Common Sense Media Review
By Amanda Bindel , based on child development research. How do we rate?
Capturing and sharing family stories couldn't be easier.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
StoryCorps
Parent and Kid Reviews
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
The STORYCORPS project has been around for years, starting in physical recording booths set up for people to interview loved ones and share stories. Stories are archived in the Library of Congress, and some are featured weekly on NPR. The app gives anyone, anywhere the means to plan, prepare, and execute an interview and share it with the world (or keep it to themselves). Questions are organized by theme: warm-up, parents or grandparents, military service, school experiences, and more. Interviewers add questions to their queue and then scroll through them as they record. Then the interview can be saved and shared.
Is It Any Good?
Everything needed for a deep, thoughtful interview -- from themed questions to recording tips to an audience -- is available and easy to use in this impressive tool. The questions are thoughtful and discussion-provoking, and the StoryCorps interface is super-easy to use, allowing for a polished yet casual conversation. The feed displays featured stories, which are impressively inspirational. Users can also follow friends and family and share stories with them more privately. The technology is amazing, and the stories are priceless.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of oral histories and sharing stories. How does an app like StoryCorps make the process easier?
Even if you choose not to record or share the interviews publicly or catalog them in the Library of Congress, encourage kids to interview grandparents or friends from other generations. Older family members can also interview younger ones.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire
- Subjects: Language & Reading : speaking, storytelling, writing, Social Studies : events
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : asking questions, investigation, Creativity : producing new content, Emotional Development : perspective taking, Communication : asking questions, listening, multiple forms of expression, Collaboration : group projects, Tech Skills : using and applying technology
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: August 18, 2016
- Category: Education
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , History
- Publisher: StoryCorps, Inc.
- Version: 2.4
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.0 or later; Android 4.0 and up
- Last updated: December 21, 2016
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
You May Also Like...
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate