I was a TSL user while in high school. Overall I enjoyed the experience. I learned things I now use on normal SecondLife grid. Users can learn to build with basic 3D shapes called "prims" (primitives), script them to make them move, talk, etc, texture them and other things. I would definitely keep an eye on what your child is doing and get them to show you where they hang out and who their friends are in world. LindenLabs (the games creator) has recently cracked down on people who lie about their age, threatening child predators on both grids with legal action. My old concern is that SL tends to be fairly addictive in the beginning, so you may want to monitor how much time your child is spending in the game. Gameplay is free, and there are no subscription fees, but high qaulity objects, clothes and attachments for the avatars do cost money (Just for some perspective, L$150= about $1, and an average piece of clothing costs L$200-500, one hairstyle is L$500-700, which do not expire in most cases.) If your child is interested in computer programming or game design, this game has the potential to be very educational, and also encourage teamwork, since many users specialize in one building skill.
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Teen Second Life
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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 15, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 15. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Creative virtual world has minimal mature content.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 15–18
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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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About Teen Second Life
Parents need to know that the teen part of Second Life is a creative virtual community for kids (13-17) to meet up with other teens to just hang out or to pursue their interests. But, as with any site where teens are in control of content, occasionally some sexual material and explicit language will slip through. And, a few games can be violent. That said, there are also cool, educational activities that aren't nerdy. It's up to users to chart their course. The site does monitor content around the clock, but self-policing is part of the site's structure. If teens find inappropriate material or experience harassment they can report abuse, and staff quickly deal with the problem. The site also makes it very clear that if you lie about your age (adults posing as a teen) to sign up for Teen Second Life, your information could be turned over to the police. The site has one free level but several paid ones, and the site's currency, Linden Dollars, can be bought with U.S. dollars or earned by selling created items. And earned Linden Dollars can be exchanged for U.S. dollars. Note: Unlike the teen site, the "adult" Second Life (secondlife.com) is rife with mature content.
Read our full review by Amber Keyser
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about what virtual communities are. What appeals to kids about using an avatar rather than a true identity? Families can also discuss consumerism in virtual worlds. What are users really getting by buying pretend stuff in this pseudo-world?
Our Members Say
See all 8 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Safety isn't an issue
- User content is age appropriate
A good hobby, but slightly addictive.
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- User content is age appropriate
Fun to play!
I love to play this in my spare time, you can create practically anything you want, and you can buy or sell anything! Yes, there is language from others, and sometimes sexually suggestive content, but nothing anyone over 13 couldn't handle, you will probably hear and see worse in school anyways. This also teaches you how to manage money, as you can buy "Linden Dollars" to spend in the virtual world, but you also have to make sure you aren't spending too much. Those who learn how to create objects or script, can set up their own shops to make REAL money from the things they sell! (That is, if what they sell is popular enough!).
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
Not a problem at all
I am 11 and I have an avatar on this game. Obviously on this idiotic site i'll get banned if I say who. Don't even bother asking, the answer will be a grieved avatar. (I own the Phenom). This game is absolutely fine. Any sexual content is against the rules in pg areas and banned permanently when found there. Violence: Let us deal with it. It is our life, and we should decide it. This whole site's theme is to run an cyber - conspiracy for their kids. The kids hate it then put it onto their kids when they weren't even harmed.
- I rate this title on for age 17 and give it
Secondlife
I play secondlife (adult version). In game I am AbbeyDawn Wonder. I really love SL very much. Abbey is a creator & owns a store. SL does have many sexual things to it. Which none i associate with. other than that its great
- I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it
useful
this was helpful... sounds very self-regulating, consistent with the values they claim... i'd be uncomfortable with mine on there without me for a bit til i get the feel for what it's really like...
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents feel users contributed great content |
| 100% | of parents feel the site is safe |
| 100% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 100% | of parents say it's educational |
| 100% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
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