Webkinz.com and the Webkinz Wikipedia page.

Club Penguin and Club Penguin’s Wikipedia page.

Neopets and the Neopets Wikipedia page.

Whyville and the Whyville Wikipedia page.

FunBrain and the FunBrain Wikipedia page.

Killer Links

A 2007 feature in Australia’s The Age explores the positive and negative aspects of social websites for children.

An article by Mike Shields on mediaweek.com defines the virtual world and explains avatar-centricity as it appeals to kids.

TechCrunch has covered the introduction of media browsers specifically designed for kids that not only focus on safety but specialize in content for the younger set.

Washington Post article on the interactivity between online toys and classic physical toys.

BusinessWeek story on the ways we’ve exposed kids to the media in the past and now.

Article explaining the Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002.

Best of the Rest

Adweek.com believes that the popularity of kids’ virtual worlds will decline as the recession hurts advertisers.

Engage Digital, is a database that includes operational status, demographic focus and detailed news coverage on each virtual world.

CNN Tech’s article on pre-adolescent use of social networking sites.