Jul 9, 2008 2:23 pm US/Eastern
Teen Earns Real Money With Virtual Job
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
For most teens, a typical summer job involves flipping burgers or scooping ice cream. But 18-year-old Mike Everest doesn't have a typical summer job and he's making a lot more than his friends. "In the past five years I've made about $35,000," he said.
So how does a teenager pull in that kind of money? Believe it or not, he's earning money doing what just about every teen loves, playing on his computer. Mike earns his money through
Entropiauniverse.com.
"Entropia Universe is a computer game," explained site founder John Bates. "It's also a virtual world and it's populated by about 730,000 people," he said.
Sites like Entropia and
Second Life are wildly popular. Players create digital versions of themselves called avatars and they do just about everything people do in real life; they shop, hang out and work. That's where Mike makes his money. He and thousands of other players create and sell digital goods and services to other players.
You might be surprised at what people will pay real money for in these virtual worlds. "I hunt animals for hides, wool and other equipment," explained Mike. "Then I sell them to other players for a markup."
A dress designer or interior decorator might buy the hides for clothing or home accessories.
Entropia uses its own currency called "peds." This virtual money is easily converted into cold, hard cash.
"When I say we have $1.5 to $2 million per day changing hands, that's actually U.S. dollars," said Bates.
Players can easily deposit their earnings electronically into your checking account or they can withdraw money directly from the site at any ATM with a special debit card.
Steve Mariotti of the National Foundation for teaching entrepreneurship says these kinds of jobs are tailor made for teens. "I think the trend started six or seven years ago with the explosion of the Internet and the fact that there is a generational gap in knowledge," he said. "Really, the last decade has been a great opportunity for young people to use their technology skills and get a head start," he added.
Mike says he can't believe how much money he's making, but the results speak for themselves. "I put my brother through college three years ago," he said.
You can't do that scooping ice cream for the summer.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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