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Rape and the Unexpected in the Metaverse Is Under Investigation
Virtual reality and all that AI has produced may have unleashed an unexpected, dangerous aspect of this new “world,” and legal issues are being raised.
Reality may be too stressful for children, especially, and the allure of emerging into a virtual world of their own making can beckon like the mythical sirens of Greek tales. And some experts are pointing in that direction.
Reports have indicated that the use of imagination as a coping technique has increased with the advent of COVID-19 and related social limitations (such as shelter-in-place), with both maladaptive and adaptive uses.
When faced with ongoing stress and uncertainty about the real world, both adults and children retreat into their own imaginative worlds where they can play, feel safe, regain control, and see answers.
At the same time that we are seeing changes in the potential coping mechanisms of children in real-world situations, the use of virtual reality (VR) may be playing an unseen role. According to recent research, children in the future will use virtual reality for about ten years of their lives, or about two hours and forty-five minutes each day.
This 10-year estimate, which is based on the fact that the median projected lifespan of today’s children is 88.75…
