Neopets - Fun Websites for Kids
Features
Neopets is placed in the fantasy world of Neopia, that has its own time zone, calendar and currency called the Neopoint. Members will quickly discover that earning money is the main focus from the game, which is why the earth has its very own stock exchange. New members of Neopets adopt an online pet to begin the sport. Users are allowed to adopt and care for multiple pets - however only one pet qualifies the user to amass Neopoints. Users look after their pets by solving puzzles and playing games. Games allow players to earn Neopoints. In order to properly care for their pets, players purchase them food, clothing, shelter and things for the home. If a player doesn't properly take care of their pet, it does not die - it simply falls ill.
What's Good
Neopets is a fairly innocent-looking website which will appeal mainly to girls age 8 or more who're thinking about nurturing and making new friends. The majority of the pets that players adopt are non-threatening. The majority of the facial expressions are kind and friendly. You will find simply no adult themes in the game or online. There isn't any drinking, smoking, drug use, sex or offensive language. The only real violence that may occur comes about when pets are engaged in Battledome; but even here there isn't any blood or gore - only sparring. Neopets offers children the opportunity to care for and nurture a virtual pet. Children will become familiar with the basics of the items it requires to be responsible - not only having a pet, however with money.
What's Bad
Our prime degree of advertising on Neopets is cause for a lot of concern. It's clear that a marketing expert is at on the style of this site. Hiding a dollar sign behind cutesy images targeted at children is low. Causing children being massively hooked on consumerism in times when the opposite ought to be the case shows that the value of cash is more important than the usual social conscious. This doesn't even take into account the merchandise that children could be swayed into buying around the website's shopping mall. Parents have to keep a lock on their own wallets and purses.
Online Safety
Neopets has done an above-average job of promoting online safety. Although the site collects private data, it discourages unacceptable behavior and silences those users who've broken the conditions and terms of membership. Moderators known as The Neopets Team (TNT) are active and plentiful on the website, forums and chat. The site requires the parents of children age 13 and also over who would like to take part in forums to fax inside a signed consent form.