I have major problems with some of the Web 2.0s targeted at kids.

1. The Virtual World: Habbo - there’s Habbos everywhere including Australia: habbo.com.au, habbo.co.uk, habbo.com

Habbo is a community where you can meet people, play games and create your own online space. It’s free to join, so what are you waiting for?

You create your own online character and it is aimed solely at kids, young kids. It’s all pixel art so it’s a bit like an online Legoland. It’s free to join, but if you want to do anything interesting, you have to start forking out for “Habbo Credits” which “are the Hotel’s currency and … allow you to decorate your room with Habbo Furni, buy gifts for your friends, join Habbo Club our exclusive VIP club or play games like Wobble Squabble and Battle Ball.” So you have to pay to play exclusive games! Or worse, continue playing them. When you remember we’re dealing with the self-control of children, and that those parts of their brains often haven’t been fully developed yet, it starts to get really exploitational.

There’s a variety of method payments including using SMS and premium phone lines. Of course, there’s a whole lot of disclaimers, you have to be 14 or over to use the phone method, you have to have the billpayer’s permission etc but there’s no limit to the amount you can spend each month. I do actually remember there once being a limit, but perhaps that’s on an overseas site where they have laws more protective of minors.

Not content with taking kids’ allowances, the site also has advertising. On the US site today, there was an ad for chocolate milk as well as other products:

Habbo Screenshot

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