What do Scientology, internet preservation, and shady advertising for children have in common? Neopets! No, really. We’re talking about the world’s greatest virtual pet site (probably), including how it functions as a sort of microcosm of life under capitalism. No, really.
Some Sources You Might Find Interesting:
The Neopets Addiction by David Kushner
The Org Board by WhatIsScientology
The “Org Board”: Hubbard’s Plan for Improving on “80 Trillion Years” of Management by Joel Sappell and Robert W. Welkos
Neopets Was Run By Scientologists by Sarah Bellman
How Neopets was sold to Scientologists by People Make Games
The Three at Fandom Wiki
404 Page Not Found by Kate Wagner
How Neopets Predicted the Future of the Social Internet by Claire McNear
Neopets’ black market pet controversy, explained by Polygon
Inside the Neopets ‘black market’ by Nicole Carpenter
Stealing the Age of Innocence: A Critique of the Commodification of Children’s Culture Through an Analysis of NeoPets by Rhon Teruelle
Neopoints, and Neo Economies: Emergent Regimes of Value in Kids Peer-to-Peer Networks by Mimi Ito and Heather Horst
Writing in the Wild: Writers’ Motivation In Fan-based Affinity Spaces by Jen Scott Curwood, Alecia Marie Magnifico and Jayne C. Lammers
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