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Welcome back to part 2 of my Metaverse series. If you are after tips and strategies to help your kids navigate the Metaverse safely then you’re in the right place. In this post I’ll share with you how your kids are likely already accessing the Metaverse, the benefits plus how to ensure they have a safe and positive experience. Now, if you’d like a refresher on exactly what the Metaverse is before we get underway, then check out part one here.
If your kids have played Roblox, Fortnite or Minecraft then they have already taken the step into this new virtual frontier. Yes, it’s that easy! But how many kids are playing on these platforms?
So, if you’ve got a couple of kids, tweens or teens in your house, then chances are they have probably already had a Metaverse experience! Or, if not yet, then it won’t be long…
There are actually a lot of similarities between online video games and the Metaverse including the use of avatars and the availability of items to purchase eg a horse in a game or an NFT (non-fungible token) in the Metaverse. However, the biggest difference is that the Metaverse is not just about gaming – it is so much more. In the Metaverse, there are no limitations to the number of participants nor on the type of activity – you can attend meetings, concerts, socialise without the gaming aspect, even undertake study!
There are so many good things about the Metaverse for our kids, particularly from an educational perspective. As a mum of 4, I am really excited at the possibilities the Metaverse will offer our kids. Imagine being able to experience a country in virtual reality – walk around, see the sights, its geographical features. I have no doubt that would enthuse even the most reluctant learners. And a recent US study confirmed this. It found that taking students on a Virtual Reality field trip to Greenland to learn about climate change resulted in higher interest, enjoyment and retention than students who simply watched a traditional 2-D video. How good!
Taking care of my family’s mental health has always been a huge focus of my parenting approach and I am really excited at the great options the Metaverse can offer in the area. As a family, we’ve spent multiple hours using apps like Calm and Headspace to help us meditate and practice mindfulness. But the thought of being able to don a VR headset and be transported to the actual rainforest or the roaring fire that I often listen to, is even more appealing! One of the best parts of the VR experience is that it completely blocks out the ‘real world’ which would make it easier to stay in the flow. Very appealing!
And while we’re talking benefits, let’s not gloss over the potential role the Metaverse can play in fostering empathy and promoting understanding between communities. There is a growing group of digital creators who are designing Metaverse experiences to do this using Virtual Reality. Homeless Realities is a project from the University of Southern California (USC) where students use virtual reality to tell stories, usually of marginalized communities that have been overlooked by traditional journalism. So powerful!
As parents, it’s essential that we add the Metaverse to our list of things to get our head around so we can keep our kids safe. Here are my top tips:
While I very much appreciate you reading this post, it’s important that you take action and get involved – particularly if your kids are already. If your kids are using Minecraft, Fortnite or Roblox – sign up and understand yourself how it all works. If your kids have a VR headset and you’re not sure how it works – ask them for a turn and a lesson. Only by experiencing it for yourself, will you truly understand the attraction but also the pitfalls and risks.
As the Metaverse is still evolving and very much a work in progress, there are very minimal protections in place for users. However, the 3 platforms that tend to attract younger players (Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite) all have parental control features. So, please direct them here – if you can – as you’ll be able to have more control over their online safety.
Minecraft and Fortnite allow parents to disable chat functions which means your kids can’t communicate with people they don’t know. Roblox will automatically apply certain safety settings depending on the age group of their account. But regardless of what their platform of choice is, always protect your credit card details!! I know Fortnite will only allow kids to make ‘in game’ purchases if these supply credit card details in the checkout.
If your kids are older, it’s likely, you’ll have far less say over where they spend their time in the Metaverse so that’s when your kids will need to rely on their cyber safety skills to help them make safe decisions. Now, don’t assume that your child’s school has ticked the cyber safety box and it’s all been taken care of. Cybersafety needs to be weaved into your family’s dialogue and spoken about regularly. Even from the age of 5, your kids should know that they shouldn’t talk to strangers online or offline, if they see something that makes them upset online then they need to talk to a parent asap and, that they should never share their name or anything that could identify them online.
The goal of this is to make safe online behaviour part of their routine so that when they are faced with a challenging situation anywhere online, they automatically know how to respond. And of course, as kids get older, the advice becomes appropriate to their age.
Most kids are busting to get access to a VR headset but please take some time to do your research to work out which headsets are more suitable for your kids and your lounge room! There are 2 basic types: some that require a ‘tethered’ connection to a PC or standalone models with built-in computing power. The tethered headsets have traditionally delivered a more immersive user experience due to the extra computational power the PC provides however experts predict it won’t be long before standalone headsets are just as good. The biggest selling VR headset, Occulus Quest 2, can in fact connect wirelessly to your PC with the option to connect via a cable in case the game or experience needs extra oomph!
Regardless of which type you choose, it’s important that there is a safe play area in which to use the headset. VR headsets completely removes any visual of the real world so please remove special vases and keepsakes and ensure the dog isn’t roaming around.
‘Cybersickness’ aka motion sickness can be a real issue for some VR users. When you don the headset and are immersed in a different time and space, your body can get very confused. If your brain thinks you are moving (based on what you are seeing through the headset) but in fact you’re standing still, it creates a disconnect that causes enough confusion to make you feel nauseous. If this happens to your kids, consider reducing the time they spend with the headset, having fewer but smaller sessions to get your ‘VR legs’ and checking the VR headset is being worn correctly.
So, it’s over to you now parents: it’s time to get involved and understand this Metaverse once and for all. Always start with the games and experiences your kids spend their time on but when you’re ready, make sure you check out some of the more adult places such as Decentraland or The Sandbox. Who knows, you might just become a virtual real estate tycoon or set up a business that becomes quite the side hustle! The sky is the limit in the Metaverse!
Till next time!
Alex
The post A Parent’s Guide To The Metaverse – Part Two appeared first on McAfee Blog.
We’ve all heard about the Metaverse. And there’s no doubt it has certainly captured the attention of the world’s biggest companies: Facebook has changed its name to Meta, Hyundai has partnered up with Roblox to offer virtual test drives, Nike has bought a virtual shoe company and Coca-Cola is selling NFT’s there too. (Non-Fungible Tokens – think digital assets).
But if you are confused about exactly what this all means and most importantly, what the metaverse actually is, then you are not alone. I’m putting together a 2-part series for parents that will help us get a handle on exactly what this new digital frontier promises and what we need to know to keep our kids safe. It will also ensure we don’t feel like dinosaurs! So, let’s get started.
I think the best way of describing the Metaverse is that it’s a network of online 3D virtual worlds that mimic the real world. Once users have chosen their digital avatar, they can meet people, play games, do business, design fashion items, buy real estate, attend events, earn money, rear a pet – in fact, almost anything they can do in the ‘real’ world! And of course, all transactions are via cryptocurrencies.
If you are an avid Science Fiction reader, then you may have already come across the term in the 1992 novel ‘Snow Crash’ by Neal Stephenson. In the book, Stephenson envisions a virtual reality-based evolution of the internet in which his characters use digital avatars of themselves to explore the online world. Sounds eerily familiar, doesn’t it?
Still confused? Check out either the book or Steven Spielberg’s movie adaption of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One. Set in 2045, the book tells the story of people living in a war-ravaged world on the brink of collapse who turn to OASIS, a massively multiplayer online simulation game that has its own virtual world and currency. In the OASIS, they engage with each other, shop, play games and be transported to different locations.
The best and most immersive way to access the metaverse is using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset and your internet connection, of course. VR headsets completely take over users’ vision and replace the outside world with a virtual one. Now, this maybe a game or a movie but VR headsets have their own set of apps which once downloaded, allows users to meditate, learn piano, work out at the gym or even attend a live concert in the metaverse!
Now access to the Metaverse is not just limited to those who own expensive headsets. Anyone with a computer or a smartphone (that is internet connected) can also have a metaverse experience. Of course, it won’t be as intense or immersive as the VR headset experience but it’s still a commonly used route to access the metaverse. Some of these ‘worlds’ suggest users can access their world using smartphones however experienced users don’t think this is a good idea as phones don’t have the necessary computational power to explore the metaverse properly.
As some of the most popular metaverse worlds can be accessed using your computer, why not check out Decentraland, The Sandbox, Somnium or even Second Life. In most of these worlds, users don’t have to create an account or spend money to start exploring however if you want the full experience then you’ll need to do so.
Entering the metaverse doesn’t cost anything, just like going on the internet doesn’t cost anything – apart from your internet connection and hardware, of course! And don’t forget that if you want a truly immersive 3D experience, then you might want to consider investing in a VR headset.
But, if you do want to access some of the features of the metaverse and invest in some virtual real estate or perhaps buy yourself a Gucci handbag, then you will need to put your hand into your virtual pocket and spend some of your virtual dollars. But the currency you will need depends entirely on the metaverse you are in.
Decentraland’s currency MANA is considered to be the most commonly used currency in the metaverse and also one of the best to invest in, according to some experts. MANA can be used to buy land, purchase avatars, names, wearables, and other items in the Decentraland marketplace.
The Sandbox has a different currency, SAND, which is also used to buy items from The Sandbox marketplace. This is the second most popular currency however be prepared to buy the currency of the world you choose to spend your time in.
Now, I totally appreciate that the whole concept of the Metaverse is a lot to get your head around. But if you have a tribe of kids, then chances are they are going to want to be part of it so don’t put it in the too-hard basket. Take some time to get your head around it: do some more reading, talk to your friends about it and check out some of the metaverses that you can access from your PC. Nothing beats experiencing it for yourself!
In Part 2, I will be sharing my top tips and strategies to help us, parents, successfully guide our kids through the challenges and risks of the metaverse. So watch out for that.
Till, next time – keep researching!
Alex x
The post A Parent’s Guide To The Metaverse – Part One appeared first on McAfee Blog.
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