Whyville is a virtual world and networking site for kids aged 6-16. Over 5 million people inhabit the Whyville virtual world, making it one of the most popular virtual worlds on the internet. Through a series of games, discussions, sponsorships and community efforts, Whyville seeks to educate kids about topics ranging from science to art.

As one of the very first virtual worlds on the internet, Whyville has enjoyed an exceptional longetivity. In a field where user attrition is high, Whyville has managed to hold on to its user base over more than a decade. Key to the success of Whyville has been its exceptional focus on user experience, learning, and building a sense of community ownership.

Design

Whyville feels decidedly ancient when compared to the snazzier designs of modern day social networks and virtual worlds like Maple Story or Facebook. The colors and artwork look dated and can be a bit harsh to the eyes. Users accustomed to the Spartan design of Google, or the clean lines of Twitter might feel bit of a shock at the abundant use of color on Whyville. In terms of design, thus, Whyville is a letdown.

Features

Whyville describes itself as “A free website dedicated to learning through exploration and communication”. True to these words, Whyville offers a host of games and roleplay opportunities to learn about a particular topic. As one of the very first simulation based virtual worlds dedicated to learning, Whyville was key to understanding and improving upon the concept of online learning, and has played a major role in molding ideas about how the internet can impact education.

A main feature of Whyville is its “virtual economy”. Whyville was among the first websites/virtual worlds to incorporate an internal virtual currency. This currency is called “clam” and a thriving trade has built around it in Whyville.

Users can earn ‘clams’ by participating in various activities – playing games, answering questions, helping other members, etc. Once a user has enough clams saved up, he can start his own store to sell self-created “face parts” or graphics for others’ virtual avatars, homes, and cars.

Clams can be spent on a wide variety of things – from decals for cars, furniture, homes, to clothing and face parts for virtual avatars. This buying and selling of clams has helped create a thriving, vibrant virtual economy.

The primary focus of Whyville is education and learning. Through a wide variety of games and role playing actions, users can learn about topics ranging from art and history to geography and physics. The use of personalized avatars and a host of attractive characters has lent a mass appeal to Whyville’s online learning and education component.

Other features include elections to select ‘senators’ that teach members about the electoral process, concerts by popular acts like Jonas Brothers and the Cheetah Girls, and a weekly newspaper populated with user submitted stories.

Sponsorships

Sponsorships have been a prevalent feature of Whyville since its inception. A host of private and public companies have sponsored certain games or activities in Whyville. These range from private sponsors like Toyota Scion (after which all cars in the Whyville world are named), Disney, and EMI, to public sponsors like NASA, Univ. of Texas System, and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These sponsorships have helped inculcate strong values in Whyville’s audience of pre-teens through various games and community features.

Website Performance

Whyville is rarely ever offline. Despite its popularity and the large traffic it attracts, Whyville boots up fairly quickly and performs well on even older systems.

Conclusion

Whyville might look and feel a bit dated compared to its snazzier competition, but few can match its online education component. Parents might have to be a bit vary of the amount of safety the site offers to their kids, but with sponsors as respected as NASA onboard, your kids will only pick up some good values through Whyville.

The Summary 

Target Demography:
Whyville doesn’t really have an opinion of which demography they are trying to target, but we think Whyville is probably most suitable for tweens with some adjustments.

Graphics: D
Dated. static and boring.

Educational Value: B
If the chat feature was eliminated, Whyville would get full marks.

Entertainment Value: C
Static graphics make the website frustrating and games difficult to play.

Price:
There are no membership costs.

Visit Whyville at www.Whyville.net.

The above Whyville review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.

StarDoll is a virtual world for girls from age 7 to 17. The concept is based on the paper doll – dolls with interchangeable clothing and hair made out of paper. Stardoll began in 2004 as Paperdoll Heaven. The concept became so popular that the site received funding from investors and was re-launched in 2006 as Stardoll. The website exists in many different languages. The game is website-based – there is no need to download any files. The only major requirement is that users have Adobe Flash Player.

Stardoll is free to join – there are no monthly or annual membership fees for a basic membership. Most of the games on Stardoll are free to play; however, there are some games that require payment. This payment is completed by users with Stardollars – the official virtual world currency. This currency pays for select games, doll accessories and home furnishings. Starcoins can be earned by completing select games. All members get free Stardollars when they join Stardoll. However, to get Stardollars, members must pay for them.

Features

Everyone who joins Stardoll gets their own virtual doll to dress up; a room to decorate; a personal homepage; and 1000 Starcoins. Each member’s avatar can be customized with accessories and a unique look. There is also a section involving celebrity dolls where members can dress them up using their own unique wardrobe. Though the majority of the website is free to access, Stardoll offers an exclusive membership known as Superstar which allows members first access to Starplaza, the virtual shopping store; a larger virtual home; exclusive makeup; their own clothing line; and 200 Stardollars a month. 6 months of Superstar is $41.70; and an annual membership is $71.40.

There are some flash games to play. These games earn players Starcoins which they use to buy room furnishings, personal accessories, clothing, makeup and other commercial items. Chat is another popular feature on Stardoll. A ‘Kid Safe’ membership restricts members less than 13 years of age from writing any content on the website, accessing content or communicating with other members. An open chat allows teenagers to chat with other teens, though filters are supposed to stop inappropriate language.

What’s Good

The most positive aspect of Stardoll is the ability for members to be creative with their designs for their virtual doll and their room. Stardoll will appeal mainly to girls in a wide age bracket who are interested in fashion and social chatting. The graphics are clean and clear, and in some cases almost life-like. There is no violence, drinking, drugs or smoking on the website or in the flash games. Stardoll has made a wise move to not allow children less than 13 have access to chat features.

What’s Bad

Giving members the freedom to dress up their virtual doll in whatever clothing they desire leads to risqué, sexualized designs. Being provocative and sexy does nothing for a girl’s self esteem – if that is what Stardoll is concerned about. Young girls need real role models – not clichéd examples of physically perfect young women. This website can be a lot of fun – if it is not taken seriously. Stardoll only empowers girls to become nothing more than vacuous shopaholics.

Stardoll drips consumerism. The banner ads all over this website are troubling. Stardoll promotes shopping, more shopping and still more shopping. Certainly there is more to a girl than dressing up a doll and going shopping – but if there is, you won’t find anything more than that on Stardoll. Although users less than 13 can’t access open chat or the message boards, perhaps Stardoll should look into eliminating the boards – which are filled with adult-styled content. It’s great that members can chat to one another, but if it’s not regulated with force, it brings down the credibility of the entire website.

Online Safety

The safety of children appears in two very different ways at Stardoll. Children less than 13 are protected from the often inappropriate language, innuendo and adult situations that are posted by other members in chat and message boards. Even though Stardoll claims that they have strict guidelines for appropriate behavior, those who break the rules still get by the censors. This is not a good way to provide online safety for children. Stardoll has no control over who joins their website; however, they do have control over what members say. In this regard, Stardoll is not doing a good job and needs to be more vigilant.

The Summary 

Target Demography:
Sexualized avatars are inappropriate for young girls and creating shopaholics at any age is wrong.

Graphics: B
Visually sound but static and occasionally boring.

Educational Value: F
Blatant consumerism and spending beyond your means is not educational.

Entertainment Value: C
The variety of dress-up activities is the only positive on an otherwise limited website.

Price:
A premium Superstar membership is $41.70 for 6 months; $71.40 for a year; otherwise, membership is free.

Visit Stardoll at www.Stardoll.com.

The above Stardoll review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.

Neopets features an abundance of advertising which accounts for a lot of the revenue. Other revenue generating practices include a pay-to-play feature that allows players to access all premium features for $7.99 per month; and a well-stocked and branded merchandise store that allows players to buy physical items related to the website. Children can join the website and play for free; however, they are unable to access premium features.

Features

Neopets is set in the fantasy world of Neopia, which has its own time zone, calendar and currency called the Neopoint. Members will soon discover that making money is the main focus of the game, which is why the world has its own stock market. New members of Neopets adopt a virtual pet to begin the game. Users are allowed to adopt and care for multiple pets – however only one pet qualifies the user to accumulate Neopoints. Users take care of their pets by solving puzzles and playing games. Games allow players to earn Neopoints. In order to properly care for their pets, players buy them food, clothing, shelter and household items. If a player doesn’t properly take care of their pet, it doesn’t die – it simply falls ill.

Members are able to interact with their pets; play games; send their pets on missions; or train them to battle other pets. As with most other virtual worlds, members also have the ability to chat about their pets with other members in a social chat room, post messages in a forum and make friends with other owners. Site content is updated almost daily with different games. Users are also allowed to upload submissions to the Neopets online newspaper ‘The Neopian Times’. These submissions are prescreened before they are posted.

What’s Good

Neopets is a fairly innocent-looking website that will appeal mainly to girls age 8 and up who are interested in nurturing and making friends. Most of the pets that players adopt are non-threatening. Most of the facial expressions are kind and friendly. There are absolutely no adult themes in the game or on the website. There is no drinking, smoking, drug use, sex or offensive language. The only violence that can occur happens when pets are engaged in Battledome; but even here there is no blood or gore – only sparring. Neopets offers children the opportunity to care for and nurture a virtual pet. Children will learn the basics of what it takes to be responsible – not only with a pet, but with money.

What’s Bad

Neopets is a very busy website. There is always something moving, blinking, fading, popping or zooming. This is very distracting. Although the advertisements have something to do with this, most of the fault lies with how the website is programmed. All of these boxes and pictures changing every few seconds cause viewers to become indecisive and it’s a bit confusing.

The high level of advertising on Neopets is cause for a lot of concern. It is clear that a marketing expert was in on the design of this website. Hiding a dollar sign behind cutesy images aimed at children is low. Causing children to become massively addicted to consumerism in times when the opposite should be the case shows that the value of money is more important than a social conscious. This doesn’t even take into account the merchandise that children could be swayed into buying on the website’s shopping mall. Parents need to keep a lock on their wallets and purses.

Online Safety

Neopets has done an above-average job of promoting online safety. Although the site collects personal data, it discourages unacceptable behavior and silences those users who have broken the terms and conditions 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 over who wish to participate in forums to fax in a signed consent form.

The Summary 

Target Demography:
Younger players will like the pets; older players will like playing with financial rewards.

Graphics: B-
Overall well-done; however, website is way too busy.

Educational Value: A-
Players learn about nurturing and money, though high advertising is troubling.

Entertainment Value: A
Constantly changing games and content will keep kids entertained.

Price:

$7.99/month for premium features; otherwise, good value for a free membership.

Visit NeoPets at www.neopets.com.

The above NeoPets review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.

Habbo is a virtual world for tweens and teens that was launched in 2000 by Sulake Corporation inFinland. It was originally known as Habbo Hotel and is currently the world’s largest online community and social game site for teenagers from age 13 to 18. It operates in 11 different languages with the English-speaking countries combined into one website. The website has users from over 150 different countries. As of August 2011, over 230 million avatars have been registered.

Non-members can check out the website for free; however, this limits the activity they can have in the virtual world. Unlike most other virtual worlds, Habbo does not offer monthly or annual memberships. Instead, members must pre-pay for time on the website in the form of credits or coins. These credits allow players to enjoy the full features of the virtual world. When the credits run out, users must top up their account again using a credit or debit card, cell or home phone or Habbo pre-paid cards.

Features

The main feature of Habbo is the Habbo Hotel, which acts as the main meeting place for members. New members of Habbo choose an avatar to be their online personality. This avatar can be customized to look any way the member wants. Players can create a guest room in the hotel and can furnish it with items known as ‘furni’. They can also keep a virtual pet in their room, which will remain happy as long as the owner takes care of it. Players use their purchased credits to buy room furnishings, personal accessories, food, clothing, music, games and other commercial items. Moving around the virtual world and chatting are the two activities that don’t require members to part with their credits. Although playing games with other members is part of this website, the main focus of the world is on social chatting. Users must have Adobe Flash Player installed on their computer in order for the features to function properly. Once in the hotel, members can contact one another through the chat function, invite them to play games or have parties in the guest rooms. Outside of the hotel, features on the website include discussion forums, groups and security information aimed at users and parents.

What’s Good

The design of Habbo is quite clean and block-like. In fact, the streetscapes, avatars and buildings have a LEGO appeal. The avatars are fairly innocuous looking. This website will appeal only to teenage boys and girls who are interested in social chatting. There is no violence on the website or in the virtual world.

What’s Bad

Parents may remember those heart-shaped candies with innocent messages of love on them from their childhood. The innocence that those candies conveyed has been replaced by the vulgar, coarse, sexually-overt messages found on Habbo. This is not a site for children under 12. In fact, it is a site that represents all that is wrong with virtual worlds aimed at children. By allowing children to post sexually-suggestive messages, Habbo is encouraging children to act as adults, even though they are far from adulthood. Habbo can post as many warnings as they want or list how concerned they are about online safety, but the bottom line is if they really cared about their members posting sexual, racial and homophobic comments, they’d be quicker to react to them.

Beyond the sexually suggestive chat area, what is even more reprehensible are the comments found on the website community forums. When a member starts a thread titled ‘Christian views on homosexuality’ and Habbo allows the grossly homophobic comments to pile up that other members leave, Habbo has crossed a line of human decency. All of these sexist, homophobic, vulgar comments would be gone in an instant or caught before they were posted if Habbo cared; however, when you have a cash cow, money trumps moral responsibility.

Online Safety

Habbo has no control over what kinds of members join their website; however, they do have control over what they say. In this regard, Habbo fails miserably. Habbo talks a good talk when it comes to online safety; however, they don’t practice what they preach. With the many pages of safety tips for both users and parents, Habbo ends up pandering to parents and looking like the soulless corporation that it is. The way members behave on Habbo is not all Habbo’s fault. Children don’t instantly become racist, homophobic and mean spirited by becoming members; this type of conduct is learned elsewhere. For condoning this behavior and allowing it to grow unchecked, Habbo is a disgrace. Parents should be ashamed of themselves for allowing their children access to this website. 

The Summary 

Target Demography:
The suggestive, adult themes belong on an adult website, not on a children’s website to be acted upon by hormonally-charged teenagers.

Graphics: A

Technically sound, well-done.

Educational Value: F
What could have been positive social interaction degrades into children acting like adults in adult situations.

Entertainment Value: C
What could potentially have been a fun experience is marred by foul, sexist, homophobic, mean-spirited, rude chat. Those are hardly what we would call entertainment!

Price:
With no monthly or even annual membership, Habbo forces its members to continuously reload their credit.

Visit Habbo Hotel at www.HabboHotel.com.

The above Habbo review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who believes that child safety on the internet must be observed as a top priority. Contact us if you would like your virtual world reviewed too.