Solved: Is VR safe for kids? - Meta Community Forums

cero490 · ‎12-23-2016

I let my kid sister use my Rift once, although have not since as I have heard virtual reality can have a negative impact upon those who are under the age of 13. Something to do with a part of the brain that hasn't been developed (or fully so at least) yet. Is this true? I feel awful showing her such an amazing thing and then taking it away, but I obviously want her health and safety to be priority number one.
I get differing answers and articles; is there anyone who has noticed any ill affects or know for sure what they are talking about? Thanks!

PostalGoat · ‎12-23-2016

I'm not a doctor nor do I play one on tv but I have not noticed any ill affects. I have an 11yr old and 13 yr old that use my Rift. I'm treating it like most things...moderation. They don't play for hours on end but say a level of a game then take a break, etc..I have seen reports saying the blue light or whatever can cause insomnia if you play and try to sleep right after but I have never seen this as an issue.

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kevink808 · ‎12-23-2016

I have seen this age limit referenced across various publications regarding different types of VR hardware. Given these companies are well-advised by legal professionals to limit liability, I'd imagine it's there for good reason. But I have a nephew coming over for Christmas tomorrow and he's 12 1/2. I've decided I will continue my quest to corrupt his youth by exposing him to the glory of VR. I figure that's close enough.

Rift-S, Quest 128GB, GO 64GB.

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Shadowmask72 · ‎12-23-2016

My 10 yo son was a bit spooked at first with the sub scene of the demos but loved luckys tale and eve valkyrie. He also enjoyed Minecraft VR. I limit him to 15-20 minutes only per session and just one or two sessions per month.

System Specs: MSI NVIDIA RTX 4090 , i5 13700K CPU, 32GB DDR 4 RAM, Win 11 64 Bit OS.

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cero490 · ‎12-24-2016

From what I gathered from my inquiries, no, there is likely not an actual negative affect on children, although you should definitely limit their VR time, let them experience it in moderation. Of course, this is true with most things. As far as I can tell, virtual reality is essentially the same as playing a video game or using an electronic, just better immersion.

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Hiro_Protag0nist · ‎12-24-2016

I thought it's a no because of the IPD range (whatever that is - 58 - 72mm?). Obviously unless a kid has a massive heed (there are some, i've seen them in remote areas!) then the Rift lenses won't be in the correct place and they may be straining their eyes.

Big PC, all the headsets, now using Quest 3

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Anonymous · ‎12-25-2016

Cyril said:

The argument I heard, is that under a certain age the child vision is still under development and an (excess) use of VR could negatively impact that development : The CV1 has limited FOV and no eye tracking, so the kind of vision it provides is unnatural.

I don't remember the exact age and amount of usage restrictions, but I would definitely look more into it for providing more then a one time demonstration to a child.

I think the limit that Nintendo has for the 3DS is 7 or 8 years old because, as you've said, the eyes are still at an important developmental stage.

But even then I'd say that small sessions of 10-15 minutes and a long break won't do any harm.

Tbh nobody has a clue about the affects that this generation of VR will have on our health, we'll just have to wait and see. Even if it's doing my poor previously alcohol-abused brain cells a load of damage in th elong run I can quite happily say that it has been worth it...particularly when you play Unreal or CryEngine-driven games. B)

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kevinw729 · ‎12-25-2016

snowdog said:
But even then I'd say that small sessions of 10-15 minutes and a long break won't do any harm.

When medical studies were carried out back in the 90's it was suggested that a maximum of 5-minutes was too long for the issue of "developing eyesight" of the younger user. A factor why we in the DOE sector felt comfortable to just have the 13-year old restriction (as with Nintendo, Microsoft, and other consumer hardware devs).

Many may not know the reason why OVR flip-flopped from 13 to 16 concerning usage of their VR headset. This was based on the parental guidance warning that Facebook legal uses, and not on any proven medical studies.

https://vrawards.aixr.org/ "The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier: Expanding Interactive Boundaries in Leisure Facilities" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Home-Immersive-Entertainment-Frontier/dp/1472426959

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cero490 · ‎12-23-2016

@cybereality What do you think?

PostalGoat · ‎12-23-2016

I'm not a doctor nor do I play one on tv but I have not noticed any ill affects. I have an 11yr old and 13 yr old that use my Rift. I'm treating it like most things...moderation. They don't play for hours on end but say a level of a game then take a break, etc..I have seen reports saying the blue light or whatever can cause insomnia if you play and try to sleep right after but I have never seen this as an issue.

kevink808 · ‎12-23-2016

I have seen this age limit referenced across various publications regarding different types of VR hardware. Given these companies are well-advised by legal professionals to limit liability, I'd imagine it's there for good reason. But I have a nephew coming over for Christmas tomorrow and he's 12 1/2. I've decided I will continue my quest to corrupt his youth by exposing him to the glory of VR. I figure that's close enough.

Rift-S, Quest 128GB, GO 64GB.

TwoHedWlf · ‎12-23-2016

No, it's not safe. They're uncoordinated little spazzes and I wouldn't want them breaking my Rift.

Shadowmask72 · ‎12-23-2016

My 10 yo son was a bit spooked at first with the sub scene of the demos but loved luckys tale and eve valkyrie. He also enjoyed Minecraft VR. I limit him to 15-20 minutes only per session and just one or two sessions per month.

System Specs: MSI NVIDIA RTX 4090 , i5 13700K CPU, 32GB DDR 4 RAM, Win 11 64 Bit OS.

Protocol7 · ‎12-23-2016

Show them just enough to turn them into future VR enthusiasts, then tell them they must wait a few years. For legal reasons.

cero490 · ‎12-24-2016

From what I gathered from my inquiries, no, there is likely not an actual negative affect on children, although you should definitely limit their VR time, let them experience it in moderation. Of course, this is true with most things. As far as I can tell, virtual reality is essentially the same as playing a video game or using an electronic, just better immersion.

RorschachPhoeni · ‎12-24-2016

Protocol7 said:

Show them just enough to turn them into future VR enthusiasts, then tell them they must wait a few years. For legal reasons.

Listen, son! You have to know that the usage of cardboard can lead you into the use of far more immersive HMDs like Vive or Rift. Be aware of the drug dealers, kid! Or you will end up like this:

Image: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8VoMrLCYAAWCmd.jpg

Excuse my bad english. I speak to you through the google translator. 😛

Hiro_Protag0nist · ‎12-24-2016

I thought it's a no because of the IPD range (whatever that is - 58 - 72mm?). Obviously unless a kid has a massive heed (there are some, i've seen them in remote areas!) then the Rift lenses won't be in the correct place and they may be straining their eyes.

Big PC, all the headsets, now using Quest 3