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Neopian economics of play: children's cyberpets and online communities as immersive advertising in NeoPets.com
Authors: Leslie Regan Shade And Sara M. Grimes
DOI: 10.1386/macp.1.2.181/1
Keywords
children and Internet, children's media commercialization, children's media culture, immersive advertising, marketing towards children, online games
Abstract
This article examines NeoPets, an online community for children where members create or adopt a virtual pet. The NeoPets Corporation is examined, with attention paid to their practice of ‘immersive advertising’ amidst concerns over the increasing commercialization and branding of children's web-based content and culture. Ethical issues explored include privacy and intellectual property.
