Who’s Watching Your Kids? Safety and Surveillance in Virtual Worlds for Children

Meyers, Eric M.; Nathan, Lisa P.; Unsworth, Kristene

doi:10.4101/jvwr.v3i2.1890

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…A number of researchers, while analyzing children’s practices on virtual world game sites indicate limitations due to the structures of the sites. Analyses indicate the ways spaces limit potential for learning and literacy practices due in part to designs aimed at creating ‘safe’ spaces for children (Black, 2010; Carrington and Hodgetts, 2010; Marsh, 2010; Meyers et al, 2010; Reich and Black, 2012).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Friending someone means just adding them to your friends list, not much else’

Willett

2015

Convergence

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This article analyzes young preteens' uses and understandings of virtual world games, with a focus on the structures that create different online experiences. The study involved working with a group of 28 children aged 8 to 10 years. Data analyzed in this article are paper-based activities, semistructured interviews, and field notes. The article investigates dominant constructions of children as 'not yet complete' and as 'active, knowing beings' (Cook, 2005). These dichotomous constructions are explored across the literature concerning children and virtual world games, particularly in relation to online risks and opportunities. The analysis focuses on ways data collected for this project challenge constructions of children as either at risk or active and empowered. The analysis reveals that many children's online engagements in virtual world games are casual (i.e. they are not investing time or money in the games) and structured by factors such as age, socioeconomic status, and Internet access. The article suggests that studies of children online need to distinguish between different digital childhoods, particularly in relation to research and policy suggestions.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Friending someone means just adding them to your friends list, not much else’

Willett

2015

Convergence

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“…For example, being silenced from chatting restricts the freedom for text-based written communication via text, whereas vaporization restricts the visual imagery of a user during gameplay. These in-game actions mimic real-life scenarios, actions such as calling 9-1-1 within Whyville also enable transferring of similar actions outside Whyville, allowing youth to connect their online play with offline safety training in daily interactions [27,77].…”

Section: Communication Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connected Play in Virtual Worlds: Communication and Control Mechanisms in Virtual Worlds for Children and Adolescents

Grace

Jagannath

et al. 2021

MTI

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Technology plays an essential role in shaping youth’s communication and social interactions in online multiplayer games. Due to physical distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 global pandemic, online multiplayer games like Minecraft and Roblox are well-positioned to amplify healthy communication/social connections and mitigate the impact of social isolation. Research so far has been focused on how these gaming environments support youth development from the perspectives of individual stakeholders (e.g., caregivers, educators, designers, and developers). However, features of these games, such as communication and parental controls, are often misaligned with the ways in which children develop communication and social skills. Using a series of case studies of popular virtual worlds and online games, this paper provides an analysis of critical design features that serve youth throughout different stages of childhood and early adolescence. We offer three main contributions: (a) a comparison matrix of similarities and differences in communication and control features between platforms; (b) an evaluation of design features in selected virtual world platforms that promote safe and positive social interactions; and (c) a method for cross-platform comparison aimed at helping researchers, designers, and practitioners examine specific dimensions of social communication and play experience in virtual worlds.

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“…In recent years, scholars within and beyond library and information science (LIS) have developed more nuanced views than those promoted in sensational media headlines and the popular press, probing to better understand the ways youth cultures adapt to online environments (boyd, ), ways young people do seek advice and work to manage their privacy online (Smith, ; Youn & Hall, ; Youn, ) and how design practices might provide age‐appropriate degrees of safety while still providing the advantages of digital connectivity (Meyers, ; Meyers, Nathan, & Unsworth, ; Subramaniam, Valdivia, Pellicone and Neigh, ). Time‐tested research methods are blending with online technologies and novel explorations to generate relevant and meaningful outcomes of new research into.…”

Section: Research Into Privacy and Young Peoplementioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding networked youth and online privacy: Questions, methods and implications

Greyson

Agosto

Meyers

et al. 2014

Proc of Assoc for Info

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Young people's social practices online and use of digital media have been conceptualized both as an opportunity and a threat to society. While the mass media has often focused on moral panic related to dramatic examples of social media‐related harm to young people, research within Library and Information Science has taken multiple methodological approaches to investigate the ways digital youth navigate and negotiate privacy in online spaces. Findings from such studies offer insight into youth cultures and technology design that supports online privacy. This panel will demonstrate a variety of projects and approaches that have been taken to investigate privacy issues related to young people's online interactions and practices, and the social and design implications of emerging findings for our understanding of young people and online privacy. We will also lead audience members in an interactive brainstorming session centered around various research scenarios, asking participants to consider the strengths and weaknesses of specific research questions and methods in addressing adults’ concerns related to youth and online privacy. We will conclude with an interactive discussion of recommended future research directions for enhancing our understanding of young people's privacy practices.

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Who’s Watching Your Kids? Safety and Surveillance in Virtual Worlds for Children

Cited by 9 publications

References 2 publications

‘Friending someone means just adding them to your friends list, not much else’

‘Friending someone means just adding them to your friends list, not much else’

Connected Play in Virtual Worlds: Communication and Control Mechanisms in Virtual Worlds for Children and Adolescents

Understanding networked youth and online privacy: Questions, methods and implications

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