| If you haven't heard of Neopets than I | | | | buy your pet neat things...I don't know |
| have to seriously wonder what planet you | | | | if I understand it but I think it's a |
| come from, you definitely don't hail | | | | huge phenomenon...there's even a stock |
| from Neopia. is one of the most popular | | | | market called the Neodaq index! Talk |
| sites on the whole Internet, and what | | | | about getting the children prepared for |
| does this mean to you and me? It's a | | | | the future. One has to wonder how all |
| kid's site. Our next generation is | | | | this will affect society when our kids |
| finding a home in virtual reality, and | | | | finally do grow up. That's another point |
| they love it. Neopets has over 70 | | | | of contention. Where there's action, |
| million members from Timbuktu to | | | | there's usually an adult trying to make |
| Kalamazoo, and has had a total of over | | | | a buck out of it, and this site is |
| 300 billion website page views. | | | | definitely no exception. |
| According to Wired magazine's Dec. 2005 | | | | Neopets have coined its money-making |
| edition, Neopets is the second most | | | | model as 'immersive advertising'. The |
| 'sticky' website on the whole of our | | | | content of the experience is no longer |
| planet's World Wide Web. Average users | | | | separate from commercialism. You've |
| are on the site around 6 hours a | | | | heard of product placement, well this is |
| month...with so many members the mind | | | | another whole step forward, or backward |
| boggles as to how much time our future | | | | from that older model. I went inside the |
| generations are spending time with their | | | | game section of the website (after |
| virtual pets. What is a virtual pet | | | | choosing a species of pet: A Jubjub, |
| anyway? Why does every kid on the Earth | | | | then naming it, choosing its color, and |
| want one? What do you do with them once | | | | rolling to get its characteristics.) and |
| they're in your custody? | | | | then had a look at the 160 possible |
| Things have changed since I was a | | | | games for me to enjoy. I decided to play |
| youngster and that wasn't too long ago | | | | the McDonalds Secret Image Game. There's |
| let me tell you. I played video games, | | | | nothing secret about what the |
| rode BMX bicycles, and even 'toilet | | | | suit-and-tie guys are trying to pull off |
| papered' the occasional house or | | | | here. All my favorite Happy Meal |
| two-usually the girls we liked (this | | | | characters were being portrayed in |
| last activity wasn't as socially | | | | pictures that slowly gained more and |
| productive as the former). Virtual | | | | more focus. If you could tell that the |
| reality hadn't hit the main stage like | | | | Hamburglar was dancing, you scored |
| it has today; computers themselves in my | | | | points. In the Wired article author |
| mind were for finding out stuff at | | | | David Kushner quotes James McNeal a |
| school. No one knew what the Internet | | | | professor in marketing who said, "It is |
| was when I was ten years old back in | | | | not until around 8 years old that they |
| 1985. Now all the kids are playing games | | | | (children) can mentally defend against a |
| and participating in other activities | | | | persuasive sales message if they wish |
| online in order to gain more points | | | | to.' |
| which enhance their pet's skills and | | | | The balance of the Universe is always in |
| talents. Sounds weird, doesn't it? It's | | | | play and this is another case where both |
| not weird to the little humans of the | | | | positive and negative possibilities stem |
| future. | | | | from a new creation in human culture. |
| Neopia is a strange world, and I've only | | | | Kids love Neopets. My Jubjub named |
| just begun to scratch the surface. As | | | | Dogstarmaster looks pretty cool. I don't |
| far as I can tell, you can create a | | | | know how I am going to get defensive |
| virtual shop to sell items, or go to | | | | armor for him, nor why I need it, but I |
| other's shops and make purchases using | | | | guess that's all part of the Neopet |
| your points (gained through all the | | | | journey. Let your kids enjoy, learn and |
| pet's experiences). For example, I went | | | | make friends with the other animals. |
| to a marketplace, clicked my mouse on | | | | Just be careful, they might end up |
| the music section and was told that I | | | | becoming stock brokers...and watch out |
| could buy a 'Chomby and the Fungus | | | | they don't eat too many cheeseburgers. |
| Balls' T-shirt for only 1,588 neopoints, | | | | There's no use having a virtual pet that |
| and that there were currently 7 of the | | | | is super healthy and strong, while the |
| product in stock. I guess it's cool to | | | | child owner is sick and obese. |