Before allowing your children to adopt a pet, I suggest doing it yourself and then attempt to put it up for adoption. They have Dr. Death dissuade you from doing it. My 6yr old son was nervous his Neopet would starve because he couldn't go online every day to feed it. We discussed the options and decided it would be best to have a good family who could feed his pet daily adopt it. Can you imagine my horror when I saw Dr. Death at the adoption center?? Supposedly, Neopets want "pet owners" to understand the importance of taking care of their pets, but what kind of a message are they sending when they have a character called Dr. Death at the adoption center?? I'm surprised people from Animal Shelters and the Humane Society aren't up in arms about this one.
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Neopets
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 8. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Safe virtual pet site focuses on making money.
updated 07.04.08
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 8–10
The good stuff
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Educational value:
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About Neopets
Parents need to know that this site begins with a kid adopting a virtual pet and collecting the local currency (Neopoints) to take care of him. The site promotes making and spending money -- from playing games to earn Neopoints to visiting the online story to buy real-life T-shirts, stickers, the Neopets magazine, and plush toys. Although the games cover everything from arcade action to anagrams, some feature gambling and betting. Kids can buy a Neopian lottery ticket and buy and sell virtual stocks. All bulletin boards are monitored and kids have to be 13 to post and are encouraged to be creative by submitting stories and drawings. The boards do have scammers wanting to hack into your account, so parents should talk to kids about never clicking on a personal URL in a board. There are a few banner ads, and Neopet owners can play games sponsored by corporations such as General Mills.
Read our full review by Jean Armour Polly and Heidi Kotansky
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about taking care of a pet. What's more important to give a pet -- a new coat or love and attention? Parents can also talk to their kids about the dangers of obsessing about money and gambling. What does it mean to gamble?
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Our Members Say
See all 147 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
I rate this title off for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:- Excessive violence
Dr. Death greets you if you attempt to give your pet up for adoption
- Lives in PennsylvaniaI rate this title on for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- My highlights are:
- Safety isn't an issue
Good For Teens...not for young children.
I also agree with this rating. I've used neopets since i was 12 and within my first week i had an older teen on there harassing me. There is some problems with neopets, luckily the site took care of the harasser but either way i do agree that some caution should be used
- Lives in IllinoisI rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
So complex!
Neopets requires tons of unbelievable responsibility. My son, Max told me all about it, and sometimes i monitored him while he played. Its more complex then you'd think. To be an average player, you have to at least be 13! Younger kids, would either spend all there money, or neglect their pets! If you wanted to enjoy neopets to its fullest, you'd have to know everything about it! How to get to the best freebee's, and other things. How to make a profit, You must know how to trian your pet, where to train them, and what to buy. Should i feed my pet this? Should i buy this book? Have they already read it? Hmmm... I think this persons ripping me off. A complicated site! Its fine thought, some parts of it, such as Dinosour land may frighten the kids, and even some adults! Its to advance, in fact, the neohome beta's seem a little to advanced for them, They wont even know what to click if they cant read it. I advise that this game be for teens. But, the problem with the game is that, it isnt high tech enough. Games where there are no effects, and there are only slow movements click by click arent what teens are interested in. Even if they were, the idea of "cool" and "lame" will always be there. Most teens would shy away from a type of game or activity that would be considered "uncool" or would make them seem "nerdy"
- Lives in PennsylvaniaI rate this title on for age 12 and give it
Abeni's Neopets review:Verry informational.
Ive been on neopets for about 7 years, It is a fun virtual pet game,But I wouldnt suggest that anyone under 12 to play,There are people aged to 60 years old on neopets,And Nobody is nice to a child that is 10 years old.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents don't think the messages are positive |
| 50% | of parents feel the site is safe |
| 50% | of parents say it's too violent |
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