Common Sense Media Review
By Dana Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Trendy virtual world with heavy push to buy, buy, buy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Woozworld - Explore your avatar identity & fame in a live chat virtual world
What's It About?
Register for an account on WOOZWORLD by choosing from one of three language-based communities; enter a date of birth, an email (a parent's email for kids under 13), and a password. Create your avatar. Begin to play by creating a room (Unitz), dressing the avatar, exploring different areas, and chatting with other avatars. Play games to earn points, shop, host or attend parties, and more. Woozworld includes many places to explore and lots of ways for kids to express themselves and buy things for their avatars.
Is It Any Good?
Woozworld - Explore your avatar identity & fame in a live chat virtual world has lot of social rules and safety guidelines in place. But the overwhelming message to buy, buy, buy can detract from the better aspects of this virtual world. During the course of this review, not a lot of substantive chat conversations between kids were observed (most were about selling and buying stuff or were invites to "singles" parties). Also, slow loading times made moving from place to place very difficult. (At the time of this review, the developer had included a note on the App Store that it is aware of this problem and was working to fix it.) Posting messages through the app's chat feature also was glitchy. Although Woozworld's overall safety standards and community rules for kids are admirable, and the virtual world has many places to visit, some parents of tweens may find the consumerism and party push too much for younger kids new to virtual worlds.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how much time or money your kid is allowed to spend on this virtual world. Set screen time limits and rules for in-app purchases.
Links to Woozworld's thoughtful guidelines and code of conduct are right there on the main screen of the app for you to read with your kid when he or she creates an account. Take advantage of the opportunity to establish some basic virtual-world rules with your kid.
Read Common Sense's Online Worlds for Young Kids to understand more about why kids want to spend time on these types of sites and apps and tips on how you can make them as safe as possible.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Skills : Responsibility & Ethics : following codes of conduct , Tech Skills : social media
- Pricing structure : Free (In-app purchases range from $1.99 to $19.99.)
- Release date : June 17, 2014
- Genre : Social Networking
- Publisher : Woozworld
- Version : 1.4
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 7.0 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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