Fredericksburg Parent

14 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • June 2022 love, life and little ones Ms. Lydia Lydia has a degree in Developmental Psy- chology and was a pre- school owner/director/ teacher for 25 years. She is the mother of two adult sons. Ms. Lydia- My 13-year-old son really wants a VR headset for his birthday this year, but I am afraid. What should I do? Wendy C., Aquia Harbor The VR Conundrum Dear Worried, It is completely understandable that you would be afraid to allow your son to dive into the unknown world of virtual reality. Even though this technology has been around for a while, it is still in its infancy so there is much to learn about how the virtual world affects a young person. Most VR headsets come with a safety warning that the technology is not appropriate for kids under the age of 13. Your son does meet this criterion, but just barely. It is important for you to look at all the factors, both positive and negative, before making this decision. Let's start with the pros. There are some benefits to a teen playing games using a VR headset. The vast array of educational games available is one such pro. Mission: ISS: Quest or National Geographic Explore VR (rated E for everyone) can take teens to exciting places they have never been, and they can be completely immersed in that world. Teens can also learn about history with VR experiences such as Anne Frank House VR, where they can experi- ence the world-famous Secret Annex in a never-before-seen way. It is also a benefit for teens to be exposed to and be comfortable with virtual reality because the world of VR continues to expand and its use on college campuses and in vocational training is becoming more and more prevalent. Another positive to take note of is the physical component of VR games. With traditional video games, teens just sit on the couch and play in a relatively motionless state, leading to weight gain and poor health. With the VR headset, many of the games are quite physical and a player can get a good workout! The negative aspects of VR headsets in teens should also be considered. There are health concerns over the use of VR headsets by teens due to a lack of research and data on any long-term health effects. It is generally agreed that the use of VR headsets can affect vision. This is true for adults, but especially true for children whose eyes are still develop- ing. Even at age 13, your son's eyes are more sensitive than an adult's and he can develop eye strain resulting in headaches, eye fatigue and/or nausea. When a player is using a VR headset, they tend to blink less often, and this results in dry eye, which also contributes to eye strain. The psychological effects of VR are another concern. Your son is still maturing and learning about his place in the world. VR games are often very graphic and violent. For most teens, the line between reality and game play can get blurred and therefore can be disturbing. In addition to the graphic content, most games involve a social component. Your son could be playing with a group of strangers and without proper supervision and clear rules in place, he could divulge information about himself and open the door for the wrong kind of people to take advantage of him. For example, the Oculus VR headset requires a Facebook account (a require- ment that will be changing sometime in 2022) in order to play any of the games. The psychological effects of VR are another concern. The psychological effects of VR are another concern.

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