Club Penguin is better than Poptropica.

Negative CaseThe affirmative case relies on the notion that Poptropica is inherently worse than Club Penguin. My contention is that it is fundamentally impossible to compare the two games because they serve different functions; while Poptropica is meant to be more educational, Club Penguin's sole purpose is to act as a mini-social network for children. Neither website is better than the other because they are not meant to compete.Subpoint A: Subjectivity of "Best"Since the two sites have compeltely distinct functions, they cannot be compared because what is considered "best" will be completely subjective. Stating otherwise is merely asserting an opinion rather than an argument. If my opponent says that apples taste better than oranges, she is simply advancing an opinion rather than a contention because whether or not apples actually taste better than oranges do is completely subjective. Similarly, since Poptropica and Club Penguin are meant to serve different functions, neither can actually be considered better than the other except if one weighs the impacts of each functiion (see the rest of the case). Subpoint B: Poptropica is meant to be educationalThe entire function of Poptropica is to instill basic human values like kindness, respect, and humility in children through a quest-based system. Players must save the inhabitants of a variety of different islands in order to earn coins and respect. For example, in Super Power Island, players are exposed to the importance of the police force and to the harmful impacts of crime, and they are asked to help volunteer to solve this problem. In addition, the quest-based system exposes players to a variety of academic subjects and thus helps them learn while they have fun playing an interactive flash game. In Time Tangled Island, players are exposed to a myraid of historical periods and figures, such as the Ancient Greeks, the Vikings, the Aztecs, and Leonardo Da Vinci. In Astro Knights Island, players are exposed to Arthurian legend and are taught about the dangers of unfettered biological experiments. In Counterfeit Island, players are exposed to a variety of renowned artists, and are asked to help expose a prominent art thief. In short, Poptropica's function is to expose children to a variety of subjects and lessons that can be useful later in life while simultaneously permitting them to play an online game. Subpoint C: Education is better than random funWhile Poptropica helps teach children how to operate within a society, Club Penguin only exists to permit its users to have fun. In the long run, the educational benefits of Poptropica outweigh the transient social benefits that children will gain through playing Club Penguin with their friends. Poptropica is sowing the seeds for a better world; Club Penguin is not. Response to Affirmative Case She first posits that Club Penguin is more interactive because you can have conversations with others. I would turn this argument because contrary to being a benefit, it is actually a reason that Club Penguin is harmful. By exposing young children to chat servers, even if they are monitored, Club Penguin does little to teach children about internet safety. On the contrary, it makes them more comfortable with interacting with strangers and giving away private information on the internet. Poptropica attempts to teach children about internet safety by restricting the chat function to specific, predetermined questions that only have a few answers. This teaches children to be more restrained with the information that they disseminate on the internet.She next claims that coins are better than credits because you have to wait for a whole month to get more credits. First, this can be bypassed on Poptropica by obtaining a membership. Second, I would turn this by noting that this teaches children about the value of patience. Since they do not receive instant gratification like they do on Club Penguin, they learn to appreaciate the work of the Poptropica creators and to be more patient if they cannot receive something immediately. Ultimately, this is an important life skill that is not taught on Club Penguin. After that, she claims that Club Penguin gives a better sense of character and identity. I agree, but would like to note that this is not important because Poptropica is not attempting to promote exploration of identity. Instead, it is attempting to act as an educational game that teaches children life skills. Her final point is that you can make proper friends on Club Penguin. Please cross apply my argument about internet safety here. In addition, note that this is immaterial because Poptropica is not supposed to be a social network like Club Penguin is.