Warning to Parents Who Use Moshi Monsters

poppy10_2

Sites like Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin are magnets for pervs. Really, if your kid is young enough to be a target for predators, they should not be using the internet unsupervised. At the very least you should strict parental control software installed if you can't spend the time to watch over your kids on the computer.

Quite aside from the predator aspect, I've heard of lots of cases of children secretly using their parent's credit card numbers to purchase 'upgrades' and virtual goods in these types of games. They are set up to get kids addicted and succumbing to peer pressure to spend money on buying add-ons to keep up with their peers, whether real or virtual.

suki1001

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

But those security measures can be got round by any adults that also know the rules...no site is completely safe so if the kids know the rules you can bet adults do to and will exploit them any way they can.

So you don't think they should bother putting any measures in because people will get round them? It's like saying banks shouldn't bother with security.

suki1001

What the topic was grill me?

*max*

No it isn't. The OP wasn't asking "Am I stupid for not knowing this website wasn't entirely safe for children?" which seems to be the theme you are following. There is no need to try and make her feel like an idiot for warning people against making the same mistake she did.

So you knew this already and it is ovious to you. So what? It may not be so for everyone else, and if this warning helped a few people along the way, then it's done its job.

suki1001

poppy10 wrote: »

Sites like Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin are magnets for pervs. Really, if your kid is young enough to be a target for predators, they should not be using the internet unsupervised. At the very least you should strict parental control software installed if you can't spend the time to watch over your kids on the computer.

Quite aside from the predator aspect, I've heard of lots of cases of children secretly using their parent's credit card numbers to purchase 'upgrades' and virtual goods in these types of games. They are set up to get kids addicted and succumbing to peer pressure to spend money on buying add-ons to keep up with their peers, whether real or virtual.

Children of all ages are targets for pervs.

thegirlintheattic

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

What's to stop them from sending messages? Albeit 'pre-chosen' phrases? Nobody vets the users do they?

In that mode the child can only receive or send messages from a small statement bank generated by the company. Stuff like "That was a good game", "Thanks", "Hello" etc. no personal information can be shared and it would be extremely difficult to accidentally give out snippets of identifying information.

Sambucus_Nigra

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

In that mode the child can only receive or send messages from a small statement bank generated by the company. Stuff like "That was a good game", "Thanks", "Hello" etc. no personal information can be shared and it would be extremely difficult to accidentally give out snippets of identifying information.

Yeah - I get that. The point is that it may well not be a child on the other end. The question was 'So surely weirdos cannot send messages to her?' when of course the answer is 'anyone - weird or not can send these messages to her'.

Violetta_2

Thanks for the message OP , no harm in warning people at all, you only have to look at the info available re some posters on here to realise how easily people let their guard down & post personal details (& the majority of them are adults)

thegirlintheattic

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Yeah - I get that. The point is that it may well not be a child on the other end. The question was 'So surely weirdos cannot send messages to her?' when of course the answer is 'anyone - weird or not can send these messages to her'.

In context however, the poster was clearly referring to grooming and preventing it. Child cannot be groomed on that system even though it could be anyone.

flippin36

Thank you Suki, you've done the right thing in starting this thread. Amazed that you have to justify your actions...! Thanks again.