Gen Z and Gen Alpha like to immerse themselves in digital worlds like Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft. They tend to prefer these environments to traditional film and television, says lecturer Justin Trevor Winters.
Many children and young people also dedicate hours to these spaces every day. “This trend underscores the metaverse’s role as a vibrant digital playground, offering a wide array of entertainment beyond gaming that nurtures creativity, learning and social connections.”
“After an exhausting basketball practice,” says Justin, “my nephew eagerly rushes home, not to rest, but to dive into Fortnite. While he loves the gameplay, it’s the connection with his friends he cares most about, especially on school nights when in-person gatherings are off the table.”
This digital arena becomes their meeting ground, a place where conversations flow freely. Children in these spaces can talk about the day’s stresses, budding relationships, homework dilemmas, upcoming birthday plans and more. But their interaction doesn’t stop at conversation.
In this virtual space, children can express themselves through the artful selection of ‘skins’ for their avatars. In this way, they craft digital personas that reflect their individuality and sense of style.
“The metaverse, for my nephew and his friends, transcends being merely a game,” Justin adds. “It’s a social hub, a dynamic space where the lines between gaming, socialising and self-expression blur into a cohesive, immersive experience.”
A popular type of virtual event in the metaverse is concerts. Instead of watching a livestream on a screen, your child can join the digital crowd and dance along to their favourite artists. Platforms like Roblox and Fortnite have hosted concerts by stars like Twenty One Pilots, Lil Nas X and Ariana Grande. These virtual events often attract massive audiences.
Hey, this is Lil Nas X and we're on set for my Roblox concert rehearsals. Yeah, let's go!
This ain't no ordinary concert. I've got my whole face and body scanned because I want to look good for my first appearance on Roblox. (Music)
I feel like anybody who does motion capture is going to love this part. Just putting on the suit... (he performs choreography)
I just did the choreography basically right there for the entire thing. That's a wrap for day one, we're out of here! (Music)
In 2023, Epic Games also launched Fortnite Festival. The video game shares similarities to Rock Band and Guitar Hero. However, it’s accessible via the Fortnite launcher. Additionally, Fortnite Festival features collaborations with celebrities like Lady Gaga and The Weeknd.
Fortnite Festival and virtual concerts can provide music experiences to large crowds. They also often include interactive elements like games and challenges to engage users further. Therefore, kids can experience a concert’s energy and excitement from the comfort of home.
As Justin says above, online video games are more than just a place for children to play. According to our Parent Generation Game report, 40% of parents agree that gaming helps children’s social development. Additionally, 62% of children view multiplayer games like Fortnite and Roblox as good for their health and wellbeing.
Virtual gaming events offer children new and exciting ways to game and socialise.
The metaverse opens the possibilities to other types of virtual events for children across the world. For example, film directors are now experimenting with different types of augmented and virtual reality technologies. The overall goal is to make movie-going experiences more immersive.
“Many movies,” says futurist Bernard Marr, “are also shooting behind-the-scenes footage that is available to watch in VR.” This can allow users to explore sets and explore the movie-making process.
Cinema screenings with other people, celebrity interviews and virtual conventions can create a more accessible entertainment industry. These types of events are still under development, but it’s likely we’ll see more in the near future.
Virtual events and entertainment in metaverse can offer several benefits for children and young people.
In the metaverse, children can connect with others all over the world. Our research shows that vulnerable children benefit more than non-vulnerable children in the metaverse.
For instance, 42% of vulnerable children cited making friends as a benefit to using the metaverse, compared with 27% of non-vulnerable children. Vulnerable children also say the metaverse helps them have new experiences (40%) and stay in contact with people they know (37%).
The accessibility of the metaverse also means that any child can engage in virtual events and experiences. And while VR headsets can negatively impact some users, the metaverse does not exist solely in virtual reality. For example, both Roblox and Rec Room are metaverse-based games which users can access in the traditional way or through virtual reality headsets.
Virtual events therefore offer both an accessible and customisable experience for all users.
Beyond accessibility, a major benefit of virtual events and entertainment in the metaverse lies in the immersive experiences. Unlike traditional forms of entertainment, the metaverse lets children go beyond the screen to become active participants in their entertainment.
Children can experience concerts and film as if they’re the stars. These experiences can also encourage and expand children’s learning, interacting with history instead of reading about it. This level of immersion deepens understanding and connection, sparking a sense of wonder.
When it comes to gaming, children say they play to ‘hang out with friends’ (24%) or ‘with family’ (12%). In the metaverse, around 1 in 3 children and parents say a top benefit of the metaverse is ‘staying in contact with people they know’. Additionally, 30% of children cite ‘making new friends’ as another benefit.
The wide reach of the metaverse also means that children can connect with others like them from all over the world. As such, they can develop their world view and understanding of others. The immersive nature of these interactions might allow children to feel deeper connections.
“Although there are many benefits,” says Justin Winters, “the metaverse does come with risks.” Like any digital space where children interact with others, there is risk of exposure to harms. Cyberbullying, hate, inappropriate content and scams are all as prevalent in the metaverse as elsewhere.
Virtual events also tend to lend themselves to additional risk. Some might recall stories around zoombombing during Covid-19 lockdowns. This was where uninvited guests would join a Zoom call and sometimes share disturbing or illegal content.
Without safety measures in place, similar issues could happen during other virtual events in the metaverse.
Spending excessive time in any virtual environment, including the metaverse, can impact children’s health and wellbeing. This is especially true if they use virtual reality headsets, which can lead children to feeling sick or ill. Additionally, VR headsets are designed for adults, not children.
As metaverse events become more common, children’s usage might increase. If they start to prioritise virtual events over other things, this could suggest they need to take a break. Of course, all children are different and parents will need to make safe choices with their child.
As with any online platform, the metaverse presents potential risks of encountering inappropriate content, unsolicited contact with strangers, and cyberbullying. Anonymity within the metaverse can embolden negative behavior, making children vulnerable.
Additionally, the immersive nature of the metaverse means that although virtual, mistreatment can feel real. This includes sexual harassment, assault and other actions that can cause emotional harm over physical harm. However, emotional distress and mental health issues can also have long term impacts on physical health.
Participating in metaverse activities often involves creating avatars and sharing personal information. It’s essential to stay on top of data collection practices and potential privacy concerns associated with these platforms.
Whether your child joins Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft or a lesser-known platform in the metaverse, remember to check how they collect data. Many platforms will allow you to customise which information they collect about users, so you can limit this risk.
Platforms like Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft all have parental controls options to support children’s safety. See our step-by-step guides. Before your child engages in metaverse entertainment, it’s important to first set them up for safe experiences.
However, parental controls are only a part of online safety. Regular conversations about their experiences online and in the metaverse are even more important. Just like you’d ask them about their day at school, make sure you ask them about their virtual experiences.
Regular conversations make it a lot easier for children to tell you when something goes wrong or when they need help.
As with any type of technology, the best way to understand it is to explore it. Ask your child to show you around their favourite platform and attend an event together. This shouldn’t interfere with their regular time with friends; instead, set a separate time to explore together.
This can help you:
Additionally, our research regularly shows that parent confidence is key to keeping their child safe online.
With any technology, it’s important to set boundaries to limit time spent in the metaverse. Create a family agreement for all devices, or a specific agreement for attending events in the metaverse.
Boundaries might include:
Whatever boundaries you set, make sure you involve your child in the choices. Come to a compromise and sign the agreement as a family.
Consider the impacts of the concerts and virtual events your child wants to join. Some might not be appropriate for their age or development.
Justin Trevor Winters is a full-time faculty member in the Screenwriting for Film and Television Department at Loyola Marymount University, a part of the LMU Ignite Innovation Program as a writer and futurist and chairs the LMU AI Alliance.
He is also the co-founder and CEO of Verified Labs, an end-to-end AI transformation service specialising in bringing talent, brands and IP owners into the immersive web.
Some of his clients include the Estates of Ernest Hemingway, Steve McQueen and Bing Crosby as well as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The BIG3 Basketball League and Triumph Motorcycles.
Simone Vibert is Head of Policy and Research at Internet Matters. She is author of A Whole New World? Towards a child-friendly metaverse, a report that looks into the risks and benefits of the metaverse along with actions needed to keep children safe.
We use this report throughout this guide as reference.
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