This Times article about different online sites and venues that involve virtual pets–and cold hard cash.
One of the parents quoted said that he wasn’t going to pay for nontangible pets. It made me wonder–do those of you with kids think this is a reasonable thing to drop money on?
I don’t have kids, so I’m not really sure. My parents did buy me tamagotchis. But I think they’d have no idea why I’d spend fifteen dollars a year on the greatest message board in the world…so, again, I’m not sure. Dopers?
Whoof, I don’t know. I’d have to think about it very seriously and I doubt that I’d do it. For right now, the answer is No Way–my kids are 7 and 4 and IMO they’re too young to be playing tons of video games. They just don’t have any, though they’re allowed to play the occasional cute flash game.
So THAT’s what “Webkinz” are. I wondered (but didn’t really care). Seems to be very “in” with certain people who spend their money differently than I do.
However, when my kids can make a solid argument for it, I’ll probably go along with them. They’ll be getting allowances someday, I want them to have money of their own to spend as they choose. I would be interested in finding out whether or not they thought it was a good value.
Why? Well, I’ve done it. Seriously, I bought myself some clothes and stuff at one place and… I never go there. It’s cool, but it’s just another chat site and I only go when people I know elsewhere are online and say ‘hey, lets go goof off here instead of our usual AIM’. I mostly regret putting money down on it since I almost never use it.
Virtual pets okay they aren’t that bad. Hell I had a tamagotchi and played Dogz and Catz, but mine isn’t going to get to play for a good long time.
My son is only four, he doesn’t need video games or computer time (well, I’ll let him play on some websites for his favourite tv shows or on the library computer with educational games aimed as his age… some friends of mine though have all sorts of things they let the kids play with… they bought the three year old a Wii for his third birthday. Yes, you read that right. He apparently plays it regularly too, not just his Dad.)
I’m weird I suppose, I buy my son a lot of toys that are minimalist. This year he’s getting a set of wooden toys. Fire trucks etc that click together to be built and make no sound. Last year the big toy was a wooden train set (not Thomas)/table that came with some legos and can be used as a chalk board and such.
Plus, it seems to add up. The more you get involved, the more stuff there is to buy. (Hence the accusations about turning our kids into little consumers.)
I’d treat it like any other “hobby money”: it has to be earned or given as a gift. I won’t treat it like School Clothes/Supplies/Field Trip money, which is given as it’s needed. So, yeah, if I thought my kid would like some Penguin money, it might be a birthday gift. If they really wanted it and couldn’t wait, they could submit a proposal for extra chores and compensation. Gift and earned money is theirs to do with as they wish, after a specific minimum is put in the bank.
Webkinz are cheap, so I’d let my hypothetical kids do that.
We kept reading about them at work, so I registered a webkinz a friend gave me to figure out what it’s all about. When you buy the stuffed animal, you’re also buying a 1 year membership kind of deal that gives the kid a virtual pet of the same species. After a year you apparently renew. I don’t know how much the renewal fee is, but the stuffed toys themselves are something like $6-15 so I can’t imagine it’d cost too much.
I myself have, but no longer ever use, several incarnations of the Petz games. Virtual pets are kind of cute, so I can easily see how they’d appeal to children. I also wonder if having a virtual pet to care for helps keep the normal kid lust for a real pet manageable since they’re able to “care” for a pet that way.
Our 4 y/o has a webkinz. She doesn’t watch tv really, but she does like playing on the computer. I don’t mind that, I figure she learns more than she would with tv, and she still spends most of her time on more traditional play and activities.
The “buy more” aspect initially concerned me, but then we started her on a small allowance so she can learn about money ($2 per week). She has enough saved to probably buy 2 webkinz by now, but she’s decided she doesn’t want to spend any money.
Sure, why not? Anyone who has either bought or sold stuff on any virtual word (Second Life, There, etc) is part of this large economy of virtual goods. Why would it be different with kids? Just make them earn the money they spend and use the opportunity to teach them money management.
As for the argument that these are virtual goods, think of chewing gum. What are you paying for? A moment of flavour. Can’t you get more virtual than that on the physical world? Yet people find it perfectly ok.
All this is is paying some money for the right to enjoy something for a time. This is a current economic model that kids need to get used to.
I have a 10yr old. I paid for her subscription to Club Penguin and didn’t have a problem doing so at all. I don’t see it as any different than buying her a game for her Gameboy or the pc, or even just a boardgame. What’s the big deal? It’s cute, nonviolent and it’s a safe way for her to hang out with her friends online.
No way! It’s a nonessential moneysucker, and I bet the kids will eventually move on to other things and forget all about or not have time for it anymore - as evidenced by my gigs of downloaded sims stuff sitting around gathering dust, my rotting There account (where you also buy stuff with money), etc. Granted, I’ve got a lot more on my mind than they presumably would, but I bet they would have worse attention spans.
Then again, I refuse to pay for any period-based subscription games online, leaving me stuck with just single-player games and Guild Wars. I’m happy with those, though. Let the kids play with action figures or something.
Eh heh…I was on beta, so around There’s beginning, on and off for maybe a year or two. I haven’t been on in years, but I got a supposedly lifetime account, so eventually I’ll try to pop in and see what’s going on. You’ll like this, I’ve forgotten my username. I bet it was Tsuminaki or something similar, though.
I’d be more inclined to steer them to Neopets, which has ads rather than charging. The real question is, would you let your virtual children have virtual virtual pets.