Parents' Guide to

vSide

By Susan Yudt, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Sleek but shallow virtual world; could be safer.

Website http://www.vside.com
vSide Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this website.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 10 parent reviews

Mike M.
Mike M. Adult
August 20, 2014
age 14+

vSide puts focus on music, is better alternative to other virtual chat worlds.

vSide is one of my favourite virtual chat worlds, because it is not as overwhelming as say, IMVU or Second Life. The vSide community is very small, and the users are silly and fun to be around. Rarely have I run into mean or crass people or remarks. Users do tend to curse though. There are also many moderators throughout the world who are helpful and polite, and will be more than happy to guide you and answer your questions if you are new. Users customize their avatars with funky, stylish, urban-inspired wardrobes, and some of the clothing options have Nike logos on them (annoying and blatant advertising if you ask me). vPoints and vBux are required to make in-game purchases, but vBux can only be obtained through real-life transactions which is a bit of a disappoint, as it limits the possibilities of customization. Nonetheless, users will take a liking to vSide for the experience itself. vPoints can be accumulated very easily anyways, by completing mini missions, dancing, chatting, discovering new locations, answering fun trivia questions (which are mostly music-related), or just by walking around! This sort of reward system is refreshing to see in a virtual world. Every user gets a personal space that they can decorate free of charge, and they can even add their favourite music and videos (using YouTube URLs) to the television screen for guests to enjoy when they visit the room, which is a neat feature. There are plenty of venues to visit; several are themed after clubs and bars, but there are no allusions to alcohol. I have honestly never witnessed any type of sex chat in the public vSide world, but that does not rule out the fact that sex chat could take place through the vSide Pulse, a classic chatting system with no avatars that is downloaded alongside the vSide client. Safety and privacy is the biggest concern when it comes to all these virtual chat worlds, and with reason. With that being said, I can say with confidence that safety and privacy are respected more than other virtual worlds, since vSide is a lesser known site.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
mamba
mamba Parent of 16-year-old
August 14, 2009
age 17+

Better be over 21...and read between the lines

I have had many accounts on vside. Some of the "commenters" here are some of the biggest troublemakers I have ever seen. I abandoned the vside site with over 2,ooo,ooo points because of the constant harrassment from some of it's users, and the knowledge that it was a promotional site for porn sites. When the news came out about transferrence of Vbux and points, it was obvious that vside was on its way out. Some friends and I saw what was happening and took some steps to help that along...in the newspaper and national law enforcement areas. Anyone with a webcam and an outgoing personality....as well as a nice bod and some friends with nice bods...could make a fortune. Sad state of existence...it was a shame to have to avoid everyone because nobody could be trusted, or was just of a foul attitude, in such a cool place. If you are a vsider...watch your kids. This is an adult site, no matter what the ratings are.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
See all 10 parent reviews

What’s It About?

From the developers of VLES comes VSIDE.COM, a virtual world that teens access through downloadable software. Users can explore three virtual cities that feature clubs and stores, special event spaces (like the Tyra Banks Studio or the Pussycat Dolls' loft), and apartments, which vSide residents can "pimp" -- as the site puts it -- to their liking, using either vpoints (earned through interactivity) or vbucks (purchased with real money). There's also a browser-based component of user profiles and forums.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10):
Kids say (11):

Like VLES, vSide suffers from a bit of an attitude problem. Even the bots (planted characters) can get mouthy -- one of them tells you right off the bat that your look is a little "tired" and you should buy some new clothes. Accordingly, most of the content is based around shopping, clubbing, and looking cool. Teens who are looking for "a place to party online" may enjoy hanging out with their friends in this sleekly designed environment, but others may prefer a virtual world with a bit more substance.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about safety with social networking sites. How do you know if you can trust someone online? What are the potential pitfalls of sharing personal information online? What kind of information and images are off limits? Families can also talk about virtual communities and identity. What appeals to teens about using an avatar rather than a true identity? What does an avatar tell you about the real person behind it? What kind of identity does this site seem to think is cool?

Website Details

  • Genre: Virtual Worlds
  • Pricing structure: Free
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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