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What is There?
There is an online hangout where your teen can meet friends, play games, and explore a 3D virtual world.
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What do people do in There?
Our members enjoy a variety of activities, from vehicle races to fashion shows to paintball games. Members can create their own character (called an "avatar"), own and decorate virtual homes, participate in trivia contests and other games, chat with friends, and participate in a variety of themed events. There is a non-violent online experience - avatars in There cannot be hurt or killed. The whole point is to have fun with friends in a beautiful 3D environment.
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How old does my child have to be to participate in There?
There is for ages 13 and up. Teens age 13 to 18 should obtain permission from their parents before registering for an account.
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How much does it cost?
Basic membership is free! However any extra avatar clothes, vehicles or home furnishings must be purchased with Therebucks, the official of currency of There. Therebucks can be purchased with a credit card or through Paypal. There also offers a premium membership option that gives users extra tools and privileges, such as the ability to save favorite places, Voice Chat, and the ability to join additional clubs. View membership options here.
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What steps does There take to ensure that the experience will be appropriate for my teen?
In addition to a customizable profanity filter which screens inappropriate language from text chat communications, There enforces strict "PG-13" content standards and takes extra measures
to review all items to make sure they meet our content standards before they appear in There. For example, all new avatar clothing items must go through a submissions process which involves full
review by a staff member to ensure that they are appropriate before appearing in the shop. Inappropriate submissions, including clothing that makes the avatar appear to be nude, are rejected and will
not appear in There.
Content standards are also applied to in-world interaction. Our Behavior Guidelines prohibit explicit sexual language and interactions in There. Members who violate these guidelines will be subject
to moderation actions, including their immediate removal from the service for repeated or severe infractions. When a member has been banned, the account is disabled and steps are taken to prevent future
log-ins from that machine.
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What steps does There take to protect my teen's privacy?
As our Privacy Policy states, we do not collect or share members' personally identifiable information unless authorized by the member to do so. Basic members are only required to supply an email address for account communications and a birth date for age verification, neither of which are displayed on a member's profile page. Premium members will need to provide personal information associated with the credit card used to pay for the account, however this information will never be shared or made public by There.
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What type of information is displayed on my teen's Profile Page?
There profile content emphasizes activity and achievements in the virtual environment rather than "real world" activity. A member's geographical location is only identified by country (ie. United States, United Kingdom, etc.). There profiles do not include areas for the display of personally identifiable information such as real name, street address, city, phone numbers, or school names.
Members may change the privacy settings of their profiles at any time so that the profile will only appear to those who are on their buddy list, or they can choose not to display it at all.
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What can my teen do if there's a problem with another member?
To instantly cut off all communication with another avatar, There members can easily place that avatar on their "Ignore List" by selecting Ignore from the "People" menu on the in-world menu bar or by choosing "Ignore" on that member's Profile Page. When they ignore someone, they no longer see what that person says (they will see blank text instead) and they will not hear them in Voice Chat. The person they are ignoring will not be able to e-mail them, IM them, summon them, invite them to a club or event, give them anything, lend them anything, or open a trade with them.
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How does There let its members know about safety issues?
There takes extra steps to educate members about safety issues and recommends many ways to stay safe online. In addition to the safety tips which are available at the bottom of every There web page, these tips are prominently displayed in high traffic in-world areas.
You can help by reviewing the There Safety Tips and Security Tips with your teen and by monitoring their online activity. Here are other helpful resources with information about online safety for teens:
Wiredsafety.org
SafeTeens.com
Wired Teens Safety Tips
NetSmartz
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