« Webkinz - Crack for Kids »

After all the hooplah around Webkinz, I broke down and gave it a go. I am the proud parent of Jeremiah the Bullfrog. I wanted to see what the uber-cool kids web 2.0 application was like. I signed up, I entered my secret Webkinz activation code that came with Jeremiah, I was up and running.

With Webkinz, in theory, it’s all about learning and playing games.  Skills improvements, hand-eye co-ordination, and trivia. Aha. Not so fast. It’s about buying virtual crap for your pet. It’s about making enough Kinz Cash to get a waterbed, a bowl of Swamp stew, and an addition for your house. Play games and get cash, find stuff and get cash. Answer questions correctly, or win a contest and get more cash.  It’s a race to make 2500 “kinzcash” bucks a week to support your virtual pet and your very real shopping fetish.

And get this - the more webkinz you adopt (at $12 a pop), the more things you can buy, and the more “perks” you get. But don’t forget - your activation code is only good for 12 months, after which, if you still want to play, you’ve got to “renew” your adoption. 

To add further to the addiction, if you don’t play every day, you pet becomes depressed, starves and (likely) will end up dying.  I have yet to test this theory, it seems a tad excessive.  Kids are finding it easier to coerce their parents into taking care of their “kinz” while on vacation or camp. (I shudder at the Tamagotchi death tolls of 2005).  No parent wants to be responsible for the death of a pet, virtual or otherwise.

Webkinz is a vicious circle. Kids with a dozen or more adopted pets.  Purchased only so they can get more virtual goods on-line. I say again, it’s a vicious circle. Webkins encourages multiple pet adoptions by creating an “exclusive” area for those kids with a basketful of pets.  On your 10th adoption, the keys to the kingdom open, and you become one if the Webkins upper-crust with fancier virtual “accessories”, and improved options for shopping. I’ve got my heart set on a few of the “exclusive” items, but I’ll be damned if I buy 9 more webkinz for the “privilege” of having a circus themed room.
Parents: don’t be fooled. Don’t fall for it.  Go ahead and get your kid ONE of the damned, evil plushies, but don’t you dare fall for the “I need more Webkinz” pleading.  It will likely lead you on the path to ruin.
Buyer beware.

PS - Even Webinz recommends only 20 minutes a day of usage. Hmmm…. responsible of them ;-)


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Comments

[new webkinz]

I think webkinz recommends 20 minutes per day, because their site keeps crashing. lol

[Free Webkinz Competition]

Moderation is a lost art.

[Cyberwoes for kids]

The site also hooks you in by ripping you off. While in the Academy trying to 'better' my pet, the site began to choke up. I had already paid for a course and had my pet ready to begin... I was supposed to revolve my mouse to get my pet to run (I had already done this before so I was working towards another level). Because of the site's choppy performance, no matter how fast I spun the meter, the mouse responses weren't being read... but the timer ticked.

As a result my pet failed.

So I have to look for remedial assistance now that my pet has a complex.

[Cameron]

Far out, I really despise this growth in the virtual world. I'm only 31, but was brought up playing in the street with my billycart and neighbours. I would watch 1 hour of cartoons in the arvo. It was a good balance. Now there's no balance.

How can I save my twins (due next year) from all of this! Do I restrain their usage and risk resentment, or grant access and risk creating zombies?

[Smartie]

You got a mention in the Australian media today. Great piece. I had no idea how insidious these sites are.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/web/social-networking-for-preteens/2007/11/27/1196036899881.html

[Christina]

I don't know. I got a Webkinz for Christmas and now I'm not sure what to think about it. I've been playing for about 3 days and I don't care about having extra webkinz, maybe cause I'm an adult. But anyways, here lam sitting in the middle of an adoption thing and they shut me off, there was an error saying that my code has been used, why? Because I happen to have the horse, and right at the right time, they changed the horses name from Black beauty to Persian and so I couldn't sign up. I wrote an email to them and they sent me a new code three days later. So then I finally got in my account, on the first day, I wasn't allowed to get to my house, it said they couldn't connect to webkinz world. I assumed it was a crash, error again and they would have it fixed in no time, so I get off and then later that day, still couldn't get to my home, was trying for two days, and then realized that after no one was really playing the game, I could finally get in. I went to do one of the school things, I clicked creativity and the thing wouldn't load when I clicked, go to classroom,which I payed W50 Kinz cash to go to class. The next day it was fine, on languages, but my pet almost failed cause they don't give you enough time to think. You have to guess on the assignment.Thank God I happened to be lucky with languages. Cause I would of failed. You have to play the flash games ten million times to get alot of Kinz Cash and you can't get into the Clubhouse chat Plus unless you have two or more Webkinz (I think sorry if I'm wrong) so I'm a little mad. And three times so far I've been trying to log on and I can't even get to the welcome page of Webkinz. Yeah I agree with the whole, allowing you on for 20 mins thing. I was lucky to get on for an hour, but then after that, it crashed and I couldn't play anymore. We should be able to play for what our money is worth. & the whole pet being upset thing, if you log out, your pet is fine, but if you keep your window open all day , then your pet will get sad eventually. Which is good, that our pet doesn't get upset when we leave, I was thinking of buying another one, so my pet wouldn't be alone, kinda like in real life, but I don't know, I'm starting to wonder if I want to keep playing, I'm not sure it's worth it anymore, I don't like being limited especially since I'm already limited of time online and we have to pay for our webkinz and what makes me mad, is when it comes time to renew, I don't mean to dis webkinz, but this is just aggravating me.I'm beginning to think that your right and maybe a few people I've heard from about Webkinz are right, just a site asking for nothing but your money and have you seen the whole, buy a webkinz and care for a kid? I don't mean to sound judgmental, but that may not be true either. I could be wrong. I also don't think I would be able to give up my horse at the end of the year. & If you have one year to play, you should be able to take advantage of what you have at least. Which is dumb that they don't let us. I'm a little aggravated about it. And now I have to tell my cousin I wasn't happy with the Christmas gift, but it was very thoughtful of her. Doesn't sound good does it?

[Amy]

I play Webkinz all the time, but the thing is the site is extremly slow unless you have a high speed internet connection. I noticed on the older "secret code" tags it claimed to play a low speed internet connection was requierd. But now on the back is says you need a high speed connection is required to play. hmmmm, is this because they are adding crap on the website because it was losing popularity? Or is it just because so many people are on at a time because of the crap they put on the site? I have to admit, the kinzvile academy is pointless, who would wanna pay kinzcash to do something that teaches you stuff? I wouldn't. And yes i do feel like Webkinz is like crack, addictive.

When you dont have any you only want one. But once you have one you want them all.