Teen Second Life

Creative virtual world has minimal mature content.

Entertainment Value: High Graphics: 3-D animation Playability: Easy Reading Level: Medium Website: http://teen.secondlife.com/

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that the teen part of Second Life is a creative virtual community for kids (13-17) to meet up with other teens to just hang out or to pursue their interests. But, with any site where teens are in control of content, occasionally some sexual material and explicit language will slip through. And, a few games can be violent. That said, there are also cool, educational activities that aren't nerdy. It's up to users to chart their course. The site does monitor content around the clock, but self-policing is part of the site's structure. If teens find inappropriate material or experience harassment they can report abuse, and staff quickly deal with the problem. The site also makes it very clear that if you lie about your age (adults posing as a teen) to sign up for Teen Second Life, your information could be turned over to the police. The site has one free level but several paid ones, and the site's currency, Linden Dollars, can be bought with U.S. dollars or earned by selling created items. And, earned Linden Dollars can be exchanged for U.S. dollars. Note: Unlike the teen site, the "adult" Second Life (secondlife.com) is rife with mature content.

Families can talk about what virtual communities are. What appeals to kids about using an avatar rather than a true identity? How do you know if you can trust someone online? What does an avatar tell you about the real person behind it? Families can also discuss consumerism in virtual worlds. What are users really getting by buying pretend stuff in this pseudo-world? How much money should you "spend"?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Amber Keyser

The draw of this virtual community is socializing with different people in an environment with few restrictions. And, although parents might worry about trusting their teens on a site with a virtual honor system, Teen Second Life offers young users a unique opportunity to flex their creative muscles. After opening an account (free or for a fee) and creating a 3-D avatar (choose eye color, bust size, etc.), you can talk with others in private conversations (via instant messaging) or with all avatars in earshot (via chat). Avatars can shop, learn computer programming skills (although the building tools are hard), join multi-user games, and even run businesses. They can also attend events like concerts and meet up with groups of people with common interests. Want to write sci-fi? Share manuscripts with other writers. Want to learn something? Interact with teachers and students in a classroom setting. The site's currency, Linden Dollars, can be bought with U.S. dollars or earned by selling created items, and earned Linden Dollars can be exchanged for real U.S. dollars. Residents can also buy, sell, and develop virtual land. Some users actually make a profit, but many primarily spend. The teen site has sporadic traffic -- virtual lands may be empty -- and the effort required to connect with others may be off-putting.

For other virtual worlds or social networking sites where kids can learn something, check out Flip.com or YouthNoise.com.

Reviewed: 11/02/2007

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Sexual content isn't supposed to be there, but sometimes pornographic images appear and remain until the site's staff can remove them. To speed up this process, teen users can report inappropriate content immediately. Avatars are often highly sexualized (you can choose your breast size!).
Violence Multi-user gaming can be violent. The site refers to "friendly games of combat," which means that avatars are armed and can battle one another (usually with a medieval twist). The extent of combat and casualties depends on programming.
Language Freedom of expression is a core value in Teen Second Life. Users chat with each other, but it's up to them to keep it appropriate, so expect fairly typical teen talk. There are no filters on chats or IM, but users are expected to hold each other to a standard of appropriate behavior. Asking for personal information, making sexual or aggressive comments, or writing programs that damage other avatars could all constitute abuse and result in banishment from the site.
Message
	Social Behavior Freedom of expression, respect for teens' sense of personal responsibility because they're expected to self-monitor behavior, chance to learn some high-level computer programming skills, empowers teens to run businesses.
	Commercialism The site's currency can be bought with U.S. dollars or earned by selling created items, and earned Linden Dollars can be exchanged for real U.S. dollars. Residents can also buy, sell, and develop virtual land. Some users actually make a profit, but many primarily spend. Many corporations (including Adidas, Toyota, Harvard Law School, and MTV) have a brand presence on the main Second Life site, but this advertising component doesn't exist on the Teen site.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco
	Educational Value There are plenty of things to learn on this site. You can discover how to run a business or play a musical instrument, sit in on a classroom discussion, have others critique a script you've been working on, and more.