Website Review: Faketown.com
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that users "self-govern" this
unmonitored virtual world and social networking site, but it
doesn't seem like anyone's governing anything in this sexually
charged and confusing town. Not to mention, users can post
anything about themselves -- including full name and age, as
well as photos -- and if they don't restrict their profiles,
everything is available to everyone. While creating, buying,
and selling virtual products may be an educational exercise in
business skills, members use real money to buy online
coins.
Families can talk about safety on social networking sites and why a site might not be so safe for young teens even though they're allowed to use it. Our Top Ten Tips for Kids for Viral Media is a great resource, but these questions should get the conversation started: What information should you include in your profile? What should you leave out? How do you know if you can trust someone online? What can you do if you feel like someone is bullying you or wants to meet you in person? Families can also talk about the "reality" of these online worlds. How do some virtual communities blur the lines between what's real and what's not, like using "fake coins" that you buy with real money?
Common Sense Media Review
The premise of FAKETOWN.COM may sound like educational fun:
Choose where to live, "buy" a plot of land, create your own
home, buy and sell items with community members, and even run
for mayor. All this by using a free animation tool and
uploading photos and songs for free (until you want to save
them, that is). But the reality of the unmonitored site is a
cluttered landscape with loud music videos, as well as some
rude language, suggestive photos, and senseless consumerism.
And, it may be confusing for teens that this site uses a mix of
avatar-style graphics and real-life video and photos. Parents
should spend some time in this fake community before deciding
to give some real money to their teen to live here.
Fans of this site might fare better at Piczo.com.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
