Youth in Virtual Worlds
Sage Cammers-Goodwin--December 2014
Introduction/Background:
Apprehension over youth involvement in virtual worlds has been present for over a decade and is not likely to disappear anytime soon. This concern likely stems from the fact that cognitive development is not finished until adulthood and is closely linked to childhood environmental exposure. Given the fact that in 2008 the largest virtual world for children had 90 million users, while the largest for adults (over the age of 20) had only 13 million registered users, it is logical for youth involvement to be at the forefront of virtual world dialogue. [1] It is essential for parents, caretakers, and youth to understand the complications of engaging in virtual realities and cultivate positive, non-detrimental behaviors while online.
Apprehension over youth involvement in virtual worlds has been present for over a decade and is not likely to disappear anytime soon. This concern likely stems from the fact that cognitive development is not finished until adulthood and is closely linked to childhood environmental exposure. Given the fact that in 2008 the largest virtual world for children had 90 million users, while the largest for adults (over the age of 20) had only 13 million registered users, it is logical for youth involvement to be at the forefront of virtual world dialogue. [1] It is essential for parents, caretakers, and youth to understand the complications of engaging in virtual realities and cultivate positive, non-detrimental behaviors while online.
Limitations:
Abuse of virtual worlds can manifest in several ways. Kids may engage in bullying or cheating online, believing that they cannot get caught. Troublesome adults may enter youth sites to obtain personal information or sexualize children. Additionally, children can fake their age to enter sites without parental consent. These cases are not rare either: The Bureau for Justice Affairs released in 2013 that 20% of middle school students admit to having experienced cyber bullying [4] and a Canadian study found that almost one-third of students in 4-6th grade have Facebook TM accounts despite being under the age limit of thirteen [9]. Studies have shown that there are long-term effects from bullying, sexual trauma, and exposure to explicit content during childhood [10][2]. Sadly, the private and personal nature of virtual worlds makes monitoring the extremely challenging for parents.
Another concern is the ethical practices of game providers. The toy company Webkinz TM is famous for hosting a virtual world in tandem with selling stuffed animals. The virtual world associated with the company is filled with advertisements endorsing the purchase of more Webkinz TM pets [8]. Consumerism is endorsed in many youth targeted virtual worlds. Both Neopets TM and Club Penguin TM are economy-based games where users can buy upgraded clothing or food depending on their wealth or membership status. On sites like these, users can spend real money in exchange for virtual credit. An 11-year-old British boy mindlessly bought $1,500 worth of upgrades while playing games on his family Xbox without realizing the amount spent on his working class mom’s debit card [7]. Furthermore, sites often exemplify specific world views and may primarily offer Western or sexy looking avatars. Essentially, if guardians are accepting a virtual world as “safe” they are leaving a corporation to cultivate the proper environment to rear their child.
Abuse of virtual worlds can manifest in several ways. Kids may engage in bullying or cheating online, believing that they cannot get caught. Troublesome adults may enter youth sites to obtain personal information or sexualize children. Additionally, children can fake their age to enter sites without parental consent. These cases are not rare either: The Bureau for Justice Affairs released in 2013 that 20% of middle school students admit to having experienced cyber bullying [4] and a Canadian study found that almost one-third of students in 4-6th grade have Facebook TM accounts despite being under the age limit of thirteen [9]. Studies have shown that there are long-term effects from bullying, sexual trauma, and exposure to explicit content during childhood [10][2]. Sadly, the private and personal nature of virtual worlds makes monitoring the extremely challenging for parents.
Another concern is the ethical practices of game providers. The toy company Webkinz TM is famous for hosting a virtual world in tandem with selling stuffed animals. The virtual world associated with the company is filled with advertisements endorsing the purchase of more Webkinz TM pets [8]. Consumerism is endorsed in many youth targeted virtual worlds. Both Neopets TM and Club Penguin TM are economy-based games where users can buy upgraded clothing or food depending on their wealth or membership status. On sites like these, users can spend real money in exchange for virtual credit. An 11-year-old British boy mindlessly bought $1,500 worth of upgrades while playing games on his family Xbox without realizing the amount spent on his working class mom’s debit card [7]. Furthermore, sites often exemplify specific world views and may primarily offer Western or sexy looking avatars. Essentially, if guardians are accepting a virtual world as “safe” they are leaving a corporation to cultivate the proper environment to rear their child.
Benefits:
If so much harm can come from virtual worlds, then why bother? Well, the virtual world is not without its benefits. Online realities give youth the opportunity to engage with others of their age from across the globe. Children all over the world use Club Penguin TM, a virtual world owned by Disney targeted to youth ranging from 7-14 years of age. On the site, kids interact using preset text or monitored original dialogue. Virtual worlds also allow children to explore, play games, and be social without risk of physical injury. Parents do not need to supervise their child virtually sledding with friends or having an online snowball fight. Children can also experiment with their identity without facing the resentment of their home community. They must also follow Codes of Conduct in order not to be booted from certain sites, which may be an effective way to teach self-policing and responsibility.
If so much harm can come from virtual worlds, then why bother? Well, the virtual world is not without its benefits. Online realities give youth the opportunity to engage with others of their age from across the globe. Children all over the world use Club Penguin TM, a virtual world owned by Disney targeted to youth ranging from 7-14 years of age. On the site, kids interact using preset text or monitored original dialogue. Virtual worlds also allow children to explore, play games, and be social without risk of physical injury. Parents do not need to supervise their child virtually sledding with friends or having an online snowball fight. Children can also experiment with their identity without facing the resentment of their home community. They must also follow Codes of Conduct in order not to be booted from certain sites, which may be an effective way to teach self-policing and responsibility.
Shift in Culture:
The phrase “kids will be kids” applies to the virtual world. Children’s behavior online is not too different than in the real world [6]. Instead, what was once only imagined has a virtual manifestation. Sherry Turkle, Professor of Social Studies and Science at MIT believes that “for young people, there is rather a kind of fluid boundary between the real and virtual world, and they can easily pass through it.” In a study conducted by University of Sheffield Professor of Education, Dr. Marsh, children were interviewed on their interactions on Club Penguin TM and Barbie Girls TM, one seven year old respondent said, “Me and my friends and my cousins and strangers who come to my party, we all went to the disco room and then when we were all drunk we went back to my house and had a little lay down” [3]. Although the base of youth behavior has remained constant, playing with strangers in unsupervised virtual realities has different consequences than playing make-believe with cousins or siblings in the backyard.
Virtual Worlds blur the already confusing lines between real and fake for kids. In a survey done of 2,300 11-18 year olds from across the UK, 45 percent admitted to sometimes being happier online than in real life [7]. Like the land of make-believe, online environments provide a space for exploration as well as a safe haven from the difficulties of growing up. Unfortunately, kids and parents sometimes forget the reach of the online world and that actions taken online can impact others. Researchers for Kidscape, a children’s charity, found that teenagers seem unable to relate the risks of Internet safety they learn in school to themselves [7]. It also seems as though parents have become habituated to the online era. A Canadian study found that “the percentage of household rules about online activities has declined dramatically from 2005 to 2013, most notably in rules relating to meeting online acquaintances in person [by 30%] and sites you are not supposed to visit [by 28%] [9]. It seems that society has grown accustomed to children having relatively unrestricted internet access.
The phrase “kids will be kids” applies to the virtual world. Children’s behavior online is not too different than in the real world [6]. Instead, what was once only imagined has a virtual manifestation. Sherry Turkle, Professor of Social Studies and Science at MIT believes that “for young people, there is rather a kind of fluid boundary between the real and virtual world, and they can easily pass through it.” In a study conducted by University of Sheffield Professor of Education, Dr. Marsh, children were interviewed on their interactions on Club Penguin TM and Barbie Girls TM, one seven year old respondent said, “Me and my friends and my cousins and strangers who come to my party, we all went to the disco room and then when we were all drunk we went back to my house and had a little lay down” [3]. Although the base of youth behavior has remained constant, playing with strangers in unsupervised virtual realities has different consequences than playing make-believe with cousins or siblings in the backyard.
Virtual Worlds blur the already confusing lines between real and fake for kids. In a survey done of 2,300 11-18 year olds from across the UK, 45 percent admitted to sometimes being happier online than in real life [7]. Like the land of make-believe, online environments provide a space for exploration as well as a safe haven from the difficulties of growing up. Unfortunately, kids and parents sometimes forget the reach of the online world and that actions taken online can impact others. Researchers for Kidscape, a children’s charity, found that teenagers seem unable to relate the risks of Internet safety they learn in school to themselves [7]. It also seems as though parents have become habituated to the online era. A Canadian study found that “the percentage of household rules about online activities has declined dramatically from 2005 to 2013, most notably in rules relating to meeting online acquaintances in person [by 30%] and sites you are not supposed to visit [by 28%] [9]. It seems that society has grown accustomed to children having relatively unrestricted internet access.
Club Penguin Sled Racing
Policy:
There are several ethical considerations to take into account when determining the best policy for online worlds. Should adults have the freedom to participate in virtual worlds intended for children? Do adults have the right not to be monitored online? Does the risk of children breaking minimum age guidelines justify tighter restrictions for the greater community? What is the limit of free speech? At what point does online dialogue become bullying? Whose responsibility is it to ensure child safety online? In the past year, the FBI called for virtual games to be added to the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act. With this addition, the FBI would have means to oversee virtual world communications [4]. Unfortunately, such policy adjustments may breach on individual right to privacy and it is likely that youth issues like indecent exposure and bullying would be too trivial to involve the FBI.
So what would then be a good policy to guarantee the safety of youth online? The US government has tried protecting youth by implementing thirteen and up laws, but tweens easily lie about their age to access sites. The web simply lacks the infrastructure to guarantee child safety. The only way to increase the likelihood for child safety is by education, communication with parents, and government support. A system similar to U.S. sexual consent laws might be the best bet for attaining success. In the hopes that children make good decisions, guardians should talk to their kids early and often about virtual safety, schools should include online security in middle school education, and the government should maintain guideline restriction laws as an idealized goal. Even though kids will be kids, society should strive to provide youth with a healthy environment in which to grow up.
There are several ethical considerations to take into account when determining the best policy for online worlds. Should adults have the freedom to participate in virtual worlds intended for children? Do adults have the right not to be monitored online? Does the risk of children breaking minimum age guidelines justify tighter restrictions for the greater community? What is the limit of free speech? At what point does online dialogue become bullying? Whose responsibility is it to ensure child safety online? In the past year, the FBI called for virtual games to be added to the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act. With this addition, the FBI would have means to oversee virtual world communications [4]. Unfortunately, such policy adjustments may breach on individual right to privacy and it is likely that youth issues like indecent exposure and bullying would be too trivial to involve the FBI.
So what would then be a good policy to guarantee the safety of youth online? The US government has tried protecting youth by implementing thirteen and up laws, but tweens easily lie about their age to access sites. The web simply lacks the infrastructure to guarantee child safety. The only way to increase the likelihood for child safety is by education, communication with parents, and government support. A system similar to U.S. sexual consent laws might be the best bet for attaining success. In the hopes that children make good decisions, guardians should talk to their kids early and often about virtual safety, schools should include online security in middle school education, and the government should maintain guideline restriction laws as an idealized goal. Even though kids will be kids, society should strive to provide youth with a healthy environment in which to grow up.
Popular Virtual Worlds for Youth [5]:
- Wizard101 – Magic-themed fantasy game
- NeoPets – Pioneer browser based world for kids, involves raising mythical monsters
- Club Penguin- Emphasizes safety and fun in a world full of colorful penguin avatars
- WhyVille – Emphasizes education through games
- Webkinz – Real purchasable stuffed animals become virtual world pets
Sources:
- Beals, Laura, and Marina Umaschi Bers. "A Developmental Lens for Designing Virtual Worlds for Children and Youth." International Journal of Learning and Media 1, no. 1 (2009): 51-65. Accessed December 1, 2014. http://ase.tufts.edu/Devtech/publications/Beals-Developmental_Lens_for_Virtual_Communities.pdf.
- Hall, M. & Hall, J. “The Longterm Effects of Childhood Abuse: Counseling Implications. 2011. Accessed Dec 1, 2014. http://counselingoutfitters.com/vistas/vistas11/Article_19.pdf.
- Marsh, Jackie. "Young Children’s Play in Online Virtual Worlds." Journal of Early Childhood Research, 2010, 23-39. http://ecr.sagepub.com.
- "School Violence: Echoes from the Digital Playgrounds." 2013. Accessed November 14, 2014. https://www.bja.gov/Publications/Drakonats-School_Violence.pdf.
- Steinburg, Scott. "Top 10 Online and Virtual Worlds for Kids - Gamezebo." Gamezebo. March 14, 2012. Accessed December 1, 2014. http://www.gamezebo.com/2012/03/14/top-10-online-and-virtual-worlds-kids/.
- Subrahmanyam, Kaveri. "Developmental Implications of Children’s Virtual Worlds." 66 Wash. & Lee L. Rev., 2009, 1065-083.
- Thomas, Liz. "Generation Net: The Youngsters Who Prefer Their Virtual Lives to the Real World." Mail Online. February 8, 2011. Accessed December 1, 2014. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1354702/Children-happier-virtual-lives-real-world.html#ixzz3KVv1GNZc.
- "Website Reviews." Common Sense Media. January 1, 2014. Accessed November 30, 2014. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews/category/website/genre/virtual-worlds-20264.
- "Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Life Online Executive Summary." Media Smarts, 2014. Accessed November 30, 2014. http://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/pdfs/publication-report/summary/YCWWIII_Life_Online_ExecutiveSummary_2.pdf.
- Zielinski, Sarah. "Bullying's Long-Term Effects Seen in Both the Bullied and the Bully."National Geographic, May 12, 2014. Accessed November 30, 2014. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140512-bullying-health-depression-stress-science/.