OurWorld (http://www.ourworld.com)

common sense media says

Virtual world with games and some smart parental controls.


parents & educators say
  • 32% say sexual content is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that OurWorld is a virtual world where kids can play chat and play games; a few of the games have violent content. For kids to chat, they need to first send a parent verification email through the site. If they're under 13, parents are told kids' communications will be filtered to ensure they're only using approved words and phrases. However, parents can change their child's settings to let them chat openly with other users; so if kids enter their email address for the verification, they can easily unlock any restrictions.

Educational value: Some of the site's matching and strategy games could help build memory and reasoning skills.
Positive messages: There's a heavy focus on buying stuff -- even just-for-fun virtual clothing and furniture -- on the site.
Violence: Some of the games, such as Warlords: Heroes and Zombeast Stampede, involve stabbing or shooting opponents to kill them.
Sex: Aside from a few message board posts about how to report/remove posts that mention sex and nudity, the boards seem pretty free of sexual content.
Language: The chat feature supposedly has two filters -- one for players 13 and older and a stricter one for players younger than 13 -- that will replace words it can't accept/doesn't recognize with another word. However, the general message board contains words like "s--t" and "f--k," and it's possible to enter words like "damn," even if you're registered as being younger than 13. (Words like "f--k," however, are changed into a nonsensical string of letters in chats.)
Consumerism: Some games are preceded by brief commercials for gum, AT&T, and other products (labeled as a "short message from our sponsor.") Users are also encouraged to gather two types of site currency: gems, which are frequently purchased via credit card, and coins, which can be earned.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Privacy & safety: Numbers and city names are blocked so kids can't enter phone numbers or an address, according to the site guidelines. Kids are also asked to enter a parent's email address to verify the account before they can chat with other users, and via the site's parental controls, parents can decide whether kids can chat with just friends -- or not at all.

More on OurWorld

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about why it can be risky to chat openly online with strangers. Why is it safer to have pre-scripted responses, or to have some words blocked?

  • Families can also talk about what type of information is safe to share with others online. Why should you never give out any information that's considered personal, like the town that you live in?

  • How should you handle an unwelcome invite to chat or an inappropriate comment from another user?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Parents have some control over what their kids can do on the OURWORLD site: They can decide whether kids can talk with strangers, friends, or not chat at all when they sign up, and can restrict kids from making any changes to their account settings. A language filter also helps prevent swears from being used in chats. However, the site is definitely geared toward kids who are tweens or older; it can be a little tricky to navigate around, and although many of the 40 or so puzzle, matching, and other games are tame, some action games involve shooting and killing that could be too violent for younger users.

OurWorld should provide some generally safeguarded fun as you make your avatar dance and travel around the virtual world. However, it's unclear if kids will log on for long without wanting to buy one of the paid subscriptions ($5.99-$10 per month or $49.99 a year) to help them rise through the site levels faster and access exclusive areas. There's also a push to purchase gems, one of the two forms of site currency, to get special virtual accessories -- but many kids will still find fun things to do on the site for free.


This review was written by Erin Brereton
 
 

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What parents & educators say

12
Based on 31 parent & educator reviews:
  • 32% say sexual content is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

monkiki104
teen, 15 years old
 
Do not get involved with OurWorld!Ourworld was a big mistake for me and my mom.There is too much sexual content for a "tween" game.I've had racial issues on that game.I got dumped because of my skin colour.And my friend got teased because of her faith.OurWorld is not a friendly game.It has ruined my relashionship with my parents,and has earned dis-trust.At first i thought to myself, "Oh,yeah!This game rox!I love it!You get your own person,with clothes,freinds,and a condo!" It seeems real great in the begining.But as you get more into it, it slowley sucks you in and gets you really involved.Weird things start happening.You start to flirt,and get a boyfriend/girlfriend,You have different friends from all over.You feel like you can trust these people.to be honest you can't.I'm not saying that all the people on that game aren't trust worthy,i'm just saying that you don't know them so how can you be sure?I loved that game.I loved it more then real life.I was getting swallowed up by it and obsessive.i have to be honest here,i didn't want to leave that game.But how it was effecting my life and my parents wasn't good.I wouldn't eat,i would stay up late,i wouldn't interact in the "outside world" with my "real friends".I know it really sucks to be torn from this game but it is the right thing to do.Before it's too late i would advise the parents to get their child/teen off that website.I guess if you're old enough,mature and you can handle it without getting too driven by it,it might be fine.But i would just stay off it.

mantt
adult
 
Be Careful!
When I started hearing this website being spoken about a lot among the kids I'm surrounded with, like my younger cousins and little sister, I asked them what it was all about. Of course, being kids they failed to provide me with the important details. So i went on myself and created an account and everything. Trying to figure how everything worked out, I was approached by another player and was asked to go over to his condo, after telling me I was cute. Out of curiosity, i went. Upon arrival at his condo, he suggested taking off our clothes and having "secks." I think this website is very much like a chat room and shouldn't be allowed for younger children. They make communication as easy as text messages. So if your child isn't mature yet...think again about letting them on this site.

Lissya98
kid, 13 years old
 
O.K
Ummm.....i like this website but it can lag and get annoying...some people talk about sex and it can be uncomfortable

undergurl
kid, 12 years old
 
Good for middle school age kids
OKay I have my own ourworld account an dI am 11. I think it is really cool until they made all these changes! - Unable to earn gems except by watching videos, and doiing survades or stuff like that for their sponsers - They took the gem code away (it used to giv eyou 10 gems a week), an dnow it is the "coin code" - YOu have a certain amount of clothes you can have except if you buy a wardrobe sizer (by gesm) - You can't get cool stuff I don't think it is "wrong" I mean you can have a Boyfriend, or girl friend "match" and some people get married on there but you can' tell. Nothign is wrong with the graphics I think I know if you tak eall yrou clothes off girls will have a bra and underwear, and boys will have boxers, but like what else did you think they woudl wear? Leaves like adam and eve? I kliek Ourworld, but I odn't get on much now, I've moved on to another website but I am level 64 on there.

emilyoo
kid, 11 years old
 
I think it is fine for 8 and me and my frend play it all the time

Evonyflyer
teen, 14 years old
 
I love this website it is wonderful and great! You can make lots of friends and make profiles, which is fun. This website doesn't allow you to share too much personal information either.

aboyyellow7
kid, 9 years old
 
IT IS NOT FOR ANYONE!!!!
I HATE THIS WEBSITE!!!! on Halloween people were dressed bad and speaking of dressing bad... boys can almost be naked and girls can too boys can get out of there shoes,pants,and shirts and girls can get out of there pants,shirt,and shoes and people can walk around that way! before i knew about commonsense I played that IT IS NOT FOR ANYONE!!!!!

clarkrptg
parent of 12 year old
 
My daughter (11) learned all about pretend sex, condoms, BJs and herione. If that's your idea of a good website for kids, then go for it. The kids brag about doing herione, doing sex. My daughter was requested to reveal personal information. Very inappropriate.

Joeyjo102
kid, 11 years old
 
its ok for tweens
Ok, I love it! BUT! the thing is u can give hearts, write a bio, and who knows what kind of words you can 'transforme'? Oh, and did you notice that if you buy 100 gems it cost 6 $, if you buy 600 gems it cost 20 $? Isn't there any problem there? 6 x 3 = 18, = 300 gems? What do you think?

regulargirl13
teen, 14 years old
 
uneducational doesn't mean wrong
o.k. this website really doesn't have an "educational" value, but who really cares? Does everything in a child's life have to be structured? And as for the violence, IT'S STICK FIGURES!!! If you are really complaining about that that you might as well outlaw pacman because he's carnivorous, or hangman because the man is lynched. The membership is optional and if you don't get it, its not like you are really missing out on anything, so to all you stuck-up and overprotective parents, give it a rest, because this site is not bad or anything like that

danibabe
teen, 17 years old
 
I am a member on ourworld and i think the sex rate is very high people go to there condos and have virtual sex through the chat systems the foul language used is easily worked around you can say bad words by subsatuting different letters in but the sex content is very high and i am a memeber to ourworld

ColorfulCami
teen, 15 years old
 
Perfect For Older Teens Not For Tweens
Heyllooo world ^^ of course i love ourworld but it really isn't that safe, and there is alot of people on there kissing and all kinds of other things, um it dosen't allow cursing but people get away by saying, Feck, bititch, as, and alot of people on there are judgementle if your a level 25, and under high levels will make fun of you, im a level 64, a resident, so that dosen't happen to me but i see how it feels though, i would have to say this website is for 13+. it Really isn't that bad exept for the listed things ive said, so sit down with your children and talk to them about these issues and see if you think its safe for your children thanks for reading :)

 
ourworld is a fraud
Be careful when you sign up. We signed up for one month only but they will keep taking money out of your acount monthly until you cancelled. Today they have taken the monthly $5.99 out of my account 8 times so far and every hour they are taking another $5.99 from my account. There is no way to contact them the telephone number is from another country. When I send an e-mail it is sent back to me.

 
I was disgusted when visiting this site !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS SITE WAS STUPID AND ANNOYING AND BECAUSE OF THE SEXUAL CONTENT THAT DOESNT' HELP. THIS SITE SHOULD HAVE A BEWARE SIGN ON IT FOR ADULTS.

Mia0607
kid, 10 years old
 
Loving it!
I love it!

XxBlueBerrixX
kid, 12 years old
 
Greatness of ourWorld
i love to play on ourWorld.....its cool funny and you get to meet people who can have the same interest in you.I dont really like how they charge us real money to become a "member" you know like V.I.PS

i love my friends
parent of 15 year old
 
i love friends
i love it

Twilightgirl137
teen, 14 years old
 
The imagination, the sex!
A lot of the clothing is bikinis. Also, there is some sex talk on there by other online users. I use this website a lot and its so much fun! Sometimes, I feel that people learn how to use their imagination.

CrazyBlu4Eva
kid, 10 years old
 
Perfect for Teens
I might not consider it the best.Because it's hard to level up and you won't be getting much of the pretty outfits.But still so beautiful.Well,I don't even play there anymore.

rheanna Biro
teen, 18 years old
 
get off Ourworld before its too late!
i started playing this game a few months ago.i was first yeah awsome love it then i started get to addicted to the game. then a few days later i went online and a very strange unfamilar player apporched me and told me LETS have secks your so secy you probally good in bed.Also this was a few months ago a player who was a resident asked me where was the pier i was about to answer and this player who also was a resident said to the newbie your so dumb even a noob smarter than you!.So i stuck for her then the resident tolded me i was GRANMA WHO LOVE NOOBS i didnt care what she said.I removed my accont and did the right thing.I DO NOT RECCOMEND UNDER 3 YEARS.

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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