EPRS Discusses Children's Opportunities And Challenges In Metaverse

JAKARTA - Recently, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), a government think tank for the European Union, published a letter discussing opportunities and challenges for children in the metaverse.

According to the author of the post, EPRS policy analyst Maria Niestadt, the metaverse can "encourage children's creativity and motivation to learn and even help them recover from disease". It even allows cultural and social experiences they may not be able to experience otherwise.

However, according to the EPRS, there are many challenges that the EU must face, including protecting children from harmful mental and physical impacts related to the use of virtual, expanded, and/or mixed reality headsets as well as security and privacy issues.

Metaverse Opportunities

Metaverse is filled with opportunities for children, according to the letter. Although it does not provide full support for the use of virtual and mixed reality headsets by children, the think tank presents several claims for their positive use.

"virtual world technology can be used to diagnose and treat various mental and physical health disorders in children (such as autism, hyperactivity disorders/unable to concentrate). They can also be used to promote physical health through in-depth fitness exercises, to help prepare children for psychological difficulties (such as fear of heights) or to assist in their physical rehabilitation," said EPRS.

Other opportunities include the use of education such as virtual immersion in lessons that have the meaning of history and culture, as well as potential for positive social interactions.

Metaverse Challenges

Although opportunities seem abundant, according to EPRS, the think tank also sees various challenges that must be overcome to protect EU children from the dangers and potential losses posed by metaverse technology.

The main factors of concern are the potential negative effects of exposure to the digital world and the accompanying hardware to children's mental and physical well-being. This includes social and real-world isolation, exposure to inappropriate harassment and communication, as well as nausea, anxiety, and fear.

One of the legislative challenges related to allowing children to operate in the metaverse is to set the right age. According to the EPRS guidelines, this is currently determined by private sector producers.

"In addition, VR headset manufacturers usually set the minimum age to use this device. However, there is a tendency to reduce this minimum age. For example, in 2013 Meta reduced the minimum age of its Quest headset from 13 to 10 years," said EPRS.

Overall, the state of the metaverse in the European Union appears to be in a fluctuating state as regulators explore future strategies while relying on the private sector to self-regulate based on existing laws and internal company guidelines.