Webkinz is the most popular online site for children. If they buy a Webkinz toy, they can log onto the site where a virtual version of the toy will appear. Any real-life accessory they buy will show up on the site as well. They can create environments for the toys online and interact with the toys and each other. It can be a creative and satisfying experience and teach them some rudimentary programming skills. I do not approve of the way it keeps kids coming back by requiring them to continuously care for the pet if it gets "sick" because they forget to feed it, but I had considered it a fairly benign activity -- until, without letting parents know, they began to accept advertising. According to the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood, "Webkinz, the most visited virtual world for children in the United States, is currently promoting the film Alvin and the Chipmunks. In addition to banner ads, the site is encouraging young users to actively engage with the movie by purchasing specially designed chipmunk costumes and food for their virtual pets. Bee Movie – a film that partnered with McDonald’s, General Mills and Brachs and has dozens of licensed products – was promoted in a similar way." The CCFC has set up a site for parents who want to complain to Webkinz CEO Howard Ganz.
Sponsored by:
Webkinz sneaks in advertising for kids
Wednesday December 19, 2007
Categories: Commentary
Filed Under: webkinz
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Advertisement
Advertisement
Search This Blog
Sort Reviews By
Subscribe
Ethics and Family
Beliefnet's Family Values Toolkit offers age-specific resources to help kids navigate difficult decisions.
View the Toolkit
View the Toolkit
Categories
All Current Releases
DVDs
Shorts
Add category
- "Gothika Rule"
- Actors
- Aria Wallace Unplugged
- Interview: Kaitlyn Maher of 'Santa Buddies'
- The Sexiest Man Alive 2009 is.....
- Advertising
- 'Couples Retreat' Poster Omits Black Stars
- What does 'Syfy' mean?
- PTC Opposes Raunchy Ads from Burger King, Hardees, and Carls Jr.
- After the kids go to bed
- Awards
- Behind the Scenes
- The Real Story: Michael Oher of 'The Blind Side'
- Interview: Vampires from 'New Moon'
- Twilight on Twitter
- Beliefnet Movie Highlights
- Books
- Reading Rockets: Where the Wild Things Are Family Kit
- A Teacher's Inspiration
- Ask Amy Recommends My Blog!
- Breakthrough Perfomers
- Commentary
- Contest
- Giveaway: Curious George!
- Five 'Shorts' DVDs to Give Away!
- A Special Treat! Santa Buddies Giveaway!!
- Cool Stuff
- Warner Brothers Upgrades Your DVD Collection to Blu-Ray!
- A Special Treat! Santa Buddies Giveaway!!
- 'Monsters Inc' Extras
- Critics
- DVD Pick of the Week
- Directors
- Interview: Jared Hess of 'Gentlemen Broncos'
- Interview: Lone Scherfig of 'An Education'
- Interview: Tinker Bell (Part 2)
- Early Readers
- Elementary School
- Interview: Kaitlyn Maher of 'Santa Buddies'
- Five 'Shorts' DVDs to Give Away!
- Contest: Kai-Lan and Mr. Troop Mom
- For Your Netflix Queue
- Great Characters
- Great Movie Moments
- Interview
- Interview: Vampires from 'New Moon'
- I Meet the Volturi!
- Upcoming interviews: Zac Efron and 'New Moon!'
- Marketing to Kids
- MPAA Makes Unannounced Change to Trailer Content
- Stop Marketing of PG-13 Movies to Young Children
- A Terminator Costume for Little Kids?
- Movie Mom's Top Picks for Families
- Rocky and Bullwinkle Celebrate their 50th Anniversary
- Five 'Shorts' DVDs to Give Away!
- The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg
- Neglected gem
- Parenting
- Disney Admits that Baby Einstein Does Not Help Babies
- Ludacris at the National Press Club
- Parental Guidance on Web Videos
- Preschoolers
- Happy 40th Birthday Sesame Street!
- Contest: Kai-Lan and Mr. Troop Mom
- Interview: Tinker Bell (Part 2)
- Quiz
- Quote of the Week
- Quote of the Week: Jeff Daniels
- Quote of the Week: Dana Stevens on Michael Cera
- Quotes of the Week -- 'Seven Pounds'
- Rediscovered Classic
- Special Effects
- Spiritual films
- Spoiler Alert
- New Moon: Book vs. Movie
- Knowing
- Which is Dirtier -- 'Land of the Lost' or 'Hangover?' (Spoiler Alert)
- Stars
- Happy Birthday, Elizabeth Taylor
- Happy Birthday Lucas Grabeel
- William Holden Salute at Lincoln Center
- Teenagers
- Trailers and Previews
- 'Avatar' Trailer -- Watch Sunday's NFL Pre-game Show
- Michael Moore on God, Faith, and Capitalism
- Upcoming Film Searches for God
- Tribute
- Tweens
- Understanding Media and Pop Culture
- Writers
- Interview: Jared Hess of 'Gentlemen Broncos'
- Tribute: Larry Gelbart
- Interview: Marc Fienberg of 'Play the Game'
- Movie Criminal Mistakes
- Tallgrass Film Festival
- Comic-Con 2009: Interviews for 'Alien Trespass' and 'Boondock Saints II'
- Comic-Con 2009: Costumes!
About Movie Mom
Movie Mom's Archives
Movie Mom's full archives of more than 1,400 reviews (including her 200 best films for families) and 400 blog posts is now on Beliefnet for searching.
Movie Mom is a registered trademark of Nell Minow.
Copyright 1995-2009 Nell Minow. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 1995-2009 Nell Minow. All Rights Reserved.
Great Post!! I believe the webkinz are the best educational tool to come out in a long time as well. Yeah, sure kids seem to be spending more time online, but they are improving... Becoming more computor savy, raising there Financial IQ levels up "which is a great thing". It's best to learn all this stuff as early as you can in life. And the webkinz are doing just that. "Total Thumbs Up!!"
Buy Webkinz
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.