are child avatars allowed?

[Kowalar]

i am trying to gather some research. i've realised a lot of people are against child avatars and i can definatly see why if they are used in inappropriate content.

if i were to make a child avatar "just for fun" and nothing sexual because i love exploring sl themeparks and such. Ü (i'm pretty new) is it acceptable? will my account get banned?

i just want a simple answer, please don't bash me. <3

sorry if this is the wrong forum... Ü

[Cinnamon Lohner]

Yes child avatars are allowed.  Do a search on child avi and you will find this topic discussed in numerous threads.

--Cinn

[Canoro Philipp]

Linden Lab Official: Clarification of policy disallowing ageplay

We've had a number of questions from Residents regarding Linden Lab's policy regarding sexual "ageplay" (depictions of, or engagement in, sexualized conduct with avatars that resemble children). This practice has been disallowed in recognition of our Community Standards, complaints from Residents, and international laws, so it's important to understand the definitions.

Under our Community Standards policy, real-life images, avatar portrayals, and other depictions of sexual or lewd acts involving or appearing to involve children or minors are not allowed within Second Life. When detected, individuals and groups promoting or providing such content and activities will be subject to sanctions, which may include termination of accounts, closure of groups, removal of content, and loss of land or access to land.

There are three key aspects involved in these materials or acts that are in breach of the Community Standards:

•     Participation by Residents in lewd or sexual acts in which one or more of the avatars appears to represent minors (or the depiction of such acts in images, video, textures, or text) is a violation of the Community Standards.
•     Promoting or catering to such behavior or representations violates our Community Standards. For instance, the placement of avatars appearing to represent minors in proximity to "sex beds" or other sexualized graphics, objects, or scripts would violate our Community Standards, as would the placement of sexualized "pose balls" or other content in areas depicting playgrounds or children's spaces.
•     The graphic depiction of children in a sexual or lewd manner violates our Community Standards.

We understand that in some cases there may be an element of subjectivity as to whether an avatar (or other image) appears to be a minor. Objective factors which will be used to decide, including whether an avatar has childlike facial features, is child-sized, has clothing or accessories generally associated with children, and whether, based on the circumstances, an avatar is speaking or acting like a child ("My Mommy says...").

    Note: Merely having a childlike avatar does not violate this policy. It is not our intent to banish childlike avatars in and of themselves.

If you are in doubt as to whether an activity may be interpreted as ageplay, we request you err on the side of caution and desist. Please note that some countries' laws may impose penalties for graphics, drawings, or anime that resemble child pornography, even where no children have been involved.

Linden Lab reserves the right to immediately terminate the accounts of Residents who violate these standards.

[Canoro Philipp]

simple answer:

you wont get in trouble with Linden Lab, as long as you dont use it for anything sexual.

[Kowalar]

thank you! you guys have cleared a lot up for me.

[Marianne McCann]

Canoro Philipp already answered this well.

Linden Lab policies allow for Child Avatars, provided you do not do anything sexual with them. This obviously includes sexual activity, and has also included child avatar nudity in some instances. There are other issues, outlined above.

On top of this, individual landowners do have the right to ban your avatar from their land at will, and many (including many non-adult places) will ask you to change or leave their premises.

The relevant section of the Second Life Terms of Service is 8.2.iv.

You can find additional information and links pertinent to child avatars on the Second Life Wiki.

Have fun!

[Conifer Dada]

I don't have a child avatar myself, I've been 26 since I joined in 2006!  But I think it would be a pity if there were no 'children' anywhere in SL, just like it would be a pity if there were no elderly avatars or no obese avatars .  Obviously there are some places which are inappropriate for kids in SL, just as in real life, though.  

[Clarissa Lowell]

 

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Kowalar wrote:

if i were to make a child avatar "just for fun" and nothing sexual because i love exploring sl themeparks and such. Ü (i'm pretty new) is it acceptable? will my account get banned?

---

Acceptable under TOS yes. Go for it. Have fun.

 

[Vinter Tempest]

If I'm against child AVs, it's nothing to do with AgePlay. It's because for many people, SL is an escape from the mundane, which includes children.

Many of us have kids running around our feet all day and when we go into SL, the last thing we want is more of the same.

Talking to children can be very taxing as they tend to ask lots of question, need lots of explantions and tell you things that you already knew. There is no doubt about it, it is very hard work.

It may be a role play challenge for you, but for many other people it will be seen as an annoyance, especially if you are going to RP to everybody you meet. Most people will not appreciate you talking to them in baby talk, will certainly not appreciate you begging or pretending to be a  lost orphan, and many people will just assume you are weird or possibly perverted for wanting to play a child in the first place.

Playing a child is not a great way to win friends and influence people, you are right, lots of people are against child avatars -- no bashing inteneded.

[Tomoe Pawpad]

i have nothing against people who play SL the way they want... but i have to agree with this post.

i don't personally care for kids, and i certainly don't want to deal with them in a vitrual world... but again we certainly don't have a choice in who we ineract with when we go out of our home spots.

the last thing i want is for some "kid" to be asking me or their "parent" why i have something extra (prim bulge) under my skirt. (first of all WHY are you looking under my skirt in the first plac?!). then saying i flashed them and tried to get them to look when i was just window shopping for freaking hair. (yes i was in a mature sim.)

i know my Mistress and Master don't wish to deal with them, because my Miss actually had a kid avatar click her tail (and the tail script clearly stated naughty, nice, etc) and the little "kid' clicked the naughtiest menu option. and she usually didn't have a problem with the tail until then.

that's just some examples why i don't like dealing with children.

 

EDIT: yes i know not all people who play secondlife as kids are like that.... but i unforunately (along with several other people i know) have met the perverted child here in secondlife most of the time.

[Minareth Irata]

I believe it's very okay. So knock yourself out, but do all of us a favor? Don't play them too curious or too... Well, as if they do not know a thing, please? Most real life kids seem pretty smart these days, they're just more playful I think.

[tifa Lorgsval]

i play a child on SL and its purly out of fun  i recapture my own childhood   yet in SL i can get away with more like winding up  the adults  i rp in a family setting i have parents  and siblings and a lot of friends  many who are also kids  also as a sl kid you can get away with liking things that rl kids like today  i have a Dora Explorer bedset  and i pretend i really like her  in rl if i said shes cute pepole would be like whats up with her  but yes Kids are aloud  also i have a very good friend  who has a toddler ava  and rp a kid much younger then my ava  shes like in her 70s in rl  and theirs a lot of child freidnly sims i  go to Kids place a lot as i have a lot of friends their  i held my rezz day party their  and i plan to do the same thise year also some of the  Anime based sims have  child avas too like Dragon Ball z as theirs 2 kids in the anime  but  yes  kids avas are aloud on sl but only in certian sims so get yourself a cute kiddy ava  have fun and let ur inner child run wild like i do