Top 10 virtual worlds for kids
A large percentage of virtual world users are in their teens followed by the 16 to 25 age group. This is probably not surprising seeing how teenagers are one of the largest – if not the largest – users of computer games.
And, did you know that the number of virtual world users broke through the 1 billion mark back in the early part of 2010?
So, you can see that virtual worlds are still be used in spite of the growth in popularity of social media.
But what virtual worlds do kids like?
The top 10 are:
- NeoPets
- FreeRealms
- Gaia Online
- Club Penguin
- FusionFall
- WhyVille
- Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures
- Webosaurs
- Moshi Monsters
- Maple Story
Kids also enjoy IMVU and Kaneva but these are not always seen as the most suitable environments. Concerns have been raised about inappropriate or sexualised behaviour which is not suitable for young children and teenagers.
If you are a parent then naturally, you will be concerned about these issues. Unfortunately there is always a risk with any online community where anything goes. There are not always the same rules about what constitutes acceptable behaviour and what is off limits. Plus there is the fact that there are people who will behave in an inappropriate behaviour online but not in real life.
The only thing you can do is to keep an eye on what virtual worlds your child is using and censor these worlds if necessary.
