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'Tweens' tap into the Web - baltimoresun.com


'Tweens' tap into the Web - baltimoresun.com
Webkinz.com is one of a growing number of social-networking sites aimed at the teen set, many of whom have watched older siblings interact online at places such as MySpace.com and want some of the action for themselves. And businesses are more than happy to grab the attention of the newest generation of networkers.

Such "tweens," children roughly ages 6 to 12, spend as much as $40 billion per year - up from $6 billion in 1989 - and help their parents decide how to spend another $200 billion annually, according to a survey by PreteenPlanet.com. That makes them an attractive demographic, particularly in the online world where, until recently, they had been largely ignored.

"This is an underserved audience," said Anastasia Goodstein, who last month published a book on children and the Internet called Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens are Really Doing Online. "I think you'll continue to see new companies pop up in this space."

Creators of such sites say they're teaching kids computer, financial and social skills while providing a safe, monitored environment in the wilds of the Web. But critics say they're just teaching consumerism, with a materialistic focus on shopping, even though the products and the funny money used to buy them exist only online.

A Webkinz primer, for example, points out that "Everyone enjoys a little retail therapy."

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