This virtual world can profoundly change the digital environment and redefine the way children spend their free time. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the metaverse in children's learning ? Benoît Grunemwald’s analysis, cybersecurity expert at Eset.
The metaverse can be defined as a technological infrastructure that allows human interactions to transcend physical boundaries. This is also the reason why it can be seen as a new, considerably expanded version of the Internet., which includes 3D spaces shared continuously and connected to virtual worlds. These new virtual worlds open up an endless number of possibilities for users of all ages : virtual art gallery tours, games with friends, journeys to fantastic planets, different forms of education and financial investments, etc. But many questions remain unanswered around the metaverse. Perhaps the most important is how it affects children and adolescents. According to different surveys, Generation Z (born between 1996 and 2010) is the one who shows the most interest in the metaverse. While many parents may be very cautious about these new technologies.
Creativity and empathy
The Metaverse can help children and adolescents develop their creativity and imagination. In this virtual world, the immediate social environment does not limit the social life of children. They can thus discover many characteristics, individual preferences and talents that they would not have developed in the physical world. It is also possible to join an online community. The metaverse is a form of relaxation and adventure, which can help children overcome stress. Some metaverses or virtual realities can even teach the development of empathy, compassion for social issues or tolerance towards other cultures. Thanks to the metaverse, children can learn more not only about others, but also on themselves.
Imagination and education
For children, the metaverse can be experienced as a succession of mini-projects and games. It is important to be the child’s guide in this process. It is useful to experience virtual worlds with children and teach them the value of money and the consequences of purchases. It is therefore crucial to establish common rules, to set restrictions on purchases and to provide financial education. Accompanied by their parents, children can also try to pursue their dreams and have adventures that are difficult to achieve in the physical world. The metaverse offers the possibility of owning virtual goods, to build objects or become a popular artist. Imagination is limitless in the metaverse. However, as with all online activities that children have access to, it comes with risks. What are the potential dangers ?
Addiction and hate speech
As with different video games and social networks, metaverses are linked to potential addiction risk. Addiction prevention is a long-term task, and parents must ensure the well-being of children from an early age. Fulfilling relationships and a sense of security within the family are essential. It is not recommended for children under 13 to use virtual reality. And the most essential : la communication. La cyberintimidation, aggression, inappropriate language, hate speech and misinformation are other drawbacks of the metaverse. Into the metaverse, users are represented by a digital avatar that corresponds to their ideal. The challenge going forward will be to control time spent in an environment where everyone is just perfect. This can affect the child's self-esteem. Parents should identify effective ways to prevent harm, and educate young people about the aforementioned cyber threats.
Respect for privacy
Only the future evolution of the metaverse will be able to reveal the range of advantages and disadvantages, but the key questions could well be about privacy. Oversharing and data collection on user behavior is commonplace, from social networks to games. For the moment, This doesn't seem to be the biggest problem in the metaverse, but if it is not remedied in time, tech giants will end up collecting huge amounts of data that won't necessarily be used for the benefit of users. This is why it is important to teach children not to share private information and to protect themselves in online environments..
