After Oculus Quest commercials blanketed the airwaves before the holidays, a number of folks at Common Sense Media raised concerns about Facebook’s take on virtual reality. I decided to seize on this interest to offer up some thoughts on how to improve virtual reality for kids, putting out a short paper: Safe and Secure VR: Policy Issues Impacting Kids’ Use of Immersive Tech.

To guide tech companies’ decisions as they create immersive content aimed at kids, I suggest several ways to ensure kids experience these technologies in a safe, secure, and responsible environment, including:

1. Parental controls should be effective and account for the unique features of VR games, such as its immersive nature. For example, providing clear time-limit mechanisms to prevent overuse.
2. VR platforms must create safer virtual environments. We need a strong set of standards for rating and moderating VR experiences so families can choose what is appropriate for their children.
3. Companies must step up their protection of kids’ data, especially because immersive tech like VR requires the collection of so much sensitive behavioral information.

A number of colleagues and VR enthusiasts offered feedback, and I remain thankful to Lindsey Barrett, Mary Berk, Jon Brescia, Jeff Haynes, Girard Kelly, Joe Newman, and Jenny Radesky for their thoughtful feedback — and willingness to read the paper.

// Download the full paper here.