There’s gold in them thar’ kids. Promoting (untested) #VR technology towards Children
Putting kids into Virtual Reality .
The benefits outweigh the risks, but just for a minute, let’s talk about RISKS:
I love VR technology, I really do. I know it’s the future of entertainment, education and telecom but it pains me to see images of young children in VR knowing what I know about the technology. It’s not that it’s been proven to be dangerous, it’s that the answer to “Is it safe for children?” is … we don’t know enough yet.
First off I’d like to say : “It’s always the Parent’s choice”, but that statement is only valid if both the parents are AWARE of the POTENTIAL RISKS of “realistic” sensory immersion, and there are a few worth mentioning.
Secondly, I’d like to remind parents that VR manufacturers and game/app developers have a common policy: “VR is NOT recommended for anyone under the age of 12 ” and though they offer no detailed explanation as to why, no enforcement policies for VR arcades, and should also include pregnant women and people with heart conditions to that recommendation, (similarly to theme park roller coasters) I’d like to discuss a few of them here.
“People are embracing Virtual Reality experiences like swimming with sharks, riding roller coasters, and skydiving because they are convinced that Virtual Reality is a way of experiencing those things risk free. Skydiving without having to risk the hard landing, swimming with sharks without the risks of being eaten or drowning etc. It’s the thrill without the threat. In real life, costs, travel, and safety are factors that limit how frequently these experiences can be had and who has access to them. These limitations no longer apply in VR. Age restrictions and star ratings for VR experiences and games do not consider these factors. Nor do they consider that when real life restrictions (such as height and weight on a roller coaster) become irrelevant, safety concerns should not be ignored.”
excerpt from my article from 2016- I highly recommend you check out:
COGNITIVE RISK:
PTSD, Cognitive shock, cognitive dissonance, negative associations, fears, nightmares,
SAFETY RISK:
Immersion means your eyes and ears are hijacked. VR devices currently have no alarms or sensors for detecting smoke or fire alarms or police sirens…. yet.
VISION RISK:
COMPROMISED VESTIBULAR SYSTEM RISK (balance):
PRIVACY RISK:
and SPATIAL RISK (bumping into things/people) :
Bullying and Harassment RISK: (see links at the bottom of this article for solutions, using VR to combat bullying and Harassment.)
Here are some Video links to real examples of kids being BULLIED in VR spaces like VRChat
As you can see there are still many risks to allowing children to use VR devices.
I’m not the only one saying this either, if you search you may find one or two others raising the alarm.
I love VR technology, I really do. I know it’s the future of entertainment, education and telecom but it pains me to see images of young children in VR already.
I think it’s too soon to experiment.
and right now the world is a testing ground with everyone pushing boundaries where they can.
I’d love if more people were open to discussing (with parents) the possible RISKS associated with this powerful new medium, rather than rushing, to put as many kids in VR as possible because of business opportunities.
Unfortunately people aren’t taking it seriously. It’s not hard to see why.
Many apps , games, devices , ads and even educational programs are being geared towards children and their parents.
Designing apps/games for kids.
There are several Game/Platform/App and Video Creators making content exclusively for children.
I believe their position is to establish a brand early on.
Your gaze location is quite valuable information, its the beginning of a war over your BigData.
“The advances of this technology are so rapid that we can expect that soon AR/VR devices will have sensors that monitor brain wave activity, heart rate, and cortisol levels in the blood in order to monitor a user’s stress levels. Perhaps, a built in safety feature that automatically, or on demand, (and slowly) shuts the system off when critical thresholds are reached (for example the warning that already takes place with head phones and dangerously high volume levels). Until then, it is our social responsibility to apply rudimentary preventative measures based on existing knowledge such as the effects of stress on our body and long-term health or our understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD being a state that can occur from repeated or prolonged exposure to a perceived life threatening situation. Currently, VR has been looked at as a treatment for PTSD, but with VR becoming more immersive it is necessary that we take precautions to prevent it from causing PTSD.
Research in this area is quite new:
Even though it’s been around for a really long time.
This is new and exciting technology. It has the potential to alter the way we interact with, and share experiences in, our world; yet it also has the potential to harm us in ways we do not yet understand. Let’s apply reasonable caution, and ensure it enhances our quality of life rather than endangering it. Virtual Reality can help improve education, therapy, and medicine, but it must be done correctly and with care, or the implications could be devastating despite our good intentions.” — from prev article
I think its time for Governments and large corporate institutions to have their health and safety boards get involved,for the protection of the people. As technology advances it creates new opportunities from these powerful tools, but that doesn’t mean we should also consider the potential risks that should be monitored for health and safety.
In the news:
Please also check out some of my other articles:
TIME TRAVEL IS NOW POSSIBLE!
TIME TRAVEL (and access to the 4th Dimension) IS NOW POSSIBLE!
medium.com
Might be great for dealing with nightmares:
As for Dealing with Harassment and Bullying, VR might be the ideal tool to help prevent it and teach others about it.
This topic is now slowly starting to appear in the mainstream #NEWS :
