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Mary Kay on the E! That Morning Show
Mommy Perks is thrilled to introduce you to one of our newest Partners: Yoursphere (use code “YS01-MOMM” for a FREE trial month or for an annual or monthly discount).
You may have seen Mary Kay recently on one of the following programs:
- CNN
- ABC
- FOX
- NBC
*Watch her recent ABC interview on YouTube…
*Watch her recent CNN interview here on YouTube…
I, myself, have spent a little bit of time on the site, reviewing. I signed up and filled out the form – detailed as it seems, it certainly was comforting knowing not “anyone” can join. Our kids fall victim to predators and cyberbullying all too often – thank goodness we now have a better option for our older children – a site we can feel SAFE sending them to.
I asked Suzanne of The Boy’s Store to have her tween daughter review the site as well. Here is what her daughter had to say about it:
“This is a really awesome site. I love all the different spheres! My favorite spheres are fashion sphere, travel and places sphere, animal sphere, preforming arts sphere, and journal sphere. This is like a myspace or facebook for kids. You can customize your homepage, you can become friends of other people, its really cool.”
Read my interview with Mary Kay below and get to know all about Yoursphere!
On the set of CNN : 11/17/09
Yoursphere is the online social network for kids and teens that puts safety first. Yoursphere provides a positive, age appropriate and content appropriate alternative to social networks created by adults and intended for adults.
The Yoursphere Mission:
Our mission is to provide a safety-first online community for kids and teens through age 18 — a dynamic, supportive environment where self-expression, creative participation, and healthy peer-to-peer relationships are encouraged.
To help keep our community free of “creepers”, Yoursphere will remain in the forefront of social networking and internet safety technology. And through continually updated educational tools and awareness programs, we are dedicated to helping members and member parents understand social networking safety and protect themselves. Yoursphere is the sole youth-only social network approved by the Privacy Vaults Online Safe Harbor of the Federal Trade Commission.
While the function of the site is social, Yoursphere members are encouraged and rewarded for exhibiting good online citizenship and ethical behavior. In fact, helping others within and beyond the , community is integral to the Yoursphere experience: a portion of our revenue supports charities and nonprofit organizations selected by our community; we support a members only scholarship program to help Yoursphere members realize their goals.
To Learn More:
2. Why did you start this site?
I started Yoursphere for three reasons:
- I love my children and care about their safety and well being more than anything in this entire world.
- It’s the right thing to do.
- I know other parents are just like me. They care about their children; want to keep them as safe as possible; and want the best for their children.
When my daughter was 12 at the time (3+ years ago), she wanted to have a Myspace and then Facebook page. I happened to be in the media business where our editors were writing about the dangers for kids in the “new market” of social networks. So I decided to check out what was in these sites since at the time I didn’t have a profile on any of the social networks. I signed up for over ten different social networking sites using my kids information to see first-hand what it meant to have a profile page, as this was all “completely new to me”. What I found shocked, saddened and horrified me.
I found that the social networks our kids are participating in, do not care about my, or your children’s safety and well being as a first priority. This is evidenced by the content they allow our kids to be exposed to; the culture that sexualizes them, and the adult content that they are exposed to. (Warning: Very upsetting content. You’ll see the sad proof in my blog series that propelled me to decide I HAD to take action because of what is going on, just under the surface in social networking sites that miss the discerning eye of parents: Intro, Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V). They were after all created by adults, and meant for use by adults.
I decided to utilize my media and website expertise to create a age-appropriate, content-appropriate, safety-first alternative with Yoursphere.
3. What features does the site offer to members?
Yoursphere was created with the help and input from kids and teens across the United States. Therefore everything inside the side is kid and teen created and approved. Yoursphere offers its members:
—-> everything found on any other social networking site, with the addition of:
- a community comprised only of kids and teens (no anonymous adults allowed. Only those through age 18 can have profiles.)
- a community filled with content, videos, pictures, games created by kids and teens for kids and teens.
a gift gallery for all members to choose free gifts (movie tickets, iTunes gift card, gaming systems, shopping sprees, DVD’s and more with their reward credits they earn just by being a member of the community weekly contests with prizes. - the ability to connect with friends and make new ones based on areas of kid and teen interest – sports, music, fashion,gaming, academics, art & photo, movies and TV, performing arts and more.
- the ability to create their own website (or sphere) based on their unique area of interest.
- a community they freely be and express themselves.
4. What is the membership money used for
Because Yoursphere does not accept commercial advertising in the site to make money, nor do we earn revenue from applications that exploit from us selling the privacy and personal information of our members, we charge the .10 a day membership fee ($39.95 annual, or $4.95 monthly) to:
- afford all the safeguards we have in place (identity verification, predator check, protection from pornography and other inappropriate content, proprietary safeguard technologies within the community.
- allocate 3% towards each fee to a members-only scholarship program.
give back. Yoursphere believes in giving back to those that make a difference in the lives of youth. - through our fundraising program, we give 40% to schools, youth groups, sports teams, clubs, and other non profits: Yoursphere.com/fundraiser
- fund rewards and contests
5. I saw that you donate 3% to a scholarship fund. Please tell us about that fund.
Yoursphere believes in supporting the positive interests, talents and aspirations of our members. Therefore we allocate 3% of every membership fee towards a scholarship fund. Those funds can support a music camp, art school, fashion internship, trade school, junior college or traditional 4-year school, for example. What matters most is that the fund support helping our members achieve their goals.
6. How many members are currently using the site?
Our membership numbers are proprietary. Suffice to say Yoursphere is:
- the new kid on the block
- growing by the day
- happy to be here for kids, teens and their parents!
7. You’ve had some great press coverage already. Tell us about that.
The big picture answer to your questions:
Yoursphere has a simple goal: put the safety and well-being of kids online first. The market and media understands the importance of what Yoursphere offers kids and the education that needs to happen with parents.
The “Mary Kay Experience” answer to your question:
I’ve been a daughter, wife, mom and a VP at a global media company. When I stand in front of a group of 20 my palms sweat, my voice shakes and I have to use the restroom. I am petrified of speaking to the public.
I’ve been the one behind the camera in every photo that is taken with my kids. That is where I am most comfortable. To find myself IN FRONT of the camera makes me shake my head in disbelief. Disbelief that: It’s me that’s here, and disbelief that I’m not nervous.
I’ve been very pleased with myself honestly, that I haven’t thrown up or run to the restroom before an interview. The TV interviews are so very comfortable which has shocked me. I think it boils down to: it’s just me and another having a conversation, and because there are so many cameras – and I don’t ever know which one is pointed at me – I have no way of getting nervous.
Public speaking – still on the other hand – scares me to death!
8. Are you open to being contacted by others for more reviews? (PR friendly)
I would be very appreciative of every single opportunity to be interviewed or to have Yoursphere reviewed.
9. Contact info:
PublicRelations @ Yoursphere.com
888.905.9898
FAN PAGE
Twitter
Wow! I’m so excited to read about Yoursphere! Desperately needed for kids and teens in today’s society. I, too, am shocked at what I’m personally exposed to on a daily basis when I’m on social networking sites. I’m so glad that Yoursphere has developed something that I can feel comfortable allowing my son to be a part of,when the time comes. Thank you, Yoursphere!