Common Sense Media Review
By Dana Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Foul talk and sexy chat rooms dominate virtual world.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 37 parent reviews
Parents say that the website is not safe for children due to rampant bullying, inappropriate language, and the presence of predatory individuals, making it a concerning environment overall. While some users find it entertaining, many highlight serious issues with moderation and a toxic community where even harmless interactions can lead to unwarranted bans, making it unsuitable for younger users.
- unsafe for children
- poor moderation
- toxic community
- inappropriate content
- difficult account deletion
- not suitable for young kids
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 93 kid reviews
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
HABBO.COM touts itself as a free virtual community where teens can design their own hotel room, participate in chats, play games, listen to music, and explore the Habbo world, all in a moderated, filtered environment. No one under 13 is allowed to use the site (although if you type in your age as 10 or 11, you're still able to sign up), and users under 18 are supposed to have parental assistance to register, according to site rules. Once registered with a birth date and email address, kids create their own avatar, choosing from fun options like bunny ears and purple hair to face shape and skin tone. The avatars then hang out in one of the many colorful and inviting virtual meeting areas. Helpful \"HabboX\" experts hang out, ready to lend a hand to newbies. The currency used on the site is called Habbo Coins -- which cost real money.
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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
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?
Website Details
- Genre : Virtual Worlds
- Pricing structure : Free
- Last updated : October 25, 2022
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