignment for Stardoll. Stardoll treats all personal data with the greatest care and signs agreements with other companies which mean that they can only use your data in order to complete the assignment for Stardoll.
 * What are the guidelines for membership?**

If your child is of age that full access to the website requires parental consent, the account will automatically be flagged as a pending and limited membership account and we will inform your child that parental consent is required to activate a full membership account. Subject to applicable regulation and depending on the level of activity the child wishes to obtain, your consent is needed as stated in the “Notice to Parents” e-mail. A more detailed description of the level of activities is presented in the “Notice to Parents” e-mail that you receive from us. Until the appropriate level of verifiable parental consent is obtained your child will only have access to certain features of the Site and have limited access to Stardoll.
 * What are the guidelines for adult involvement? (teachers, parents)**

Features included are shopping sites, dressing up girls, exploring fashion and makeup and blogs shared regarding beauty and hair.
 * What features are included in this site? (e.g. message areas, discussion forums, blogs, chats, photo and video sharing, games, etc…) **


 * Is there a clear rationale for the features that have been included? **
 * Y ** es, there is a clear rationale for the features. Its everything that will appeal to young females .It includes beauty, fashion and shopping that has a mass universal appeal to girls.

No this site cannot be used for educational purposes because it is very superficial and focuses on outer beauty. It is not related to any curriculum but may offer practice in navigating tools for use of a computer. I would recommend it to parents because it is a safe way of keeping kids busy and engaged in having fun. After all kids spend countless pointless hours on mindless video games so this site is very mild compared to other non -learning gaming activities.
 * In your opinion, can this site be used for an educational purpose? Can it be related to curriculum? Why or why not? **
 * If it can't be directly tied to curriculum, would you recommend it to parents? Would you let your own children use the site? Why or why not? **

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Choose a social networking site from the list below. Create a new page for the site you have chosen. Explore the site and answer the following questions:

http://www.stardoll.com What is the site's mission? (i.e. purpose of the community and its objectives). I feel that Stardoll's mission is to create an alternative universe for kids in their tween years. It is a place for young boys and girls to come and have fun. To go into a fictitious world and make creations of themselves that they can be proud of. Who are the community's members? This site was created for for kids in their tween years. What are the guidelines for membership? For this website there are no guidelines for the membership, anyone can join. What are the guidelines for adult involvement? There are no guidelines for anyone once you enter this website, However if you are a minor it requires a parents email for a child to enter. What features are included in this site? (e.g. message areas, discussion forums, blogs, chats, photo and video sharing, games, etc…) On this site they have games, chatting, creating your doll and you get to go shopping and decorate your suite. Is there a clear rationale for the features that have been included? This website was made for girls and boys to have fun in an alternate reality, and have themselves look however they want. In your opinion, can this site be used for an educational purpose?Can it be related to curriculum? Why or why not? NO this is a website that can not be used in any educational way unless it is being used to show the antithesis of what a child website should be. If it can't be directly tied to curriculum, would you recommend it to parents? Would you let your own children use the site? Why or why not? I think this website has a horrible message. It contains a certain body image that all are expected to have. When you enter this site, it has you create a "doll" that you would like to look like. Next to each name your doll is there so you can look however you want to. this website is very physical based and sends the wrong message to kids. If kids want to interact with each other they should use email.