As virtual reality struggles to reach mass adoption, new US research from non-profit org Common Sense Media takes a closer look at parents’ attitudes about VR for kids, and answers questions parents and teachers have about the emerging technology and its potential impact on children.
...Among the key findings around ownership and interest levels, only one in five US families (21%) with children under 18 report owning a VR device, and the majority (65%) aren’t planning to buy VR hardware.
...According to the survey, 50% of kids in the sample of parents of eight- to 17-year-olds who use VR hadn’t used their VR device in the past week, and only 6% of parents said that one or more of their children had used VR every day in the past week.
Amongst families with children under 18 who don’t own and are not planning to buy a VR device, lack of interest in using the technology was the top reason why (56%); 31% don’t know enough about VR, 28% say it’s too expensive, 20% are concerned about health effects, 10% think it’s gimmicky, and 6% say it’s too hard to discover content.
As for VR’s impact on health, 60% of parents say they are at least “somewhat concerned” that their kids will experience negative health effects while using VR, and half of them are “very concerned.” Amongst parents of eight- to 17-year-olds who use VR, 13% of kids have experienced bumping into something, 11% reported dizziness, 10% have suffered headaches, and 8% reported eye strain....
The report comes on the heels of a
new US study from Deloitte, which found that consumers’ value of VR headsets has fallen by 14% since 2015, although there is growing demand for digital reality experiences....