A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this app.
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Educational Value
none
Created for entertainment and not intended for learning.
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Ease of Play
some
The app is easy to use. Ways to interact include "flirts," "ask me" questions, secret admirers, and messaging. Teens need to be proactive and use the privacy settings because the default settings could cause them to accept friend requests from people they don't know and agree to other features automatically. Teens need to visit the website to gain access to a wide range of privacy settings, including what ages can view your profile (the range you can choose from is based on your age).
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Violence & Scariness
none
The app itself does not include violent content, but what teens encounter will depend on the people they communicate with. MeetMe's terms bans threatening or abusive content.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
There's no shortage of shirtless guy pics; women also pose in bikinis and underwear. Interaction here will likely include people teens don't know personally but are in the same zip code, state, or entire U.S., depending upon the settings users choose. MeetMe's terms ban images that contain "nudity (includes thongs and topless females from the back), p*rnography, sexually explicit, weapons, violence, or drugs." But a lot of photos and written posts are clearly sexually suggestive, even if they don't technically break the rules. A profile setting asks users to select whether they are looking for girls, boys, or both (not looking isn't an option). There is a "report abuse" feature on some forms of the network, but not all.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
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Language
some
The terms ban language that is "unlawful; harmful; threatening; abusive; harassing; tortuous; defamatory; vulgar; obscene; libelous; invasive of another's privacy; hateful; or racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable." But swear words are easily observed in the app. The forums and profiles aren't filtered on the site, so the site including profiles contains swear words like "f--k." Users can set a "hide profanity in live feed" block on the main site's settings.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
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Products & Purchases
a lot
The site uses "lunch money" to play games and other features; it can be purchased with real money or can be earned by doing certain things on the site, including sharing photos or information. Members get $150,000 worth of lunch money just for installing the app on their mobile device. There's a top-up credits feature that has to be deselected or will automatically top-up active accounts that have already purchased credits when they fall below 50 cents. VIP memberships can be purchased as well. There are ads in the app and on the website for everything from other apps to credit cards to Netflix.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
The terms ban posts about illegal drinking and drugs, and there’s a "report abuse" feature, but references to drinking and partying are easily observed. Profile photos feature users clutching beer and swilling from a liquor bottle.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
Get started
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that MeetMe - Chat and Meet New People is popular online flirting, entertainment, and social networking app and website, formerly called MyYearbook, and has some privacy and safety concerns. Users primarily log on to interact with new people, instead of keeping up with real-life friends. Teens, who must be 13 and in high school to sign up (if they enter a younger age, they'll be blocked from registering), use "lunch money" or credits to do things like put their profile at the top of the homepage as a spotlight for others to see; to get "priority in match" to increase the number of "secret admirers" you get; and play online games. Much of the communication has flirty overtones. Read the app's privacy policy to find out about the types of information collected and shared.
What’s It About?
Teens will find plenty of ways to make new acquaintances on MEETME - CHAT AND MEET NEW PEOPLE; users can video chat, IM, or e-mail each other. However, since users range in age from 13 to 40-plus, including people in or near your zip code, parents may not be thrilled about their child's new social status. The app has a strong focus on meeting potential dates, who are also complete strangers -- coupled with the fact profile pictures contain men and women in their underwear and users downing alcohol.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what privacy settings you should check for when signing up for a new social networking site like MeetMe - Chat and Make New People. Should you automatically assume only friends can see your profile? Make sure your kids understand the risks of revealing personal information online.
How should you react if a new (or old) friend posts an inappropriate comment on your profile?
Talk about staying safe. How can you tell if someone who wants to friend you is an OK person to talk to? Should you ever start IMing or e-mailing with total strangers, even if they, for example, say they live in your area or go to your school?
