Star Girl
© 2015 Animoca Brands
Dress up play meets Paris Hilton in this free, expertly designed, responsive app that serves as a poster child for how to combine female gender stereotyping, addicting game play and manipulative business practice -- all in a single, free download. The game is designed and rated for teens, but listed next to other apps designed for younger children, including Barbie and pet themes. In the game, you gamble, act, sing, model and flirt with boys like "Tom Cruz" to earn coins, gifts and diamonds. These are used to buy clothing and other accessories to dress up your busty avatar, and get ahead in your career. There are three career options (singer, actress or model); each helped by new clothes and flirting to "find the guy of your dreams." The guys like food, going to movies and kisses; and they reciprocate with chocolate and flowers. You can speed up your career with real money, by purchasing coins or diamonds in amounts from $1.99 to $199.00 depending on the App store. Virtual currency is also provided for sharing updates on Facebook, watching ads for other games, spinning a roulette wheel (and getting lucky), and downloading related apps. Star Girl is a gateway app to a cluster of similarly designed apps; each with additional pathways to sponsored content and IAP (in app purchases). Besides the in-app purchases that can range up to $200, this app can track your location, access your photos, read your phone status, and prevent your device from sleeping; so read the fine print carefully. The bottom line? There are many free apps like this one that sell virtual goods, display sponsored content, and turn you into part of the marketing plan, via social media. Parents should know that the gender stereotyping is on the extreme scale in this case (hence the low rating). Apps like this one can help a child learn the realities of the "freemium" apps market which can cost both money and time.
iPad, Android, Kindle
Teaches: role play, gender bias, celebrities
CTR Rating: 65%