BunkiMunki Creates a New Tween Virtual World

For children too young for Second Life but too old for WeeWorld, a Canadian company has launched an online virtual world that promises Internet safety and positive reinforcement. Its name? BunkiMunki.

The tagline, “Unlock the power of happiness,” features a key, and the site encourages children to buy the BunkiMuni keys to wear as jewelry, so they can recognize fellow Munkis on the street.

Tween, one of those irritating “mash-up” words like Frolf and bromance, refers to children between about 8 to 14 years old, some of what used to be known as the pre-teen years.