Parents’ Guide to the Metaverse

Since social media giant Facebook announced it would shift its focus to the “metaverse” and change its name to Meta, the metaverse has become a cultural buzzword. It’s also becoming a growing concern for parents: as children flock to virtual games and devices, many parents have scrambled to understand what the metaverse is, and what it might mean for their childrens’ futures.

In its simplest terms, the metaverse expands far beyond Facebook or virtual reality. It’s a platform of interconnected digital worlds where people interact through first-person avatars.¹

Becoming meta-literate is increasingly relevant for parents who want to protect their children and maintain control over what they see and do in the metaverse – a virtual platform founded on the principles of decentralization and lack of control.

You may be concerned about how your child interacts with others in the metaverse, as well as how the metaverse’s environments and users might impact your child. Apprehension surrounding the metaverse is understandable, but you can empower yourself and your children to explore this vast, new digital world safely.

Table of Contents:

• What is the Metaverse?
• How Kids Use the Metaverse
• What’s the Difference Between Video Games and the Metaverse?
• Virtual Reality (VR) Devices and the Metaverse
• Educational Possibilities for Children in the Metaverse
• Potential Dangers of the Metaverse
• Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe in the Metaverse

What Is The Metaverse?

The term “metaverse” is a combination of the prefix “meta” (meaning beyond) and the word “universe”. However, one true definition of the metaverse is difficult to pin down and define – and that’s part of its nature.

We describe the metaverse as a collection of interconnected virtual neighborhoods where you exist as a digital version of yourself. You engage through customizable avatars in real-time, creating experiences that feel both immersive and social. In the metaverse, people can do many of the activities they do in the real world, like playing games together, shopping, working, and going to events.

How Kids Use the Metaverse

Kids access the metaverse with VR headsets, phones, computers, or non-immersive gaming devices (such as traditional gaming consoles). From a high-level perspective, kids are using the metaverse for gaming and socialization. In the metaverse, children can create digital worlds or custom avatars, and they may also use it to purchase products or services with virtual currency, cryptocurrency, or setting-specific currencies (such as Robux currency, in the case of Roblox).

Gaming

Some of the most popular games among children that provide a metaverse experience are Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox. While many people might associate the metaverse with virtual reality, it’s not required to access the metaverse. Wildly popular games like Roblox, which can be played from a PC or smartphone, are part of the metaverse because the players participate in a customizable, shared digital environment and interact socially with one another.

In 2023, Roblox had over 70 million daily active users, with the majority of users under the age of 16.1 Today, the platform continues to dominate youth gaming. Virtual reality platforms, such as PlayStationVR, will also have a host of games for their users to play in the metaverse.

What’s the difference between video games and the metaverse?

Traditional video games typically have predetermined objectives and linear gameplay. The metaverse experiences prioritize open-ended exploration and social interaction. The worlds continue evolving even when you’re offline, and users have significant control over content creation. A key difference is that in the metaverse, players have more freedom in creating their own world and more control over their avatars than in MMORPG. In traditional video games, the goal is often to win or “beat” the game. In the metaverse, one of the main goals is to socialize with others.

Socialization

Many American children spent months or years in remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and have become accustomed to making connections in a digital space.

Through apps such as VRChat, Rec Room, and Meta’s Horizon Worlds, people can attend meet-ups, chatrooms, and other digital events. They can design their own digital avatar to represent them in the metaverse. These avatars can typically be customized by adjusting their posture, appearance, weight, age, and even their equipment.

While users usually need to be at least 13 years old to sign up for these social platforms, children can easily get around age restrictions since it’s difficult to verify users’ ages. Parents should check guidelines before allowing their children to sign up for accounts in the metaverse.

Virtual Reality (VR) Devices and the Metaverse

VR is one of the most interesting ways kids can enter the metaverse. VR enables users to interact with artificial 3D environments, created through computer modeling and simulations. [https://www.britannica.com/technology/virtual-reality] Virtual reality devices and headsets, such as the Meta Quest 3, PlayStation VR2, and Apple Vision Pro, provide people with immersive experiences and the sensation that they are individually present in digital environments.

Research reveals that one in three U.S. teens own or have access to a VR headset. This number is expected to increase with the global VR market projected to grow at 27.5 percent annually through 2030.

Educational Possibilities for Children in the Metaverse

Some thought leaders in education and policy believe that the metaverse may hold deep learning potential for children in classroom settings – and beyond. From taking immersive field trips to ancient landmarks to teaching empathy and coding, the metaverse has the potential to generate active, engaging, and impactful learning, unlike any other virtual platform.

More schools are adopting VR technology for educational purposes. Studies have found that students using VR for learning showed a 30 percent improvement in retention rates compared to traditional methods. Platforms like Google Arts & Culture VR and Microsoft Mesh for Teams are making virtual field trips and collaborative learning experiences more accessible to classrooms worldwide.

Potential Dangers of the Metaverse

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that the metaverse isn’t a future possibility – it’s here, and in light of recent billion-dollar investments by global companies, it’s probably here to stay. It may even become as omnipresent as platforms like TikTok or Instagram.

The metaverse carries many promising possibilities for children, including immersive learning. However, it also poses certain risks and dangers to children.

Risks and potential dangers of the metaverse might include or be due to:1,⁸

• Inadequate age verification systems. Age verification remains extremely unreliable and often inaccurate on digital platforms. Age verification is a difficult task for tech companies to accomplish on a universal level without breaching personal data. Therefore, although the metaverse desperately needs age verification in some forums, age verification efforts have been stalled.
• Lack of research. Since the metaverse is relatively new, there aren’t yet any long-term studies on its impact on childrens’ health and development.
• Policy lags. Technology tends to evolve faster than our laws do. If technological advancements in the metaverse outpace policy-related progress, this may pose various risks to children (and adults).
• Physiological dangers. VR sets can sometimes cause children to become nauseous or experience eye strain. Prolonged VR use can cause digital eye strain, with symptoms including headaches, blurred vision, and neck pain.3 Experts recommend the 20-20-20 rule. This means every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
• Mental health concerns. Studies have found correlations between excessive VR use and increased anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances in adolescents.
• Memory risks. Some researchers believe that the metaverse could lead to the creation of false memories in children.
• Privacy violations. So much of the metaverse is customizable – but it’s also almost entirely trackable. VR headsets can collect millions of data points about body movements, creating detailed behavioral profiles that companies may use for targeted advertising. 4
• False information and manipulation. One highly popular technology in the metaverse is called deepfake, a type of technology that uses deep learning to replace what someone looks like with a different face in media or video. This technology may be used to manipulate or persuade people (including children). Extremist groups have also proven highly effective at recruitment in social media platforms through the use of targeted meme campaigns, and influencers who gradually begin to introduce extremist content. Unfortunately, the metaverse could pose an elevated risk for extremist group youth recruitment.
• Exposure to age-inappropriate material, including sexual content. In the metaverse, kids may come across virtual strip clubs or simulations of intimate acts. They also may encounter other players who want to groom them for abuse or threaten sexual assault. Children could also experience cyberbullying from children they know in real life.
• Financial dangers and financial cyber risks. Hackers roam the metaverse and are actively searching for ways to hijack users’ personal information. Children may be less aware of the risks of sharing personal or financial information online.

Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe in the Metaverse

To ride the tidal wave of metaverse developments, parents must stay in the know regarding the risks that may accompany their children “plugging in” to the metaverse. The following video from SafeHome.org outlines the best ways to keep your children safe in this rapidly evolving digital space.

Parents and policymakers need to ensure that age-appropriate spaces exist in the metaverse and take action to guard the safety of their children. Here are a few more tips and precautions for protecting your child in the metaverse:

1. Become a co-explorer. Not only could playing alongside your children be a great bonding experience, but it will also help protect your kids in the metaverse. Become an informed metaverse consumer by trying it out with your child and experiencing it together. You can gain a more in-depth understanding of how your child uses the metaverse by testing this virtual platform on your own.
2. Lead by example. Teach your children to deal with bad actors and bad characters in the metaverse when you play alongside them. Lead your children by example and show them what to do in risky situations. For example, make sure to point out to your children when someone is asking questions that may be inappropriate or meant to compromise your personal information. If someone asks for your banking or payment information, where you might live in real life or any other question that feels like it could be too personal, teach your children not to respond and inform you.
3. Set healthy boundaries. Experts recommend limiting VR use to 30-minute sessions for children under 13, with mandatory 10-minute breaks. For teens, total screen time (including VR) should not exceed two hours on school days. Breaks are also important to prevent eye strain and nausea.
4. Educate your child on the dangers of using any online platform. Just like in the real world, teach your child to be aware of their surroundings, cautious of strangers, and careful with their money. Explain why they should never share any personal information with other users.
5. Use built-in safety features. Most metaverse platforms now offer parental controls, including content filters, time limits, and spending restrictions. Meta’s Family Center, for instance, allows parents to supervise their teen’s VR activities, set time limits, and block specific apps.

Youth safety in the metaverse begins in the home. While the metaverse is a mysterious and quickly evolving environment, you can help protect your children online by taking an active role in their metaverse activities. By educating yourself and your children about the metaverse and its dangers, you can also find common ground for conversation and create open channels for communication. You might even realize that you enjoy the metaverse as much as your kids do!

Final Thoughts

The metaverse has gained popularity in the last few years, especially since Facebook announced its rebrand to “Meta” and shared its alignment with the virtual realm. By now, you know that the metaverse is made up of interconnected digital worlds where people use avatars to perform virtual activities. While this can seem fun for most, parents have a bit more to be concerned about.

Understanding the metaverse is crucial to protect your children’s privacy, safety, and well-being. For the most part, kids use the metaverse to game and socialize.

To mitigate risks, parents should stay vigilant about their children’s metaverse activities. A few other tips that can help include setting usage limits, educating them about digital safety, and keeping track of changing policies. Knowing about the latest developments in the metaverse can help you protect your kids.

FAQs

What are the risks of metaverse for children?
Some risks of the metaverse for children include policy lags, physiological dangers, psychological risks, memory risks, privacy violations, false information and manipulation, exposure to age-innapropriate material, cyberbullying, financial dangers, and more.

Can kids use the metaverse?
Children under the age of 13 cannot use the metaverse. However, it’s fairly simple to get around these age restrictions. Parents should always monitor their kids’ online usage.

How do you protect kids in the metaverse?
Protecting kids in the metaverse can be done by following safety tips like setting usage limits, making sure they only access age-appropriate content, implementing parental controls, and more.

Can theft of identity happen in the metaverse?
Yes, identity theft can happen in the metaverse.

What crimes are on metaverse?
A few crimes that can happen on the metaverse include fraud, identity theft, dating and romance scams, financial scams, and more.

Citations

1. Roblox. (2024). Roblox Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results.
   https://ir.roblox.com/news/news-details/2024/Roblox-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-2023-Financial-Results/default.aspx

2. Grand View Research. (2023). Virtual Reality (VR) Market (2023 – 2030).
   https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/virtual-reality-vr-market

3. American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2024). Computers, Digital Devices, and Eye Strain.
   https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/computer-usage

4. Nature.com. (2023). Retinal tissue and microvasculature loss in COVID-19 infection.
   https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-31835-x