VR headsets. Are they safe for children?
By Gemma Raw
With VR headsets now widely available, the question of whether they’re safe for children has become a hot topic. Now NSPCC has published a useful guide for parents.
Online safeguarding is now a key issue for teachers, social workers and other professionals who work with children and young people. With the development of virtual reality (VR) headsets which can access the Metaverse, the problem has become even more complex. As is often the case with revolutionary new technology, VR could present as many challenges as it does opportunities and benefits.
In December last year, NSPCC published an online guide, providing parents with tips on how to keep children safe when using VR, including making use of the device’s safety features and supervising children’s use.
What’s the problem?
Many parents, as well as those working in education and social work jobs, have questioned whether VR headsets are safe for children to use. YouGov research commissioned by NSPCC shows that two thirds of the UK public lack confidence that child safety is a priority in the Metaverse. However, over a fifth of adults said that they would be prepared to buy their child a VR headset, despite concerns about safety.
Unfortunately, because the technology is relatively new, there’s little research available on VR safety for children. However, the fact that VR headset manufacturers have specified varying age limits on use of the technology rings alarm bells. Sony recommends users are 12 and above, while Oculus (owned by Meta), has a robust safety warning on its website:
“Meta VR systems are not toys and must not be used by children under 13. Younger children have greater risks of injury and adverse effects than older users.”
What are the risks?
The risks for children using VR headsets range from actual physical harm and negative impact on mental wellbeing to experiencing unwanted contact, oversharing personal information and inappropriately spending money. One of the key concerns in relation to very young children is a potential inability to tell the difference between reality and fantasy, leading to developmental issues. They may also be unable or unwilling to communicate that they’re experiencing physical issues such as eye or muscle strain.
One of the few pieces of research to date looking at the effects of VR on children was published in 2018 by the USA’s Stanford University and Common Sense Media. Virtual Reality 101 explores the potential positive and negative effects of VR experiences on kids' cognitive, social and physical wellbeing, as well as its potential to shape young people's perspectives.
"Historically, there's been a pretty good pattern of parents having very similar concerns about new media technologies," said Michael Robb, director of research at Common Sense Media. "The ongoing question that we have to address is: how different are the experiences of those things in VR versus other platforms? Given that kids may experience this content differently than they do TV or video games, we have to assess how accurate parents' perceptions are to be concerned in these ways about this specific kind of content."
