Club Penguin was a game that was around during my childhood. Once you picked your coloured penguin avatar, you were able to go around and hang out with other kids (penguins) from all over the world, playing interesting mini-games, such as catching pizza or sledding down hills.
Naturally, a part of me died when on January 30, Club Penguin announced it was shutting down its desktop platform, focusing on the mobile only app set to be released March 29.
Considering it was set up in 2005 and bought out by Disney in 2007, it’s definitely been around for a long time. I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic. Although I can at least take solace in that Club Penguin isn’t leaving us entirely.
https://twitter.com/realcontour/status/826269024040452096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Club Penguin was an early experience of internet culture for young kids around the world. It was an online, safe community, which means that we had the permission of our parents to do whatever we wanted within the virtual world, and there were always new people to meet.
It was a key part of how I learned to use the internet; what was right to do and what was wrong (such as throw snowballs repeatedly at a random penguins I didn’t like or swearing).
What gets me upset is that because the website is shutting down, younger kids won’t get these valuable learning experiences in the virtual world. Maybe they’ll get an even greater experience through the mobile app.