Tween Social Communities get a double Nod

webkinz, club penguin Among Top 10 2007 Fastest Growing Google Search Terms

Google announced its fastest growing search terms for 2007 and two virtual worlds brands showed up in the results.  Webkinz came in at #2 and club penguin came in at #6.  So while consumers may not have a clue as to what virtual worlds these two brands have certainly captured consumer attention.  Top 10 list below:

1. iphone
2. webkinz
3. tmz
4. transformers
5. youtube
6. club penguin
7. myspace
8. heroes
9. facebook
10. anna nicole smith

Virtual Worlds News: webkinz, club penguin Among Top 10 2007 Fastest Growing Google Search Terms

Awesome!  They beat out facebook.  Nice.  And Transformers is on that list?  That’s surprising in an over-all sense. 

But, this doesn’t surprise me too much: the two largest youth VW’s high on a google list.  About 90% of the tater tots I’ve worked with on computers use the google search bubble to find the site they’re going to, even if they already know that the name of the site is the URL address.  They don’t like maneuvering their fingers around to get the www and the .com.  Why not just write the word and click the link?  Seems a lot less typing-restrictive for the wee ones, doesn’t it?  The advanced tweeners are just conquering the tippy type, like the sound of heavy raindrops on a keyboard.  The others are not quite there, and are workin’ the chicken pecking (as my high school computer teacher called it).

Chicken pecking + long stretches of fingers w’s and (shift + > = .) com’s.  Less work.

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Tags: google, webkinz, club penguin, virtual world, youth, kids, tween