 | 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. |
Whyville.net
Common Sense Media says
Social site with good edu value needs supervision.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this site is a popular virtual community created for kids (mostly girls) ages 8 to 15, although it may not be appropriate for the younger side of that wide span. The main concern is that although the site uses a language filter and city workers review the chat log and warrant "duct tape sentences" to offenders, the chat is not monitored 24/7. But kids must take a instructive chat license test that teaches online safety features. Numerous safety measures built into the site help protect kids from online predators.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn many things in Whyville, from science and data analysis to managing bank accounts and healthy diets. Kids might start by playing science games, such as exploring what causes seasons and how winds affect hot air balloons, or making objects spin faster (such as an ice skater). They can gather data about creatures in the ocean and compare it to other kids’ observations. They manage their avatar’s diet, exercise, and immunity from viruses. Kids can even study how diseases spread in Whyville. Activities may require help, but most empower kids to pursue science in ways that apply to everyday life.
Skills
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Creativity
- Emotional Development
- Health & Fitnessbalanced diet
- Responsibility & Ethicsrespect for others
- Self-Direction
- Tech Skills
- Thinking & Reasoninganalyzing evidence
What's it about?
On Whyville, users create an avatar and meet others. Together, they play science- and math-centric learning games, chat, spend virtual (or actual) money, and hang out. Set up to mirror a real-life community, users can participate in government. As in adult virtual communities such as Teen Second Life, users spend virtual money -- called clams, here -- to buy cars, build their own homes, and fancy up their avatars. Clams can be purchased with real money via PayPal or through gameplay.
Is it any good?
Although creators have included a number of safety measures (including registering for the site with a parent's email, requiring a parental permission slip to be sent via snail mail, taking a thorough pre-chat test, and reporting abuses by other players through a "911 report"), one of the site's major mishaps is that the chat rooms aren't monitored around the clock, so there can be predictable teen-like interchanges about "hooking up" and some inappropriately frank -- and sometimes hurtful -- comments.
Many of the educational components within Whyville are sponsored by well-respected institutions in the science, art, health and math fields, such as NASA and the John Paul Getty Trust. On the negative side, however, there are a lot of advertisers on the site, including Wal-Mart, Disney, and the car maker Scion. The constant call for clams and trumpeting of big-ticket items like cars makes Whyville somewhat of a conundrum for parents: Do the educational benefits outweigh the commercial influences?
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how some activities on this site are different from other virtual worlds. Do your kids come to the site because it offers good community activities? Does the safety test help them feel safer exploring the site. Families can also take a tour of the site together and talk about what they see.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn many things in Whyville, from science and data analysis to managing bank accounts and healthy diets. Kids might start by playing science games, such as exploring what causes seasons and how winds affect hot air balloons, or making objects spin faster (such as an ice skater). They can gather data about creatures in the ocean and compare it to other kids’ observations. They manage their avatar’s diet, exercise, and immunity from viruses. Kids can even study how diseases spread in Whyville. Activities may require help, but most empower kids to pursue science in ways that apply to everyday life.
Subjects
- Arts:
- Hobbies:
- Language & Reading:
- Math:
- Science: biology, ecosystems, physics
- Social Studies:
Skills
- Collaboration:
- Communication:
- Creativity:
- Emotional Development:
- Health & Fitness: balanced diet
- Responsibility & Ethics: respect for others
- Self-Direction:
- Tech Skills:
- Thinking & Reasoning: analyzing evidence
How kids will learn
Kids are free to play a wide variety of games and scenarios at their own pace, and much help is available from in-world characters such as Dr. Leila, as well as player-members serving as guides. Still, the vastness of the site can be overwhelming if kids are not sure where to start. Some activities have immediate and visible consequences: A bad diet makes avatars look pale, catching a virus makes kids sneeze, and water contamination at the beach is a call for collective problem solving.
How parents can help
- Connect science games and images to everyday life: power savings, recycling, and saving money.
- Challenge your kid to play with the healthy diet. Which foods provide a lot of calcium? How do you get enough protein in a vegetarian diet?
- Look at the graphs of virus rates or oceanic observations together to interpret what they mean.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
I used to love the website,until one day I was talked about as a so-called "Newbie",and was once asked a very gross question.I left the website imediently,and have never visited the site again.
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Kid, 12 years old
January 5, 2010
AGE
Hmm...
well I go on whyville and im 10 I think its okay for my age but suddenly im noticing there are people telling Each other THEIR PHONE NUMBERS!!! And saying oh here baby text me or call me shmexxi (sexy) so idk...iffy on this review...
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AGE
This site USED to be a fairly good website but not anymore. My daughter complained many times to the workers there about inappropriate behavior such as virtual sex, talking about sex, positions for sex and blow jobs, pretending to drink, foul language and nothing is done. She was informed that there was nothing wrong with the behavior and to quit filing 911 reports (their name for complaint reports). She even had a boy ask her if he could rape her and when she did a 911 report she was told there was nothing wrong with what the boy did. There is no way any kid under 18 should be on that site.
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AGE
perfect for ages 12 years of age to the age of 13,14 years old.
I love it. Kids have a safe website that is educational for ages 12 years of age and up.
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AGE
NOT FOR ANYONE!
HATE IT! i used to go there and then i entered the room then there was a BANANA WITH A TONGUE AND THEN HE WAS RIGHT BEHIND MY AVATAR! i was like "wat r u doing?" then he said "butt s**" i was like OMG! STUPID PERSON! i also saw a girl and a boy then the girl said "ooooo mmmm baby! i wanna have s** with u all day" and then my jaw dropped for five min. staring at the screen! its super gross. one time i tried to do wat they did but just an expiriment,then after that he said "i wanna lick ur va****" GROSSSSSS! I WUD NEVER VISIT THIS SITE EVER AGAIN! DIZZYWOOD IS BETTER!
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AGE
Only for kids 14+
Chatrooms are NOT constantly monitored, Filters don't catch anything, People talk violently, Sexual behavior (People make their avatar "Have sex" by doing a dance in front or behind them), Kids use special spellings to get around filters ("Faak"), Even though they try to keep people from sharing personal information, they do it all the time. It is also somewhat addictive to kids under 15.
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AGE
I love Whyville and still go on it. But it has gotten so pathetic with new kids and they always come up with terms like Licks, Blows, etc.. Sexual words... The kids also find ways to get pass the filters and end up figthing. I would not allow a child under the age of 13 to come on this site has innaproaite teenagers which curse, and think there the cools ones in Whyville. Another thing is kids take advantage and threaten people on the chatting rooms which is a big cyber bully. These lazy City Workers needs to wake up and bring the old whyville back. Message to City Worker your ignorants, stupid, and idiots for not doing such a goodjob. Somebody get new workers that actually handle a child website.
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