CarryOn Fresh » kids http://blog.carryonpr.com Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:27:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Social Responsibility and Virtual Worlds http://blog.carryonpr.com/2007/11/21/social-responsibility-and-virtual-worlds/ http://blog.carryonpr.com/2007/11/21/social-responsibility-and-virtual-worlds/#comments Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:58:09 +0000 admin http://blog.carryonpr.com/2007/11/21/social-responsibility-and-virtual-worlds/ Navigating the uneven ground of social networking continues to uncover ethical dilemmas traditional media is unconcerned with.  While marketing to children has long been considered a touchy subject, there exists a fine line between capitalizing on one of the largest influencers and convincing children they are inferior unless they purchase the endless stream of gadgets and gizmos.  Social networking sites aimed at youngsters bring these issues to the forefront.

Traditional media and advertising have the distinct advantage to claim persuasive commercial messaging is geared toward adults and therefore, ethical.  Social networking sites specifically for children are another story.  As seen in this CNET article, virtual worlds are inherently commercial.  Kids are encouraged to buy virtual goods to make their avatars “happy.”  This early form of consumerism paired with the traditional Web based advertising targeting children could spell long term consequences.

As new opportunities present themselves, marketers and consultants must carry a sense of accountability to ensure an ethical use of messaging.  Explosively popular mediums like virtual worlds give marketers the opportunity to be judicious in how they leverage them.  Just as the Joe Camel debate brought advertising to children to the public’s eye, will virtual worlds spark similar interest?

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