I saw this short local news story online regarding Webkinz. It briefly touches on the dangers of your kids becoming addicted to their Webkinz. Through Webkinz.com a child has to take care of their virtual pet, on a fairly regular basis. The pet needs to be fed and interacted with to stay happy. This is the double edged sword of this hot toy. You child learns things like responsibility without the parents having to flush a neglected pet down the toilet. On the other hand this is another way for kids to become virtual couch potatoes.

The problem arises when your child feels compelled to go online for large amounts of time to interact with virtual Fluffy. Basically if you are going to let your child have a Webkinz you need to be mindful that Webkinz.com is going to try to get them to stay online for as long as possible. Sort of like a casino. Remember that it is in Webkinz.com’s best interest for your child to get addicted to their product. Now if only a toy was out there that compelled kids to interact online and go out and play. That would be a winner.