- February 1, 2023
The metaverse refers to a virtual shared space that can be accessed by users through the internet. It encompasses a wide range of virtual worlds, social media platforms, and online communities that allow users to interact with each other and experience a variety of digital environments. While the metaverse has the potential to be a valuable tool for children, it also presents a number of risks and challenges that must be addressed to ensure their safety.
One of the biggest risks associated with children using the metaverse is exposure to inappropriate content, such as violence, hate speech, and adult material. In virtual worlds, children may also be at risk of cyberbullying, which can be especially damaging because it can occur 24/7 and can be difficult to escape. In addition, online predators can use the metaverse to target and exploit children, and children may also be at risk of developing addiction or other negative consequences if they spend too much time in virtual worlds at the expense of their real-world relationships and responsibilities.
To make the metaverse safer for children, it’s important for parents and caregivers to take an active role in their children’s virtual lives. This includes setting clear guidelines and rules for how children can use virtual spaces, supervising their use of these spaces, and talking to them about how to stay safe online. Parents should also be aware of the types of virtual spaces their children are using and the content they are exposed to, and they should be prepared to intervene if they see any red flags.
Many virtual worlds and social media platforms have tools and settings that can be used to help protect children from inappropriate content and online predators. For example, some platforms allow parents to restrict access to certain types of content, set up privacy settings, and monitor their children’s online activity. Parents should take advantage of these tools to help ensure their children’s safety.
In addition to these technical solutions, it’s also important to educate children about the risks and dangers associated with the metaverse and to teach them how to be responsible and safe while using these spaces. Children should be taught about healthy usage time and balance their time in virtual and physical worlds. They should also be encouraged to think critically about the information they encounter online and to be skeptical of online claims and sources that seem too good to be true.
Another important factor in making the metaverse safer for children is community engagement. Virtual worlds and online communities can be powerful tools for creating safe and supportive environments for children, but this requires active involvement from both parents and providers. Providers should be transparent about their policies and practices, and they should have mechanisms in place for responding to complaints and incidents of abuse. Parents and caregivers should also be active in online communities and should work with providers to help create safe and supportive environments for children.
It’s also important to note that the metaverse is not just a single entity, but rather a collection of many different virtual worlds and online communities. This means that each virtual world or platform will have its own unique risks and challenges, and that the best way to ensure children’s safety will vary depending on the specific platform or world they are using. For example, virtual worlds that are specifically designed for children may have different safety considerations than social media platforms that are used by a wider range of users.
In conclusion, while the metaverse has the potential to be a valuable tool for children, it also presents a number of risks and challenges that must be addressed to ensure their safety. Parents and caregivers must take an active role in their children’s virtual lives, and providers must be transparent about their policies and practices and must have mechanisms in place for responding to incidents of abuse.
iCreate has also created an arm, Guardify, which provides organisations with consultative security services specific to the metaverse. In a nutshell this provides your space with a team of real life security staff, represented in avatar form. They can be present during online events to discretely monitor the behaviour of ‘guests’ in the space and take any appropriate action, leaving the event organisers to concentrate on curating the event itself.
By working together, parents, caregivers, providers such as Guardify, and children themselves can help create safe and supportive environments in the metaverse that are beneficial for all users.
