Neopets - Fun Websites for Kids
Features
Neopets is placed in the fantasy world of Neopia, that has its very own time zone, calendar and currency called the Neopoint. Members will soon discover that earning money is the main focus from the game, and that's why the world has its own stock market. New members of Neopets adopt a virtual pet to start the game. Users are allowed to adopt and care for multiple pets - however just one pet qualifies the consumer to accumulate Neopoints. Users take care of their pets by solving puzzles and doing offers. Games allow players to earn Neopoints. To be able to properly take care of their pets, players purchase them food, clothing, shelter and household items. If your player doesn't properly look after their pet, it does not die - it really falls ill.
What's Good
Neopets is a fairly innocent-looking website that will appeal mainly to women age 8 or more who are thinking about nurturing and making new friends. Most 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 hanging around or online. There isn't any 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 chance to take care of and nurture an online pet. Children will become familiar with the basics of what it takes to become responsible - not just having a pet, however with money.
What's Bad
Our prime degree of advertising on Neopets is cause of lots of concern. It is clear that the marketing expert was in on the style of this site. Hiding a dollar sign behind cutesy images targeted at children is low. Causing children to become massively hooked on consumerism in times when the opposite ought to be the case implies that the need for cash is more essential than the usual social conscious. This doesn't even look at the manufactured goods children could be swayed into buying around the website's shopping mall. Parents have to have 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 terms and conditions of membership. Moderators known as The Neopets Team (TNT) are active and plentiful online, forums and chat. The website requires the parents of children age 13 and over who would like to take part in forums to fax inside a signed consent form.