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Keeping Neopets a Child Friendly Site?
Written by Blo0dyRosSes
As a player on Neopets for approximately 44 months, I have noticed many things
that have happened over the years such as many cheats, accounts frozen, and
people using it as a dating service. The most disturbing, however is the
inappropriate posts on the neoboards.
Neopets is a world wide service, issuing more and more toys, card games, video
games, and merchandise all over the earth bringing in more people everyday.
Neopets has even signed a cross-promotional deal with McDonalds (plushies in
happy meals) and a contract with Warner Bros. Pictures to produce animated
feature films based on the pets and virtual world. The huge amount of
advertising brings in many children and adults alike (21% of its users are 18 or
older.) It's a safe place for people who just want a place to play games to
parents giving their child a pet and trying to teach them how the world works
and discipline. But is it really such a friendly and safe place?
Unfortunately, there are some lost souls on the web site that are abusing the
wonderful things that neopets has to offer and are therefore sending the wrong
messages to parents and kids about what the site is really about. Many posts
such as one that refers to a sexual preference was looked and commented at over
70 times before finally being erased off the boards. Alas, executives point out
that users must be over 13 to use the site's neomail and messages boards unless
with written parental permission, however any of those 70 comments could have
been from a young teenager, or a parent for that matter, that didn't appreciate
the things said.
Sexual harassment and infractions isn't the only disturbing thing being
converted on the major cite, interestingly so is language such as cursing, post
having drug related material, and people trying to "hook up".
In the terms and conditions, which are meant to be read before creating an
account, there is a part concerning this behavior and also on the neoboard page
they have neo board rules with are meant to be followed. The neo rules states
that no sexual or offensive messages will be tolerated, no dating or role
playing, impersonating neostaff, neo-sitting, selling/trading/giving/or buying
Neopets accounts, offering web design, asking for passwords, scamming, promoting
ads for other web sites, and religious or political views. The page (found at
http://www.neopets.com/chatrules.phtml) also states at the bottom "if you
spot anything that isn't right and our monitors haven't addressed the problem,
please notify us and it will be removed ASAP."
The people who don't obey cannot be tolerated and fortunately, the Neopets team
is cracking down on this behavior and those who refuse to live by the rules are
frozen and forbidden to participate on the site. To those who love to live on
the wild side and make such disturbing comments, enjoy the web site while you
can. The more you say, the tinier the chances of continuing your time on Neopets,
and the more likely the chance of being banished forever, losing your neopoints,
neopets, and even your account.
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