Are Moshi Monsters dangerous? No, they are cute, fun little critters but parents must ensure the cyber safety of their children if they play these games at home. It is essential that parents have criticial conversations with their tots and tweens if they are allowing them to play Moshi Monsters or Club Penguin.
5 Warning Signs posed as questions to discuss with your child.
What do you do if:
1. Someone asks your name or email address?
2. Someone says something that you don’t understand?
3. Someone asks you something that doesn’t feel right?
4. Someone asks where you live or where you go to school?
5. Someone asks you to leave the site and go to another site?
Answer: Immediately tell your parents or a trusted adult.
In Britain police are warning parents about the dangers of sites such as Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin. Primary age school children are in danger of chatting online to paedophiles who are targeting children on these websites.
Parents have reported “grooming” incidents. One mother told police that her son was directed away from Club Penguin into a private chatroom by another user and was asked inappropriate questions.
On Club Penguin, which is aimed at six to 12-year-olds, messages between visitors are screened by 200 moderators to block “inappropriate” words.
Moshi Monsters, is aimed at the same age group. It does not allow private communication, but parents complain that supicious users ask for children’s details, name, age, address, email address on public forums on the site.
Read more: When the Moshi Monster(s) is real – IOL SciTech | IOL.co.za
