Habbo (http://www.habbo.com)

common sense media says

Foul talk and sexy chat rooms dominate virtual world.


parents & educators say
  • 35% say sexual content is an issue
  • 33% say language is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that ads and foul, sexist, and homophobic language run thick on Habbo, a popular teen chat and gaming site. Avatars sling absolutely vulgar talk at each other in the public rooms, some of the more popular rooms being the "Sexy Singles Club" and "Love in this Club [beds]." Some chat rooms are locked. Moderators can reportedly ban users for hours, days, or even permanently for offenses. Teens buy Habbo Coins to pay for stuff to decorate their personal hotel room, play games, buy music, and more. The coins are $9.95 in real money for 60 coins. Users must pay to do almost anything engaging on the site (other than walking around and participating in chats), including most games.

Educational value: Meant to entertain rather than educate.
Positive messages: Thoughtless chats. Lots of mean comments or pick-up lines.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Lots of inappropriate sexual banter and homophobic comments appear in the chat rooms ("I ain't Fred Flinestone but I can make your bed rock miss new booty"; "Wanna come to my place? It has a double bed.").
Language: Racist, sexist, and mean language slips through the filter in the chat rooms ("F--k u bitch" and "Fat f--k"). Everything from comments about animal cruelty ("I slapped a feral dog in the neck.") to rude, pointless comments directed at everyone ("there's a bunch of weird-ass people here.")
Consumerism: Ads appear each time you want to go into a new room, and some rooms are sponsored by companies such as Target or Sunkist. The endless ads and buying options can make anyone dizzy.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Avatars can ask for beers, but can't drink them. At least one "quest" encourages people to find a party tray and "drink up."
Privacy & safety: There is a way for players to ignore or report members (a 24/7 "Help" button that's reportedly staffed by moderators), and there's an official code of conduct called "The Habbo Way" that supposedly should ban much of the behavior that goes on here. The guidelines say there's a "no bullying or sexual activity" policy but it's clearly not currently adhered to.

More on Habbo

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about safety in virtual worlds. This site is popular with teens, but does this site constitute safe Internet use for your teen? What kind of information should be off limits, and what's OK to tell people?

  • Families can also discuss consumerism in virtual worlds. What are users really getting in return for their cash by buying pretend stuff in this pseudo-world?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

It's hard to find redeeming qualities that explain the popularity of the online gaming community Habbo, which claims to "improve social skills and creativity," other than the fact that it admits that the content here "may not be appropriate for all ages." That's an understatement. There's vulgar, sexual, mean, and racist talk ("ur mom is sukin me now," "Shiite," and the "N" word, for example) that gets through the safeguards. Users purposely misspell words to get them through the filters. And the overabundance of ads popping up every time you enter a new area makes it nearly impossible to get anywhere without the implantation of buying messages.


This review was written by Dana Villamagna
 
 

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What parents & educators say

12
Based on 43 parent & educator reviews:
  • 35% say sexual content is an issue
  • 33% say language is an issue
  • 26% say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking

Most useful reviews by all members

Izzyiskool
parent of 18 year old
 
Okay Website :P
I think,this is a FINE website cuz if yooh wanna say yoohr a badword or yoohr number or adress Habbo Auotmatically banns yooh or Warns yooh.It'z An Okay Website For My Kidz 12+ Habbostaff should consider giving some coins free, Why waste Money On buying those Shxttty Card thingyss?Habbostaff Make Coins Free! :P

-BluePuppies
teen, 16 years old
 
Iffy,
It's really iffy, I mean, you can't blame Habbo for everything. The KIDS are sending the messages. Not HABBO STAFF. KIDS are sending the messages, weither they are sexual or anything. I mean, their messages are opinion. Unless it's a straight fact. You may say "he so gay" but he may not be. Opinions opinions opinions. Why are you thinking "NOT APPROPRIATE" if you think it isn't appropriate, ban your kids from it. And it isn't everyone. I've been on habbo before, several time actually, and I see nothing wrong with the stuff. (not including the messages) Guys(some)try to get girls on there, which I find rather stupid, I mean, we call people names, but it's because we have a good reason to. If you had a kid that was always asking "what is this?" and stuff, would you not get annoyed, and if they were always asking "who wants to date".

MeIsJenn
teen, 17 years old
 
If the kid using the site is mature then go ahead, let them.
It's not the sites fault for the laungage being used. There are "ignore" buttons for when people are cussing, fighting or being rude in general and there are MODs which they can call for using the blue question mark. I've been using Habbo for about a year now and I've had HC [didn't win coins but bought them] but I found it more fun to just participate in chats and just have fun. If you just ignore the mean people then you can have a great day. The real problem are new-bee's thinking that everyone does vertual drugs, vertual cursing, and vertual sex. Most of them are probably 9-11. My sister is 10 and she thought the same thing. I sat her down and told her other wise and now she really enjoys it. Dont give it bad rating for the kids, the site does all it can.

yayme21
kid, 10 years old
 
perfect for 15 and up
habbo is a place where you can make a virtual you, but the thing is that there is what too many bad language, too sexual, and too much drugs drinking and smoking

heavymetalfanatic
teen, 14 years old
 
not appropriate, move on
I have went on this site. The problem is, there are rooms that people create. There are themes that you can label them. There are these "love" rooms that have to do with sex. So i went into one, and there were nonstop dirty stuff spilling out of people's mouthes. This one girl said "Who wants to f*** me" If you are under fifteen, dont go on this site.

taytay7998
teen, 15 years old
 
Perfect for 11+
I use it. Im thirteen and if u try and curse or say the word: sex it blocks it with the word bobba. So its safer than the site thinks.

plush duck hero234
kid, 11 years old
 
Fun, fun , fuuun
Love the game! Its really fun! But you have to pay to be a proper member and buy cooler stuff and clothes! But you can go to other peoples rooms. You type in a word such as 'disco' or 'adoption center' or even 'plane' and it comes up with different rooms made by other users. The goodthing is, It may not be a strong filter but you can ban people from the room or kick them out, (if you are the owner or have been give rights (you can give rights to your friends so they can ban or kick people out )) or report them to the habbo hotel team! Chat, meet people, make your avatar look like whatever you want them to look like, and have fun!!!

ScorpiNi
kid, 12 years old
 
The worst site I've EVER been on.
Okay, where do I start? You can say WHATEVER you want to people without any consiquences (excuse my spelling). I went on this site, and there was so much innapropriate things on there, it basically ruined my childhood. There was user-made places labeled "beds", "gays/bis/lezbo's here", "s*x party", and more. Tons upon tons of online dating, also. This is just completely obscene, this site. I should've listened to it when it said "TEENS ONLY!". I've seen people have sex over the internet on this website. I won't say, but in one issue I've seen, the word "suck" is involved. Do NOT go on this site unless you are 15 or older.

Sk8trGurl98
teen, 13 years old
 
Ok.......10- seems a little too young.....11+ seems ok but 13+ is best.

xNe0nCray0nz
parent of 15 year old
 
Perfect for tweens and teens.
You know, our kids are gonna go out in the world not knowing anything that's goes on if they don't learn, The Sex is a little Problem but if u trust your kid they won't go in the rooms like that, The language is really bad but then again....what site can you really get past the language I think this is a fine site and It's great for 12 year olds and +! Good job habbo staff. If u don't think this is a good report u need 2 have a little fun :).

 
Save your kids from endless drama and bullying.
Habbo, it's THE place for a kid to have some fun and chat with other teens in a safe environtment - says Sulake. But when you're actually on it for a day you'll see users trying to do long distance dating and showing severe sexual behaviour. On top of that users have a certain way of making people believe they're friends. But they're just friends for pixelised properties. Note that games like Habbo are entirely "private" which means that every user could be someone else then he says he is. All in all, Habbo is not the place to let your kids go on. It only produces constant drama and a bullying attitude to your kids. It will not educate your kid in any way except how to ruin peoples lives and show off their body.

Duri Serenula
teen, 15 years old
 
OK for older teens but not for younger kids.
This site is OK but there is a lot of guys going around looking for cyber sex but there are some good things. You can play games but there are scammers who are just trying to steal your coins. The owner has started to invite music guests to answer questions. It's fun but not good for younger kids.

 
Oh Come On!
Of course there's going to be people out there that are rude and nasty. But we try our best to just try and tune these people out! Does everything have to be educational? I mean it's good, but just because it doesn't really teach doesn't mean it's so horrible. There's also an 'ignore' button when you click on a person. You can ignore them and hear NOTHING that person says. There's a filter, too. And there isn't random people walking around looking for sexuality based things. You have to go to certain rooms people make for it. And Habbo Moderators are constantly sending out alerts to those in sexual based rooms saying, " Do Not Cyber! It's against the Habbo way and we need to keep a nice clean hotel! " Their working their butts off to try to keep the site up and nice for people. And Habbo's not the only one that you have to pay REAL money for. Check out the other THOUSANDS of sites that you have to pay to buy virtual things, sometimes they even make you pay just to JOIN. But Habbo is free to join, and they hand out five credits once in a while on holidays. And I think this site is very wonderful and well maintained. :)

Anthony101Fan
kid, 12 years old
 
Habbo Is AWESOME!
I Play on Habbo and im only 10. If someone says a bad word i click the shut up button and report for foul language. My name is Anthony101Fan. Add me as a friend and we can talk about making a saftey group. It sometimes teaches you to express yourself to others.

LtheKooki
kid, 13 years old
 
Not a very good site
Played this when I was about 7 or 8, too much profanity, racism, sexual behavior, etc. Also, what some users said here were funny about the pedo things. OH! ONE LAST THING If you DO decide to play, be sure to when you visit the pools, ignore the guys with afros, suits, and yell "POOLS CLOSED DUE TO AIDS!" Some others might use excessive "!!1!!one!!!!eleven!!1" at the end of that. :)

 
Great for ages 12+ none under that age.
I really DONT recommend it beacause, they can sk for money in a SNAP of a finger.

kaytopian
teen, 14 years old
 
havent acctually logged on but . . . .
i havent acctually logged on there and i dont have an account but one of my freinds have one and shes always talking to me about how she got a new boyfreind and you can curse and "do" other stuff.

Flight_Of_Icarus
teen, 15 years old
 
I had a Habbo.
Yeah fun for a while but gets kind of stupid there's a place called a Adoption where you get kids? And you adopt them but there just "Hwabbo Bwabies" As they say THERE SCAMMERS!!!!! im giving away my account anyway so who wants it? 13 AND UP! Yeah i really doesnt censor much stupid habbo >.<

sharonmonsta
kid, 10 years old
 
awesome

Mister Mittens
teen, 16 years old
 
Habbo is extremely fun to play and features users getting creative, making schools, hospitals, mansions, and more. However, this is overshadowed by users asking if you have MSN video chat, to exchange inappropriate pictures. Players can lay on beds, including double beds, and have sex. The chat filter is OPTIONAL. I hope this helps people.

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About our rating system
ON: Content is 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