Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 117 What are they? Virtual worlds are online worlds that are inhabited by users who take the shape of avatars (cartoon characters that represent you, which you can choose characteristics for). Internet users who are online simultaneously meet in the virtual world and communicate through their avatar by chat – sometimes with audio or video options. Virtual worlds are a relatively recent phenomenon and are very popular with youth, with three times as many young people than adults populating them. There are two main types of virtual worlds: • environments that provide a setting for socializing, playing and shopping; and • massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) that provide a storyline or quest. Virtual worlds are particularly interesting to adolescents as they are real-time places in which they can experiment with all kinds of situations and identities. As their personalities develop, teens are attracted to the opportunity to test behaviours and identity anonymously in a relatively protected environment. For example, through their avatars, kids can: • experiment with different ages and genders; and • test behaviour that would be considered risky offline (such as aggressiveness or doublecrossing) and observe the immediate impact of this behaviour on others. Some psychologists believe that virtual worlds can help teenagers deal positively with changes that occur at puberty by letting them explore different personas and social situations. However, if their involvement becomes compulsive and dominates a teenager’s life at the expense of face-to-face socializing with peers, it can have the opposite effect. VIRTUAL WORLDS continued on page 119... Socializing environments (i.e. Teen Second Life and Club Penguin) Virtual worlds geared towards children and pre-teens are a cross between social networking and online gaming. Popular sites for this age group include Webkinz, Club Penguin, Neopets, and Stardoll. When using these sites, children are learning valuable social skills for interacting in online communities. For example, Webkinz represents a simplified version of a social network where children interact through their Webkinz avatar. Two friends, each owning a Webkinz toy, can have their avatars play together on the Webkinz site. Tip: Children need to learn proper social skills for virtual worlds. Teach them to remember there are people behind the avatars and everyone must be treated with respect. As virtual worlds usually include some type of chat, children can learn communication skills. In Club Penguin, for instance, children can communicate with each other through two levels of chat: a secure mode where children use pre-programmed phrases to communicate, and a second mode where children are free to type whatever they like. For children who are just learning to write, the free chat mode helps familiarize them with the keyboard and how to use writing for fun in real life communications. It’s important that parents understand that virtual worlds are as much about commerce as socialization. From buying more Webkinz toys to purchasing land on Teen Second Life, most virtual worlds are commercial environments where kids are encouraged to buy products for their avatars, or real world products for themselves.
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