Social media provides a platform where people can interact and share information. Children have not been left out of this wave. Besides the many benefits that social media has on a child’s development, education, interactivity, etc., it is one primary area that wreaks havoc if not supervised by an adult.
Heavy social media use among children is associated with increased anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression due to cyberbullying incidences. Besides, as children spend more time on social media, their development of social skills and direct communication skills is adversely affected.
Without a doubt, the Metaverse is an inevitable wave. As people continue to embrace this new experience, it is crucial to consider how children can be protected as they also become primary consumers of the metaverse.
Could there be some loopholes in the Metaverse?
One of the leading American news outlets reports that one researcher posing as a 13-year-old girl using a Metaverse app was exposed to sexual material, threats of violence, and racial slurs. “She” visited virtual reality rooms where she was exposed to inappropriate content. The incident is just a loophole that could be dealt with to make the Metaverse safer for children users.
For the longest time, a lot of demands have been placed on technology companies to prevent such incidences. One of these measures has been the enactment of age verification measures to prevent children and young persons from accessing inappropriate content. Although this demand has been defeated by the cycle of new technologies, new risks, and moral horror, it is believed that the Metaverse will have more children-protective measures.
We need shared responsibility
It is absurd that everyone can stay still and blame the technology developers for “allowing” children to access inappropriate content. Since measures of age verification requirements have been in place and minimal benefits, people must reconsider other ways of protecting children in virtual spaces. We need to reevaluate the role of different stakeholders, primarily parents or guardians.
Parents/guardians spend lots of time with their children; hence they have an opportunity to monitor what content they access. Indisputably, many reputable social platforms have tools that enable users to deal with harassment and abuse where a user can report or block an undesirable content of an abusive user.
The problem is that most users are unaware of these features or even fail to use them even when they are exposed to any threat. In this case, parents should be at the frontline to ensure children’s safety in virtual spaces.
For example, parents who buy virtual reality goggles or headsets for their children should be concerned about their safety features. A parent can first investigate the suitability of the content on the apps and games before allowing the children to use them.
As always, communication is key
Apart from checking a device’s features and safety, parents must also communicate with their children about what these news experiences mean for them. First, parents should guide their children on the age-appropriate content and how to protect their security, privacy, and safety, for example, by reporting and blocking tools and features.
The hope is that the Metaverse will have concise rules for what one can access. Secondly, parents must take their children through specific risks of virtual reality. In this case, consider the emotional and psychological risks, misinformation, inappropriate content, inappropriate contact, financial risks, etc.
So is the Metaverse a no-go?
Of course not. Everyone looks forwards to a world where social life, gaming and entertainment, work, education, and investment happen in a shared space. Although there may be a few risks involved, their containment lies in the realm of algorithmic recommendations, artificial intelligence, and behavioral monitoring.
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