Children and Social VR: Physiological, Psychological and Social Harms

This chapter explores the multifaceted impacts of social Virtual Reality (VR) on children, focusing on physiological, psychological and social harms. It highlights how the immersive nature of VR exacerbates concerns about children’s digital media use, particularly when children are still developing important cognitive, social and physical skills. The chapter reviews research on the physiological effects of VR on children's vision and balance, discusses psychological concerns including the potential for addiction and the difficulty in distinguishing VR from reality and delves into social harms such as targeted harassment and exposure to mature content. The chapter emphasises the need for robust age-appropriate design, supervision and content moderation to protect young users in VR environments. It also addresses the broader implications of children's presence in social VR spaces for adult users, emphasising the need for community norms that support a safe and inclusive environment for all ages. Taken together, this overview adds to calls against the further expansion of children’s use of VR without further research and safeguards.