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I've always dreaded that stage in my life when I'd feel it necessary to look at the youth of the day in disgust and mumble to myself how it wasn't like that when I was younger. I thought it would happen when I was a little old lady though, with false teeth and blue-rinsed hair, but it has started already - at the grand old age of 22.

But then Missbimbo.com - the new website aimed at nine to 16-year-old girls - is enough to reduce even the most liberal person to disbelief. Granted - with a name like that, the aim was never going to be about teaching hopscotch or skipping rope routines. Instead, in pure 21st Century style, the game encourages girls to make their virtual character the coolest, richest and most famous bimbo in the whole wide world.

Once players register, they're given an alter-ego which they have to look after - a bit like the now old-school Tamagotchi - where you had to feed, play and clean up after your very own virtual pet. But while this gadget was the must have accessory in 1996, teenagers today want that extra bit more.

And Miss Bimbo certainly offers that. Players can book their character an appointment to get a breast enlargement or can buy her lavish lingerie from the virtual shop. But rest assured, any ten-year-old who is having difficulty understanding the difference between a thong and a basque can use chat forums so they do not make any underwear blunders.

And a golden rule in the game is that no one likes a fatty. Players are encouraged to keep their bimbos stick thin by feeding them diet pills and snacking on soya milk and whole meal bread which can all be purchased at the online shop.

But money doesn't grow on trees in Bimboland, so characters have to find jobs so they can afford luxuries such as exercise bikes and fancy apartments. But if money is tight, players can always text some to keep their bimbo going until she meets a billionaire boyfriend - which is every bimbo's goal.

In the month since the site opened, it has attracted 200,000 members. The worrying question is: if children are interested in diet pills and lingerie now, what will they be like in a couple of years?

I remember being 13 - boys were yuk, chocolate was yum and cellulite was non-existent. Looking good was not important (I have the pictures to prove it) and keeping thin was about as interesting as geography classes.

But with Missbimbo.com, having a size zero physique and a billionaire boyfriend who will pay for your trips to the virtual nightclubs is what makes happy endings. But parents have failed to see the fairytale lifestyle and are concerned about the warped messages that the site is giving out. So, to tackle this problem, the website's creator has used the impressive security question: "Are you 16-years-old? If the answer is no' ask your parents' permission before you join."

When I was younger and the presenters on Blue Peter would tell me to hand over the scissors, glue and any other remotely interesting utensils to my parents when making Tracey Island I never did, so I doubt these children are doing so.

But with the permission of her mum, my friend's ten-year-old daughter joined the miss bimbo site, testimony that in 2008, most children's aspirations revolve around fame, wealth and little else. Her life plan is to be on Big Brother and then meet a rich footballer.

And she has already thought about what she will ll do if he strays away - she will take all his money of course and then marry his best friend. Although her plan is well thought out, if she was my own, I'd wash her mouth out with soap for saying her goal in life was to be a celebrity.

I blame it all on the Spice Girls. When they first formed, my friends and I immediately fell in love with them because they were all about girl power i.e. they thought boys were gross too.

But slowly, this power faded, they started to marry rich men, have their babies and even forgive their misbehaving husbands. Fans were left thinking if you want to make it big in life - be famous, lose a few pounds and if your hubby cheats...just pretend he didn't. After the Spice Girls, things changed forever.

Because now, most children want to be the next Posh Spice or Paris Hilton. When I was younger, I wanted to be an astronaut, a career plan thrown out of the window only when I was petrified by turbulence on a flight to Ireland. So I decided to cut my losses and become the next President of the United States of America instead.

And I wasn't the only one to have these high, if not unrealistic, dreams. Some of my friends wanted to be the next Prime Minister and some wanted to become the new and improved Banana Man. Nowhere along the line was there any talk of being a celebrity. But then again, the Saturday night stars of our time were the not-so-glamorous Noel Edmonds and Mr Blobby.

But now, what child wouldn't want to have the lifestyle of a celebrity? Although shocking, all the Miss Bimbo site is doing is reflecting what children today rate as being important. Where sexiness is in, penny chews and lollipops are out the window - you have to think of the calorie content.

The Miss Bimbo site will undoubtedly have some interesting repercussions. You can just imagine the novel excuses that are set to be used in classes up and down the country: "Sorry sir, I couldn't do my homework; my bimbo ate it so I had to feed her diet pills all night."

7:38am Friday 4th April 2008

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