“Specifically, for the affordable Quest headset, I think they’ve sort of mirrored the process of adoption and use of things like the Nintendo Wii,” Gebbie says. “That kind of affordable device that you buy as a family thing and give to your kids.”
Horizon still has adult fans, and in their eyes, kids are not okay. You can find thread after thread on Reddit of people complaining about kids ruining the vibes of virtual spaces like VR chat. Or hear horror stories about children who find themselves in difficult situations: exposed to bullying or harassment from other children or, more worryingly, adults.
Higgin says this friction is typical of social spaces that include a wide range of age groups, as children simply have a different way of relating and interacting with the world than adults. “And in these spaces, that makes it difficult for any adult to tolerate,” he says. “Everyone was crowding around and everyone was talking at the same time and shouting memes. Meta may not have a choice here. “It might be the first takeover by kids of a virtual digital space that I can think of.”
In 2018, Bailenson co-authored a report with children’s advocacy organization Common Sense Media offering advice to parents who have concerns about what their children experience in virtual reality. Encourage virtual reality sessions to be brief, use parental content controls, and, most importantly, engage or at least pay attention to what your children are doing in their virtual world.
“They are anonymous, their parents can’t see what they are doing like they can on a normal TV or video game, and there are no physical consequences that their actions can bring to them in the real world,” Bailenson says. “That trifecta is what enables a lot of this behavior.”
Playground rules
In reality, children are doing childish things. Running, playing with bubble guns and interactive objects, chatting with friends and making new ones. Many of the children at Horizon Worlds are friendly and run up to other users to say hello or say hello. In secondary rooms, they play games like the stain or the floor is lava. Many areas in Horizon’s shared rooms feel like a playground, reverberating with laughter, screams, and the occasional scream of teenage rage. Kid stuff!
But the metaverse also has a vulnerable point. Spend enough time browsing Horizon and while it may seem like a cartoon wonderland, you’re sure to see the seedy side of humanity emerge. AND Experts have criticized platform and Meta’s sometimes allegedly lax approach to policing its virtual spaces. After all, the company doesn’t have a great history of protecting children on Facebook or your privacy. Meta isn’t all that interested in cultivating its own transparency either.