#Stranger things kids do vr how to#
#Stranger things kids do vr tv#

The minimum age isn't based on medical proof of adverse effects on the brain and vision, but it's the manufacturer's best guess as to who the product is safest for.Ĭhoose games wisely. Check the recommended age on the headset package and don't let younger kids use products designed for older kids. And whether kids are using VR through a mobile device like Google Cardboard ( check out our editor's picks of VR apps), on a console like the PlayStation VR, on a fully tricked-out desktop rig like the Oculus Rift, or at a mall arcade, these guidelines can help you keep any VR experience your kids have safe and fun. Students are more enthusiastic about learning with VR than without it, but they aren't necessarily learning more effectively.Įven though we don't yet have all the answers to how VR affects kids, we know enough to consider some pros and cons.

As a teaching tool, the jury is still out on VR.

Experts advocate moderation and supervision. Sixty percent of parents say they are at least 'somewhat concerned' that their children will experience negative health effects while using VR.

The long-term effects of VR on developing brains are unknown, which concerns both parents and the pros.

At its worst, it exposes kids to intense and possibly inappropriate content that feels too 'real.' VR at its best reveals new worlds and new perspectives that kids wouldn't be able to experience in real life.

It has major potential - and serious downsides.

#Stranger things kids do vr tv#

Also, VR characters may be more influential than characters kids see on TV - which can have positive or negative effects, depending on the message.

Because the brain processes virtual reality experiences similar to how it processes actual experiences, it can provoke feelings of fear, anxiety, disorientation - as well as joy and excitement. Here are some of the key findings from the report: This unique ability is what makes it so important to understand more about the short- and long-term effects of the technology on kids.

Other media can give you the sense of 'being there' - what's called psychological presence - but not to the extent that VR can. Virtual reality can make you think and feel things you know aren't real.

#Stranger things kids do vr how to#

Now that VR devices from inexpensive viewers to game consoles to full-scale gaming arcades are finally here - with lots more coming soon - it's a good idea to start thinking about how to manage VR when it comes knocking at your door. Common Sense Media's new report, Virtual Reality 101: What You Need to Know About Kids and VR, co-authored by the founding director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, offers a first-of-its-kind overview of the expanding uses for the technology and its potential effects on kids. But for all its coolness - and its potential uses, from education to medicine - not a lot is known about how VR affects kids. Once you strap on that headset, you truly believe you're strolling on a Parisian street, careening on a roller coaster, or immersed in the human body exploring the inner workings of the esophagus. Everyone who's tried it agrees: Virtual reality is mind-blowing.