Zift Advisory
Pandora is a popular music streaming app which allows users to create their own personal stations based on music. It is free to download in iTunes and Google Play and is rated for users aged 12 and older. It is only safe for mature teens, as some songs and album art may feature inappropriate content.
What is Pandora: Music & Podcasts?
Pandora is a personalized music streaming app that allows users to create radio station playlists based off of their favorite songs and artists. It can be downloaded for free from both iTunes and Google Play but does offer in-app purchases in order to upgrade your account to the premium version. Due to the maturity of some songs, it is not safe for kids, but can be appropriate for mature teens with parental approval.
By looking at the songs and artists that you have favorited, Pandora manages to evolve with your musical preferences and continually provide you not only with new music, but also with your favorites. Additionally, users can browse through the stations that other members are listening to in order to find something new that fits their mood for the day.
If you wish to make an in-app purchase and upgrade your account, there are two options that you can choose from: Pandora Premium and Pandora Plus.
Similar to the Spotify app’s Premium account, Pandora Premium costs$9.99 per month and allows users to download music in order to listen offline, skip through an unlimited number of songs, avoid listening to ads, and more.
Pandora Plus costs $4.99 per month and simply allows users to have an ad-free listening experience.
Pandora has been downloaded almost 10 million times and generally receives very positive reviews from users. However, some individuals have stated that the app oftentimes shuts down, and that they are frustrated with the number of ads that play for non-Premium users.
Is Pandora: Music & Podcasts safe for my kids?
Due to the fact that many of the songs found in Pandora contain mature themes, such as profanity, references to drugs and alcohol, andreferences to violence, this app is not safe for kids and is only recommended for mature teens.
However, based off of the app’s personal requirements, users must be 18 years old in order to have their own account, or 13 years or older if they receive approval from a parent or guardian.
Parents should know that the app requires a substantial amount of personal information, such as access to a user’s location, phone contacts, camera, and all of their files. Many parents may not be comfortable with an app-developer having this much access to their child’s personal data.
Additionally, it must be noted that Pandora does allow the option of in-app purchases. If you do not wish for your child to make purchases without your consent, simply disable in-app purchases in their phone’s settings, or prevent them from making an account with Pandora altogether.
Finally, although Pandora does contain many mature themes, it does not allow for users to directly contact each other via private messages, or share photos of themselves with the Pandora community. This limits the possibility of them coming into contact with an Internet predator, and significantly decreases the opportunity for them to put themselves at risk.
Parents should know that Pandora does not censor all explicit content or album cover art, so parental supervision is recommended for younger users.
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