It appears that Facebook’s move to push into the metaverse raises new challenges for parents who may no longer be able to monitor their children’s online activity.

First, we must understand what the metaverse is. “The metaverse is the Internet, enhanced and upgraded to consistently deliver 3D content, spatially organised information and experiences, and real-time synchronous communication,” wrote 3D Internet pioneer Tony Parisi in his recent essay.

The metaverse is just now receiving mainstream attention as it moves into new, more immersive platforms like VR and AR. But many parents are familiar with popular 3D gaming worlds played on console systems and mobile devices. Metaverse 2021 puts players inside the game with fully immersive 3D VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality).

Stanford’s Professor Jeremy Bailenson suggests the metaverse is entirely different from keeping an eye on children playing video games. “Film or television or a video watched on a tablet may convey sounds and sights captured from the ‘real world’, but when we interact with these media we are almost always aware of their artificiality. They are coming to us from screens…or devices held in our hands,” writes Bailenson in his 2018 book on VR, Experience on Demand.

“When compared to the non-immersive VR condition [watching…a television screen], children in VR showed a significant deficit in inhibitory control,” writes Bailenson. “How children react to media is of particular concern because their prefrontal cortex, the area that is associated with emotion and behaviour regulation, is not completely developed.”

As Facebook and other Big Tech companies transition from traditional online interactions to fully immersive metaverse experiences, having a better handle on the differences can help parents better navigate this evolving landscape.