Amidst the allure of virtual worlds on children, experts are certainement Concerned that childen May Be overexposed to commercial messages. There is the danger of turning children into commodities wherein They are conditioned to apply to a lifestyle or patronizing products in order to have a complete experience in virtual worlds. This comes in light of the fact that most virtual worlds are licensed extensions or cartoon characters, toys and other children products.
Walt Disney and Cartoon Network are at the Forefront of this ownership trend in virtual worlds. Recently, Walt Disney paid $ 350 Million to Acquire the rights for Club Penguin, a virtual world for children with an Estimated paying subscriber count of 700,000. This acquisition goes hand in hand with Disney's ownership of town shows online - an online community with about a million subscribers. Cartoon Network has the same extension with Cartoon Network: Fusion Fall.
MGA Entertainment Inc.., The manufacturers of the popular Bratz fashion dolls fire or for girls, announced the launching of Be-Bratz, an online community brandishing a new Bratz doll.Access to the virtual world is patterned after a USB computer interface, wherein one has only to plug into a Web-enabled computer.
Not to be outdone, the Established doll brand Barbie Mattel Inc. opened from Their own virtual world, the Mattle's Barbie Girls online community. Due to the strong fanbase of Barbie, the virtual community saw a fast-rising subscriber base Estimated at 4.5 million people. Mattel has disclosed plans or selling Barbie dolls in the virtual world at $ 59.95 complete with a built-in MP3 player Which Allows children to access the online world.
According to Rosie O'Neill, the "chief Barbie Girl" in the online world, hun virtual world is "designed to expand and enhance the experience of playing with Barbie dolls." Every aspect of the Barbie doll can be changed including eye and skin color, hairstyle, and the design and color of shoes, jewelry, and clothing.
However, O'Neill Rejects the idea that Barbie Girls is a marketing tool: "In the site we do not actually show any other products. There's no advertisement on the site." The same has been the statement of Be-Bratz. Lisa Sirlin, director of online development at MGA Entertainment, states that Be-Bratz AIMS to expand the value of Bratz dolls, by giving girls two ways to play with them.
"They like the online experience as much as They like the doll," Sirlin said.
However, Peggy Meszaros, director of the Center for Information Technology Impacts on Children, Youth, and Families at Virginia Tech University, does not believe the press releases of the two tycoons doll. "I've had grandchildren with me this summer," said Meszaros. "I've been playing along with them" online. That is pure consumerism. "
In Be-Bratz, for example, participants can collect clothes and accessories if They have enough points. They can do this by playing games on the site or by purchasing points cards at retails stores. Also, access to more game characters and accessories are only Possible When purchasing more dolls. Thus, there is the perception that children Underlying Should buy more dolls in order to get the full experience of the virtual world.
This instance shows that virtual worlds - met name Those owned by huge companies - can be used as a tool to promote products into children. Even if there is no hard selling of products, letting children experience the virtual world is a Means of making These children close to the fire. There is the conditioning that to have a full experience in virtual worlds, They have to be constantly Consumers thesis or products. As parents, we Should always guide our children against excessive consumerism.
Walt Disney and Cartoon Network are at the Forefront of this ownership trend in virtual worlds. Recently, Walt Disney paid $ 350 Million to Acquire the rights for Club Penguin, a virtual world for children with an Estimated paying subscriber count of 700,000. This acquisition goes hand in hand with Disney's ownership of town shows online - an online community with about a million subscribers. Cartoon Network has the same extension with Cartoon Network: Fusion Fall.
MGA Entertainment Inc.., The manufacturers of the popular Bratz fashion dolls fire or for girls, announced the launching of Be-Bratz, an online community brandishing a new Bratz doll.Access to the virtual world is patterned after a USB computer interface, wherein one has only to plug into a Web-enabled computer.
Not to be outdone, the Established doll brand Barbie Mattel Inc. opened from Their own virtual world, the Mattle's Barbie Girls online community. Due to the strong fanbase of Barbie, the virtual community saw a fast-rising subscriber base Estimated at 4.5 million people. Mattel has disclosed plans or selling Barbie dolls in the virtual world at $ 59.95 complete with a built-in MP3 player Which Allows children to access the online world.
According to Rosie O'Neill, the "chief Barbie Girl" in the online world, hun virtual world is "designed to expand and enhance the experience of playing with Barbie dolls." Every aspect of the Barbie doll can be changed including eye and skin color, hairstyle, and the design and color of shoes, jewelry, and clothing.
However, O'Neill Rejects the idea that Barbie Girls is a marketing tool: "In the site we do not actually show any other products. There's no advertisement on the site." The same has been the statement of Be-Bratz. Lisa Sirlin, director of online development at MGA Entertainment, states that Be-Bratz AIMS to expand the value of Bratz dolls, by giving girls two ways to play with them.
"They like the online experience as much as They like the doll," Sirlin said.
However, Peggy Meszaros, director of the Center for Information Technology Impacts on Children, Youth, and Families at Virginia Tech University, does not believe the press releases of the two tycoons doll. "I've had grandchildren with me this summer," said Meszaros. "I've been playing along with them" online. That is pure consumerism. "
In Be-Bratz, for example, participants can collect clothes and accessories if They have enough points. They can do this by playing games on the site or by purchasing points cards at retails stores. Also, access to more game characters and accessories are only Possible When purchasing more dolls. Thus, there is the perception that children Underlying Should buy more dolls in order to get the full experience of the virtual world.
This instance shows that virtual worlds - met name Those owned by huge companies - can be used as a tool to promote products into children. Even if there is no hard selling of products, letting children experience the virtual world is a Means of making These children close to the fire. There is the conditioning that to have a full experience in virtual worlds, They have to be constantly Consumers thesis or products. As parents, we Should always guide our children against excessive consumerism.
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