21st Century Kids

In the last few weeks I have been watching children use online virtual worlds. My nieces, 5 and 7, could navigate the mouse and keys around Webkinz better than some adults I know. They could explain to me features of the world, how to earn money, and how to take care of their webkinz animals. Even though they can't read yet, they navigate the site with ease and without any help.

The girls also told me about a war going on between Webkinz and Neopets. According to them, they know people who have had their Webkinz killed by invading Neopets. One niece is considering sending one of her Webkinz off to war. I haven't done the research yet to know if this war is real, but it is surely real to these kindergarten and first grade girls. An older girl at camp told them about the war so it must be true. I wonder if this type of rumor (or actual virtual war) is helpful to children as they try to make sense of real world violence and war, or if it just adds to the stress and anxiety some children feel about life, based on news, overheard conversations, or personal experiences.

I also had a 4th grader show me life in Club Penguin. His mother said that their house is the place to be because they have a computer and Internet. There are days she has to time the kids on the computer, rotating turns because all the neighborhood kids (kindergarten through 8th grade) come to use the computer. Their favorite places are Club Penguin and Webkinz. The 4th grader introduced me to his Penguin, some of the club's features, and his igloo, complete with a drum set like he plays in school.

I can't imagine what things are going to be like when my 14 month old is in school. Perhaps he'll just go to class virtually, have friends online (all our West Coast baby friends) and we'll all feel safer that our kids are locked in the house sitting on the computer. I am sure that is part of the appeal for parents. Virtual worlds and video games are more interactive than sitting in front of the TV, but it is keeping kids at home or at a friends house where you can keep an eye on them and know they are safe.

I thought about what hooks children in to these virtual worlds. Other than them being fun (My husband and I had a good time on Webkinz playing the games). For my nieces, and many children, the virtual worlds are where they can have control. In a time where many activities are planned and children are moved from one structured activity to another, having a place where they make the decisions, choose what to do, and how to do it, must be liberating. Parents are happy because kids are safely at home and occupied, kids are happy because they are playing, thinking, and choosing.

For Christmas my son is getting is first video game console, designed for babies and toddlers. My presents to others include MP3 players, digital cameras, and DVD players. I am hoping for a new computer soon. I think our world has become technologically interactive, and we must brace ourselves for the wave of the future. Preparing children, teaching them how to be on the Internet safely and appropriately is important, because whether or not we have a computer at home, kids are flocking to the nearest one to hang out with their friends and explore the virtual world.