Parents should definitely make themselves aware of what their kids are doing in virtual worlds. I agree with Chase that most parents probably don't realize just how social virtual worlds are. They are much more than just games. Many of the things that happen on a playground can happen in a vw - making friends, arguing with friends, kids encouraging others, kids putting each other down, accomplishments, losses, disappointments, feeling left out, and on and on. Amy made a good point that those virtual "boo boos" need to be taken care of too, because they are just as real to children as any experienced in real life.

Of course they should! I think one of the roadblocks here is that parents don't really understand what an "avatar" is. They know their kids are online, they know they play games, but they don't realize is that there is an actual graphical representation of their child that inhabits virtual space.

That can be tough for a parent to wrap her/his head around. My child exists in another dimension, essentially. And that virtual child probably something that needs to be developed, educated, and even coddled a bit. (virtual kiss the boo boos on the virtual knees).