The internet offers unlimited opportunities to kids. Instead of hiding them from the net, we should teach them how to use it wisely just as we teach them how to participate in the offline world safely.
This is an exciting week at Mind Candy’s MoshiMonsters.com site as we’re searching for three young Moshi fans to star in our new Moshi Bandz TV Ad competition. The TV ad will be run on national television in the UK. We’re also running the Monstro City’s Got Talent (MCGT Summer Shades Edition) competition this week, and have nearly 400 entries.
The internet presents people of all ages with opportunities we normally wouldn’t have available to us. Because of social media tools, Moshi can provide an opportunity for three UK kids between the ages of 11 and 14 to star in a TV advertisement that will be broadcast nationally. [If you have a budding young TV star in your life, you can read about how to enter here in our blog.
We’re privileged to live in amazing technological times, where we can share information globally in seconds. We can meet people from all over the world and learn about each other’s cultures. We are presented with life-changing opportunities daily.
Now and then we hear from well-meaning people who think the net is unsafe for kids. We believe there is no reason to be afraid of social media. Rather, we should teach each other, at every age, to behave responsibly in the online world just as we do in the offline world. We certainly wouldn’t get far if we hid in our homes and never came out because we were afraid of unfortunate things happening to us. Avoiding the online world is not living in the world – it’s hiding from world.
Thankfully, most of us don’t live this way. Instead, we are taught how to live in the world as safely as possible. We look both ways when crossing the street. We wear helmets when riding our bikes. We don’t take candy from strangers on the street. We don’t get into cars with people we don’t know. The online world is an extension of our offline world. We have a responsibility to teach each other how to be safe online.
When we ask for videos in our contests, we always ask for Monster Owner names and no other personal information to be shared. We monitor the submissions. And we flag any potentially problematic submissions to YouTube or the content site where the video is uploaded. Educating people on how to be netwise but still enjoy the wonders and opportunities of the internet is paramount to Moshi’s success. Here’s to appreciating and encouraging creativity online and offline.
Here is one of nearly 400 entries from our recent Monstro CIty’s Got Talent Content. We’re thrilled to facilitate sharing their talent with the world.
Miss Pinky
Posted by Bekah.
Thu, July 15th, 2010 in
General.
Mind Candy has been named as one of the top 10 media companies to watch.
With a new player joining Moshi Monsters every second, we are continuing to grow at a phenomenal rate and are on the lookout for creative, talented and ambitious folks to join our growing team.
If you fancy joining a fast paced and growing tech media company that is ’set to make waves in the near future’ then check out our latest vacancies here.
Posted by Ryan.
Fri, June 25th, 2010 in
Events.
A few of the Mind Candy team will be speaking about Moshi Monsters at various conferences in the coming weeks so we thought we’d flag some of them up.
If you’re attending any of these events come and say hello to us afterwards (we might even be shelling out Moshi stickers, membership cards and jelly beans).
Michael Acton Smith (CEO)
Gamehorizon Conference (Newcastle)
29th June 2010
http://www.gamehorizon.net/events/viewevent.php?id=debaf6c1-809f-f5e7-4ebf-4aa4d09f1cf9
Ed Relf (CMO)
Marketing Week Live (London)
10am 29th June 2010
http://www.marketingweeklive.co.uk/
Michael Acton Smith (CEO)
The Children’s Media Conference (Sheffield)
11am July 1st 2010
http://www.thechildrensmediaconference.com/
Cat Burton and Martyn Jones
London Flash Platform User Group
29th July 2010
http://www.lfpug.com/29th-july-2010-29072010/
Michael Acton Smith (CEO)
Edinburgh Interactive Festival
25th-26th August 2010
http://www.edinburghinteractivefestival.co.uk/
Ed Relf (CMO)
Ad Tech (London)
21st-22nd September
http://www.ad-techlondon.co.uk/adtech2010
Rebecca Newton (Chief Safety and Community Officer)
Community and Marketing Summit 2.0 (Hamburg)
29th-30th September
http://www.community-summit.de/
Rebecca Newton (Chief Safety and Community Officer)
GDC Online, Austin
6-8 October 2010
https://www.cmpevents.com/GDAU10/a.asp?option=C&V=11&SessID=11423
Rebecca Newton (Chief Safety and Community Officer)
Family Online Safety Institute – FOSI 2010. (Washington DC)
November 2010
Toby Moore (CTO)
IGDA Leadership Forum
4th-5th November 2010
http://www.igda.org/leadership
Posted by Bekah.
Fri, June 18th, 2010 in
Events.
A couple of weeks ago we had our first ever Mind Candy Summer Conference and where better to hold it than the home of Stealth, Nemesis and Colossus? A big thank you to the guys at Thorpe Park for having us!
The day kicked off with our CEO, Michael Acton Smith, talking about his ambitions and future plans for Moshi Monsters. Each team, ranging from game design to technology, did a presentation on their current status and future plans under the Big Top.
After a morning of company-wide learning and discussion, we then moved on to the equally important subject of lunch, which was accompanied by a healthy side of light-hearted competition with our team-based Moshi Monsters Quiz. And then…in true Mind Candy style, we spent the afternoon having fun and hit the rides!
Everyone loved learning more about where the company is headed and how our teams all link together and gave some great feedback. The day was a huge success and definitely something we will be repeating.
Here’s to the next Mind Candy Conference!
