EPRS Explores Opportunities and Challenges for Children in the Metaverse
Summary:
The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) highlights the potential benefits and challenges of children's engagement in the metaverse. These benefits could include enhanced creativity, learning, and healing. However, concerns surrounding mental and physical wellbeing, security, and privacy also arise from the use of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality tech. The age of metaverse accessibility for children remains a key topic, with the private sector primarily setting age limits. The EU's approach to metaverse regulation remains a work in progress, often leaning on the private sector to self-regulate.
In a recent missive issued by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), an advisory body of the European Union, the potential benefits and pitfalls for children participating in the metaverse were explored. The metaverse can serve as an innovative platform for children, enhancing their creativity, boosting their enthusiasm for learning, providing novel social experiences, and even aiding in disease recovery, posits Maria Niestadt, an EPRS policy analyst and the letter's author. The EPRS also highlights grave challenges that must be tackled, like safeguarding children from detrimental mental and physical health impacts arising from the use of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality devices, in addition to security and privacy concerns.
According to the EPRS communication, the metaverse offers a plethora of opportunities for youngsters. Although it refrains from giving a complete green light for the use of virtual and mixed reality headsets by children, the advisory body articulates several potential benefits. As per the EPRS, technologies of the virtual world can offer diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for various pediatric mental and physical health needs, such as autism or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. They can offer immersive fitness experiences to promote physical health, prepare children for psychological struggles, and assist in physical rehabilitation.
Educational utilities, like a virtual dive into historic and cultural lessons, and opportunities for affirmative social interaction are among other benefits. However, the EPRS is quick to point out that the metaverse also presents a multitude of challenges that must be tackled to spare EU children from potential harm. It identifies potential adverse effects of digital world exposure and the associated equipment on children's mental and physical well-being as primary concerns. These include isolation from society and the real world, harassment risks, inappropriate communication, anxiety, and phobia.
Regulating the suitable age for children to access the metaverse presents a legislative challenge – currently, designation of the minimum age is primarily the responsibility of private sector manufacturers. For instance, in 2013, Meta dropped the minimum age for its Quest headsets from 13 to 10 years. In the European Union, the evolution of the metaverse seems to be in a state of constant change, as authorities explore new strategies while relying on the private sector's self-regulation, guided by existing legislations and internal company policies.
Published At
4/26/2024 7:03:54 PM
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