| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this popular doll dress-up site is not suitable for young kids, despite the creators' assurances that it is meant for kids, with parental permission. (Kids under 18 are supposed to have parental permission to join, but all you really needs is a valid email address.) The guidelines and moderator warnings to adult members against posting inappropriate content aren't heeded. But that's no surprise, considering the sexed-up doll and fashion choices aren't kid-appropriate either and "role play forums" exist on the site. Offensive words get bleeped out in chat rooms, but stuff often gets through. Kids can also send private messages to other members. Profiles include personal information, including location. Kids have to earn online Dollbucks to buy clothes, and ads are everywhere -- even embedded into contests and content.
Playing computerized doll dress-up games, shopping for clothes, entering fashion competitions, and joining a "clan" is the name of the game at DOLLWAR.COM.
Sure, the premise of DollWar.com sound like child's play, but the site's activities have the potential to quickly become inappropriate for kids when adults play on the same site. On Dollwar.com, there's also an iffy option to create a profile with spots for personal information like name, age, gender, and location, for which players get "fame" points whenever someone visits their profile. Bottom line: There are images, content, and ads that many parents will not want their kids exposed to on Dollwar.com. Does this top Internet doll dress-up gaming site really want to be for children or adults? While they figure that out, kids who love fashion should find somewhere else to play.
Families can talk about Internet safety for sites where kids and adults hang out together. Does that pose unique safety problems? When an adult male on a doll dress-up site offers "fatherly advice" to kids that should raise a red flag. What information should you give out? Also, discuss sexualized images of women. Do you think your body should look like a doll on Dollwar.com?
| Genre: | Social Networking |
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