Abstract
Despite the ‘metaverse’ being a described as an “unsafe wild west”', uptake of virtual reality headsets in our homes is on the rise. With this in mind, we ask... just how safe is the metaverse and how do we go about protecting our children?
New research has predicted that the next generation of children will spend approximately 10 years in the metaverse over the course of their lifetime - that’s nearly 3 hours per day.
Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated his goal of achieving one billion users by 2030 even changing the name of his parent company from Facebook to Meta Inc last year, and other Silicon Valley giants such as Google and Microsoft are also investing heavily in this space.
A new report by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, ‘Safeguarding the Metaverse’ explores both the opportunities and potential harms of the new digital realm.
The IET is calling on politicians and policy makers to ensure comprehensive measures for regulating activity taking place within VR and the metaverse are included within the final Bill – a major gap which has implications for online safety such as harassment and abuse.
However, the IET’s new research reveals almost two-thirds (62 per cent) of parents of children aged 5-10 don’t currently understand the metaverse, highlighting the need to safeguard this new space to ensure our young people are able to safely enjoy the myriad experiences and educational advantages it could offer them.
Despite this lack of understanding and, importantly, regulation, Brits are already beginning to explore this new online world. In 2021, the percentage of UK adults who had experienced VR more than doubled, rising from 10 per cent in January 2021 to 22 per cent in December 2021, according to research by Limina Immersive.
The IET study also reveals that more than a fifth of 5 to 10-year-olds (21 per cent) already have a VR headset of their own or have asked for a similar tech present for their birthday or Christmas. Further, 15 per cent of them were recorded as saying they have already tried VR, while 6 per cent said they use it on a regular basis.
Despite children taking their first steps in this new form of media, there is apprehension from parents as well as a lack of knowledge. Only 1 in 10 (10 per cent) parents feel comfortable letting their child explore the metaverse through VR without supervision. Of those parents whose children already interact with VR, over a quarter (26 per cent) admitted they did not know what their child was accessing in this new virtual world, underlining the need for robust safeguarding to be introduced.
The IET’s report suggests that these parents’ fears aren’t misplaced; even existing VR users say this virtual world currently feels like an “unsafe wild west” – a situation that urgently needs addressing. In order to make the metaverse a safe space for the next generation, legislation must be future-proofed to protect the liberties, rights and privacy of all its users, the IET study concludes.
The IET’s report offers three recommendations that governments can introduce to shape the future of the metaverse:
Future-proofing the Online Safety Bill – While the Online Safety Bill does apply to immersive technologies and the metaverse, it needs some adaptations to make it properly fit for purpose, rather than an afterthought. The bill is currently focused on content that is published rather than activity that happens. In the metaverse, activity happens in real time. The bill must be adapted to work well in these live, active contexts that are more akin to real-life events.
Encouraging a positive, healthy metaverse culture – In the case of the metaverse and immersive technologies, user-driven safety features aimed at addressing harassment and abuse are not enough. The solutions being offered by technology companies for user safety, for instance the block and mute feature, are primarily instigated by the victim. By the time a victim has found the block, mute and report button, the psychological damage has often already been done. Technology companies must be incentivised to address these issues of harassment and abuse at their core – addressing the culture of these spaces – rather than placing the onus onto victims.
Fast-tracking immersive literacy in policy makers, regulators and politicians – A wide range of VR users say the metaverse feels like an unsafe wild west. This needs addressing. Governments, politicians and policy makers must be aware of these immersive technologies and the activity that occurs on these immersive platforms. Without this awareness, decisions will either be made in the dark, or not at all. Decision makers must experience VR and spend some time in the metaverse. The IET will offer support and access to equipment to support this development of immersive literacy.
