SuperSecret, PlayTown, and Webkinz

This is it! The final day of exploring virtual worlds. While I can say that I've learned a lot (I had no idea that so many worlds existed), I am also happy to be finishing up this project. Today I chose three environments that are very different from each other.

SuperSecret

• Age Appropriateness - Apparently, SuperSecret was originally designed for 10-16 year old girls, but now is played by all ages and genders. I think that's pretty cool! There aren't a lot of sites on the internet that empower girls, so having a safe space designed specifically for them is pretty nice.
• Underlying Values - SuperSecret is owned by JumpStart, which is an educational media franchise. Their focus is on educational games, so I'd say that they value education pretty highly.
• Hyper Sexualization - Because this is backed by an education company, I don't see hyper sexualization as being a problem. This is yet another world that has reached out to parents to demonstrate that they value safety and security, so I doubt they'd let anything too untoward happen here.

• Learning Goals - Since I couldn't enter the world, I'm not sure what types of games are available, but I imagine some of them having learning goals.
• Ultimate Goals - According to JumpStart, this game is a "bridge between learning how to manage oneself and indulging in fun and entertainment."

• Strengths - I like that this environment was designed for girls, and also that it is run by a company that makes educational games and workbooks. It would be easy to get approval to use a site like this.
• Weaknesses - You have to pay to access premium features. Beyond chat capabilities, I'm not sure if there are other ways to interact and share information with other users.

PlayTown

• Age Appropriateness - PlayTown has a cartoonish look and feel, making it appropriate for young learners.
• Underlying Values - PlayTown's slogan is "play, chat, and make friends." According to the forums, it used to be "chat, flirt, and make friends," but was changed at the request of users. It seems that the users here have pretty wholesome values.

• Hyper Sexualization - Because of the cartoonish design and the removal of the word "flirt" from their logo, I would say that PlayTown doesn't have to worry about  hyper sexualization.
• Learning Goals - No learning goals were explicitly stated. 
• Ultimate Goals - In this world, the goal is to explore as much as possible and play games (it is, after all, called PlayTown).

• Strengths - The strength for this world would be that it is totally free to play. There are no membership packages or areas that are restricted to players who have paid for premium access, making it quite accessible for everyone.
• Weaknesses - Looking at their Facebook page, PlayTown only has 913 "likes". PlayTown probably has a very small player base, which isn't what you are looking for when it comes to a virtual world. It doesn't seem like a thriving environment with lots of people in it.

Webkinz

• Age Appropriateness - Webkinz is a virtual world for children aged 6 and up. Why a 6 year old needs to join a virtual world is beyond me, but I'm willing to give Webkinz the benefit of the doubt for now.
• Underlying Values - Webkinz is owned by Canadian toy company Ganz, which sells plush toys. Webkinz.com is the online counterpart to these toys. When you purchase an plush toy, you get a code that you can enter on the website so that you can take care of a digital version of your pet.
• Hyper Sexualization - This virtual world is all about cute, fluffy animals and is designed for very young users, so I would say that no issues of hyper sexualization are present.

• Learning Goals - One could say argue that Webkinz is teaching children how to manage themselves online, but Webkinz doesn't have any learning goals specifically stated on their website.
• Ultimate Goals - The goal is for users to play, chat, and adopt as many pets as possible (which also means "buy as many plush toys as possible").

• Strengths - The world looks straightforward and easy to navigate for young learners. Everything is made to look very cute, which would appeal to children.
• Weaknesses - I can't believe that this is owned by a toy company. It all seems like a marketing ploy to get parents to buy more toys for their kids. I also don't see the need for children of such a young age to join an environment like this.