Is it now common practice for parents to allow their kids to use old accounts?

[Cinnamon Lohner]

I've been testing a new game at my shop this week.  Players need to tp in to play.  The only "rule" that I announce and enforce is to please move off of the landing spot before playing.   So yesterday, I asked someone to move off.  When they didn't, I told them they would be ejected.  The avi moved but didn't respond.  I asked them to respond (checking if they might be under bot software control) and I got a rude, nasty, childish response.  So I ejected and banned.

Logged in this morning to find a nasty note from this person's mother, berating me for being rude to her daughter.  The best line was "A little girl who is not supposed to talk to strangers"    Excuse me?  My shop is on a Moderate mainland sim parcel.  My expectation is that anyone arriving there is 18 or older.  A profile check showed the daughter using an account from 2010 and the mother's account from 2011.  The mother's profile had a real world profile picture of the mother with daughter (which is a horrible idea).

I've had other encounters with older aged avatars that made me think they were kids using parents' accounts.  This is the first time that I seem to have validation that this is happening.  And with encouragement from the parent!

Seems that maybe some of the early players have families and are introducing their kids to SL via their older accounts.   Is this now a common occurance?   Enquiring minds want to know

--Cinn

[Nalytha]

I've been playing online games for over a decade. (Fine, Fine. I will NOT lump Sl in the game genre. I learned my lesson well). Anyways, the point is that it's very common for children to disregard the TOS age rules and very common for parents to not care or even be aware there is an age rule. I started playing online MMOs when I was 13 for example. 

It's one reason why many game forums are toxic. They are filled with immature, privileged children. 

I guess the only thing you could do is screenshot conversations that prove a child is playing an avatar that is allowed on adult land and file a report with LL. Otherwise, just ban and move on. 

[sirhc DeSantis]

Happens quite regularly at a couple of 'social' places I have seen. Drop an underage  report off, never know, it might at least discourage the delinquent 'parent'. (Or send for social services.... )

[Syo Emerald]

There is no way to say how common it is or often it happens. But there are many many irresponsible and ignorant people in Second Life and if one of those produces offspring its likely that they don't spent a second thought about the question if Second Life is a place to let your child roam around unsupervised.

Those parents probably stay in their little happy family-friendly bubble and never ever think their precious little one could wander off the road into M and A rated regions or encounter a stranger that (rightfully) assumes they talk to another adult user.

I'm usually very liberal and have grown up with playing games on my fathers computer, but I fully agree with you, that this should not be tolerated.

 

[Amethyst Jetaime]

I don't know how common it is, but I would definetly report it to LL along with the note from the 'mother'.  Both the child and the mother, including any alt accounts the mother has, should be banned from SL IMO. 

It is hard to understand why a mother would allow a minor (obviously under 16) to use an account which allows the child to navigate all of SL (including A sims) walking around in an adult female avatar.  She has to know that the child will receive inappropriate IM's from sex seeking males.

I report it to LL anytime I discover a minor under 16 in SL or anyone under 18 on any sim other than a "G" rated one. 

[Cinnamon Lohner]

I considered reporting and still may.  But in looking at the choices under Report Abuse as well as those available on a Support ticket, there doesn't appear to be any catagory that's appropriate.  There is an Age Play catagory but that is not the same as under aged account abuse.  

When you report, what catagory are you using?

--Cinn

[Syo Emerald]

I would report for underage user. Because that is what is happening: an underage person using the account with false data.

[Amethyst Jetaime]

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Cinnamon Lohner wrote:

I considered reporting and still may.  But in looking at the choices under Report Abuse as well as those available on a Support ticket, there doesn't appear to be any catagory that's appropriate.  There is an Age Play catagory but that is not the same as under aged account abuse.  

When you report, what catagory are you using?

--Cinn

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I would use Gaming Policy Violation, because that is what it is.  Under the Summary, I'd put "MINOR USING ADULT ACCOUNT" in caps to draw attention to it.

[wherorangi]

about people not moving off the landing point

can bump/sweep people off

make a physical cube about 4x4x4m that is transparent and have it gently sweep the landing point

[Canoro Philipp]

this idea is better, Cinnamon may have visitors that don't speak english.

[Tari Landar]

While it is rather commonplace for minors to use accounts that aren't set up for minor use(in all kinds of places, not just sl) which can be accomplished by simply lying about birthdate when signing up, using another person's account, someone setting up an account for minors, etc...it is also a really great excuse for people to act like asshats.

"Oh, that was my kid, sorry", "how dare you talk to a kid like that", "don't do that, there are kids present/my kid(s) is/are right here!!", etc...I've seen it all, lol.

It's entirely likely that the kid wasn't on the account at all, but mom was, and just said that so you'd  apologize for "yelling" at her precious angel, because she knows it was her that got herself ejected and not a kid. Even if it WAS her kid, it's still her fault, lol.

My kids have been in sl(those of old enough age to play) BUT, they don't have their own accounts(never will), I never "take them"(ie, take my av, or let them take an av) anywhere minors shouldn't be, I don't let them use any account on their own, etc. For the most part, they just watch, or control my av under a controlled environment(private sim, me right there with them things like that). They prefer OS, as do I(for them) actually, because it can be completely controlled by me, no matter what, and they can have their own avs there, but can only go where I allow even if I'm not in the room with them(which is nowhere, we stick to our own sims), lol.