When Web Time Is Playtime

New online games targeted at kids are increasingly social in nature, places where your children can interact with other children, and they are becoming a central part of the business plans of the people who make TV programs, toys and cereal. Your child might get a plush toy bearing a code for a free gift on Neopets, or a gift card for a free month on Club Penguin. How can parents sort out the best options among these services? One trick is to think about how they make money. Because of multimedia Web software and faster Internet access, there are now lots of sites that mix habit-forming games with ads.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/technology/personaltech/08basics.html?...
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