Rising Dangers: Youth Experience Harassment in Virtual Worlds! 

Rising Dangers: Youth Experience Harassment in Virtual Worlds! Credit | Neuroscience News
Rising Dangers: Youth Experience Harassment in Virtual Worlds! Credit | Neuroscience News

United States: A new study shows that young people are at risk of different types of harm while using the metaverse, which is a virtual world where people can interact online. Researchers looked at data from more than 5,000 teens in the U.S. and found many serious issues, like bullying, harassment, and even physical exploitation.  

As reported by the Neuroscience, they discovered that teens experienced hate speech, sexual harassment, and grooming behavior in virtual reality spaces. This highlights the need to keep kids safe while they explore the metaverse! 

First, the study shows that girls are more exposed to risky behaviors such as sexual harassment and grooming than boys along the risk landscape The second critical finding from the study was that more youths appear not to be maximizing utilization of safety features. These results therefore clearly highlight the require urgent clearer safety measures as well as providing information on the safe use and interaction in the metaverse. 

The metaverse in which considerations of physical presence vs cyberspace become less applicable is steadily growing among younger generations. Currently, a third of teens have a virtual reality (VR) device, and 1 in 10 uses it at least once a week as of March. 

Given the fact that the metaverse brings stronger emotions in to fray the youth without a doubt stand to be at a higher risk of great harm in such environments hence the need to look at the possibility of risks. 

Regrettably, no such study can be conducted in relation to victimization that takes place in the metaverse since there were hardly any research done in this domain. The present research conducted by the Florida Atlantic University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is one of the pioneers to look at the experiences of harm in metaverse under-engaged youths in the USA. 

Rising Dangers: Youth Experience Harassment in Virtual Worlds! Credit | Canva
Rising Dangers: Youth Experience Harassment in Virtual Worlds! Credit | Canva

Surveying 5,005 adolescents aged from 13 to 17 in the United States, the authors centred on research participants’ interactions with VR devices: 12 types of VR harm encountered, protective measures used, and gender differences.  

Youth from the study conducted and published in New Media & Society revealed shocking revelations of having formed one way or the other to various forms of harm in these spaces such as hate speech, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, grooming behaviors, and exposure to violent or sexual content. Sex differences were also evident in the study which highlighted the following student experiences. 

Among the recommendations offered to youth by the researchers include: 

  • To minimize uncomfortable interactions and invasions of their personal bubbles individuals should utilize tools offered by the platforms. 
  •  Youth should also know how to use safety features of the metaverse experience where they are in, this will entail aspects of blocking, muting and reporting options.