Leading academic warns of metaverse dangers for young people
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Published
26 June 2024
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Research by a leading University of East London academic, one of the UK’s most influential online researchers, has warned of the risks to young children of the metaverse, a two or three-dimensional online environment in which users interact with each other in virtual spaces.
Professor Julia Davidson OBE, along with Professor Elena Martellozzo from Middlesex University are leading the Virtual Reality Risks Against Children (VIRRAC) research project. The research team has carried out focus groups with small groups of teenagers aged between 13 and 18, who were vocal about the need for safety tech improvements.
Professor Davidson noted that most of the young people who took part in the pilot project had encountered risky behaviours. She said,
Just over half of children stated that they have been asked to send a picture of themselves to someone they did not know. The studies unanimously recognised the need for more guidance, awareness, support and platform online safety features to keep young users safe from harm in the metaverse.
“VIRRAC has further emphasised the current lack of investment and encouragement in safety by design, and the crucial need for the industry to develop evidence-based, user-friendly and user-tested safety features for immersive technology. We are working with major industry players to implement effective safety features that can be activated immediately during metaverse sessions, not at the end.”
Professor Martellozzo said, “In our research, we have identified that online harms in immersive environments can impact victims greatly. Besides emphasising the positive aspects, our young participants described concerns such as gender-based violence and increased physical vulnerability. As technology develops, the immersive experience in VR can make virtual assaults feel real.”
Project Manager, Dr Ruby Farr, stated “The experts, children and young people who participated in this research study unanimously recognised the need for more guidance, awareness, support and platform online safety features to keep young users safe from harm in the metaverse.”
Their comments come amid growing pressure on social media companies. The UK’s online regulator, Ofcom, warned on 8 May that social media sites could be named and shamed - and banned for under-18s - if they fail to comply with new online safety rules.
That call has been echoed by the young people taking part in the VIRRAC research, with the older participants vocal about the need for safety tech improvements. 30 per cent said interacting in the metaverse with strangers meant they were at risk of grooming, while 78 per cent said they took risks while playing online games. 88 per cent stated that they had reported other online users.
However, despite the vast majority stating they had experienced situations in the metaverse which they saw as negative, the young participants also provided insights into the ways technology can facilitate friendships, play and creative learning. 78 per cent said they valued the ability to play with friends and siblings. 56 per cent said they valued the boundless environments on offer in the metaverse.
Key findings
Psychological and physical risks
Despite their age, the participants were acutely aware of a range of potential psychological and physical risks that engaging in immersive technologies might lead to and make attempts to actively avoid these risks.
Experiencing harm
The study raises concerns about virtual assault incidents and the possible impact on childhood development in relation to the cognitive effects of VR use, neuroplasticity, and even potential physical harm from prolonged VR headset use. Experts voiced concern about specific vulnerabilities among children with special needs and those on the neurodiverse spectrum, and requirements for closer caregiver attention.
Age verification
The researchers noted that addressing age verification, parental involvement and understanding of safety protocols is crucial to safeguarding children in the metaverse.
Positive aspects
- Children shared an array of imaginative, creative and exciting activities they enjoyed in the metaverse, ranging from playing games of ‘tag’ with family and friends, building new cities, exposure to entrepreneurialism, exploring new worlds, dressing up in VR avatars
- The opportunity to become someone or something different and new in the metaverse was also discussed as a positive feature
Professor Davidson and Professor Dr Martellozzo have presented the findings to industry, including representatives from Ofcom, Meta, the Metropolitan Police and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The project is funded by the UK Research and Innovation REPHRAIN Fund. Support was also provided by Kabuni, a provider of immersive learning and its co-founder, Nina Jane Patel.
Speaking at the industry event, M Patel, a psychotherapist and Head of Metaverse Research at Kabuni, said, “The abuse and harassment was very shocking in this new very social, virtual and fun environment that is being advertised as a place to spend time with your friends and family. I’m a parent and what if it had been one of my children who experienced that abuse? Is this the type of behaviour that we want as the first experience that a child has in a 3D virtual space? We’re getting this very wrong.
“Let’s be very clear about the metaverse, the amount of money being invested in these technologies is significant – in one year alone it has exceeded trillions of dollars, this is the new frontier for technology companies. We cannot look the other way as this technology is being developed and put into the hands of children on a daily basis with no recognition of the potential harms that it is unlocking for them.”
A series of educational videos for young people and their parents on safely navigating the metaverse have been produced.
The full report can be viewed here: VIRRAC Toolkit Report: Virtual Reality Risks Against Children
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