Webkinz: Boon Or Bane For Kids?

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Webkinz are the latest craze among kids — with the Webkinz Tiger being one of the favorites. Launched in 2005, the phenomenon has thrown up some questions that parents seek answers to. In this article I take a look at the issues involved:

Let me give you a quick tour of the world of Webkinz, if you are not already familiar with it. These are plush stuffed animals, for kids. Buy one for your kid, and for a year, that will entitle your child, by use of a special code, to log onto the Webkinz website and own a virtual Webkinz, and do everything with it that one can do with a live pet, such as naming it, designing a room for it, and buying furniture, clothes and toys for it. Your kid will also be able to network with other kids, play online games with them, and so on. In other words, your kid gets introduced to social networking, via the Internet.

For those who cannot afford the toy, the manufacturers, Ganz, have devised Lil’ Kinz, a version of the toys that is not as expensive. They have also introduced a premium version of the toy, in the form of the Signature Collection. Last year, the Webkinz eStore opened, allowing users to indulge their pets with virtual luxuries that include clothing, charms and furniture, apart from online-only pets. Users can use eStore items only if they have an active Webkinz, Jr., or Webkinz. account.

This is a toy custom-made for kids born in a post-internet world. It is devised to make your child familiar with the internet, with several web concepts, such as “Arcade” games, online currency in the form of “Kinzcash”, and a chatline called “Clubhouse”, whereby your child can interact with other children, online.

As a parent, you might be concerned about exposing very young kids to a medium you might perceive as being “unsafe”. The manufacturers of Webkinz claim to have devised safeguards to protect kids from risks relating to language and safety.

Also, while the activities are clearly fun, the commercial element is manifest. Some popular versions of the toy have been “retired” by the company and are sold on the internet by previous owners who demand — and get — as much as $200. Also, the secret code needs to be renewed every year if your kid wants to continue to log onto Webkinz World.

On the positive side, Webkinz toys help initiate children to using a computer and interacting online. On the flip side, they could distract children from schoolwork and outdoor games.

So, is it a boon, or a bane? The answer to this question lies in the role you play as a parent. You can keep things healthy by monitoring your child’s internet activity. Stick to a strict timetable, rationing the time spent online, while insuring that your kid gets sufficient time to spend on homework and any other activity, such as playing with friends offline. That will insure your child’s emotional health, while not denying him or her any exposure that might prove beneficial, in the long run.

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Manufacturers, again this Christmas season, are advertising products and then not supplying stores with enough items to meet the demand. The Webkinz Tiger may be one of those items. — To find out how you can get hard-to-find or out-of-stock items at retail at Amazon, click on this link: Webkinz Tiger (Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate)