Cyberkids
Online gaming and socializing isn’t just for teens and college students anymore. A number of
new online sites are designed specifically for children and families. In these virtual worlds, kids
can create their own characters, explore neighborhoods, furnish their houses, train pets, and
team up with friends.
 Disney’s Toontown is the first MMO for kids. In nonviolent Toontown, kids try to rid
Toontown of humorless Cogs by playing gags and tricks on them.
Webkinz bridges the gap between real-life
and online toys. Kids buy stuffed animals
that have a Web code attached, granting
them access to the Webkinz Web site,
where their toys come to life and they can
take care of them, play games, and chat with
other “pet owners.”
Club Penguin. New members are offered
small, virtual penguins they can adopt, feed,
and take care of. Kids also can play games,
chat and socialize with their friends. Any kid
can have a penguin for free, but must pay a monthly fee to access more fun features.
Safety precautions
Companies must take extra precautions to make these online worlds safe for kids, though every
site is different. For example, sites generally host “safe chat” features that use pre-set phrases
and only allow players to speak more freely once they’ve exchange secret codes with other
players. Most also require a parent to log-in and have a number of other ‘moderator’ tools that
help both parents and kids navigate the site responsibly. However, this doesn’t mean that kids
are completely sheltered from unfriendly activity, so it is still important to be involved.
5 Tips
- Watch the clock. Kids can kill hours on these sites when they should be outside playing,
reading or exploring the real world.
- Check out the site yourself first and then use the parental controls on your computer to
monitor time and content.
- Kids form media habits early in life, talk about appropriate netiquette and what kind of
private information shouldn’t be shared online.
- While these sites generally have a free basic membership, there are often paid upgrades and
merchandise for sale. Talk to your kids about financial values and set limits up front.
- If kids are under the recommended age limit for the site - don’t let them play!
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