About a game that the kid I look after is playing (Called Moshi Monsters).

@Timeout (419)
October 17, 2011 12:20pm CST
I already talked about the kids I am looking after. The youngest of them, almost nine years old, is playing an online videogame called Moshi Monsters. The game is simple, you create, name and customize a monster, then you can hang out with other monsters you find in the game, or play games for points or collect objects. At first I didn't pay so much attention to it, until the kid insisted me on making an account. Then I realized some aspects of the game are "premium" meaning you have to purchase a membership (5 pounds per month) in order to enjoy of all parts of the game. Without the membership, the game is very simple, you are only allowed to buy from a limited number of shops, and play a limited number of features. I find it normal since all in internet is a business, what I did not like, and here comes the problem is they constantly remind you how cool is to play being a member, and all the fun you are missing by being a simple player, in every message they link you to the page where parents have to type their credit card details in order to be charged. That is not the only thing that I find suspicious, they have also merchandise, and they constantly remind you how you can get codes in every merchandise you buy that you can redeem online for a super rare item. Is this really healthy for kids? I have tested the game and it does not apport anything positive! It is just buy and buy and buy more. Recently they made a magazine, their parents bought it because he loves Moshi Monsters, and I noticed they use parodies of real celebrities. One of them is "Simon Growl" (Simon Cowell). I am not sure if this is even appropiate for kids, he is not really the kind of man one would set as an example of something, except on how to be famous without even finishing high school just by having a rich daddy and kiss the right bums. He appears on TV on that XFactor program, and he is bad mannered, unpolite and hurts people feelings by calling them fat or errors. Is that the people we want our kids to idolize? They also have "Lady goo goo" yes, a Lady Gaga parody. A woman that is a total product of her company, and appeared dressed with a MEAT dress. Meat that would be probably in a good condition to eat. And then we complain about famine around the world. Is that a good example for our kids? Another example would be "Dustbin Beaver" (Justin Bieber) a kid that doesn't even know what is GERMANY for Gods sake!. Also "Broccoli Spears" (Britney Spears) a woman that does not care about showing her naked breasts to kids in her videoclips. Who in the hell thought that would be a good idea? The one that I like the least is a group in the game called "49 pence" a parody of the real group 50 cents, a group whose lyrics are full of filth, insults and very bad words. You have also the option to subscribe to the magazine, of course they are constantly reminding you that if you subscribe to the magazine you will get a super rare code to redeem in the game for a ultra super hyper mega rare prize, and that you can find the formular for the subscription in page 46, go tell your parents fast!! They are not my kids, so I don't choose how to raise them, but if they were mine, I would not allow them to play this idiotic consumist game.
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