Parenting today requires more nuance, with a focus on how augmented reality affects children. Experts are still unsure about its long-term implications.
In this article, we’ll examine the latest findings to help you make the best decision for your children. Is augmented reality safe for kids? Let’s find out.
At What Age is it Okay to Introduce Young Children to AR?
According to the American Psychology Association, we don’t know much about the impact of screens. Most notably regarding prolonged exposure and the development of young minds.
Technology is simply moving too fast for researchers to keep up. Previously, things were similar at the end of the millennium but on a smaller scale. Due to the increase in demand, today we see the advent of new entertainment technology.
As new inventions pop left and right, one can only try and adjust to this tempo. Plus, no one product lingers for too long. Just as we got used to something, there are two better versions coming next week. Hence, both parents and psychologists express their concerns. Many topics revolve around overstimulation and introducing children to concepts beyond their emotional and physical maturity.
Leading minds suggest that we should keep newborns away from AR at least in the first 12 months. Moreover, parents should limit exposure after that to no more than 1-2 hours per day until year seven. After that, 2-3 hours until the twelfth year.
In Reality, the Sales Speak for Themselves
Application developers and producers have been creating content for children before birth. An example of this are apps such as Grow Baby, popular among women in maternity. Also, companies create new AR toys meant for children almost on a daily level.
Such is the state of the market today. Hence, it is no surprise that people tend to get behind a fresh idea and support it by making a purchase. However, as a result, children spend more than half the time they are awake in front of a screen. This is 300-400% more than the optimal amount. However, this also brings children closer to AR, which seems to be a risky prospect.
Is Augmented Reality Safe for Kids?
The software development company Allerin lists the five biggest concerns regarding the use of AR. This list is not exclusively related to children, but they do focus on them as the most vulnerable group. Obviously, children need constant care because their brains are still malleable and therefore more susceptible.
Information Overload
As AR becomes more and more interactive due to AR glasses or earphones, children and adults can become overwhelmed. The purpose of AR is to enable rapid access to current information, which speeds up automation and progress. However, if one receives too much of it too quickly, the outcome may be quite the opposite.
Young adults and children are particularly susceptible to such pitfalls. Such technology may hinder their often-fragile self-concept or ego, and the results can be dire. Without the confidence to make coherent decisions, their psyche might suffer for it. This downward spiral leads to all sorts of negative thoughts or even stress, depression, and suicide.
Perception Impairment
Nothing is potentially more dangerous than a child who has lost touch with reality. This is a concern that Allerin has, especially for minors brought up on AR as a norm. The mind believes what the mind is fed, states Jarvis. This information can be either based on reality and truth or in a warped delusion of what is.
Children and adults alike make decisions based on how they perceive the world, resulting in favorable or undesirable outcomes. Researchers and programmers both warn that there needs to be a healthy balance between interacting with the real world as opposed to AR. One must never lose touch with what is true, and that concept must precede any other “reality”.
The impairment of perception at a subconscious level is an impairment of physical sight and hearing. As AR’s become more pervasive, it is possible to get distracted and have an accident due to misjudging what’s in front of us.
Distraction
AR was to assist rather than hinder performance; however, it can do the opposite. For example, let’s look at the AR ScoobieDoodle. The designers wanted to encourage young learners to write and read, but the results turned out to be an actual hindrance.
It is situations like this that experts warned us in the past. That’s why it is so essential that new tech moves along with the proven methods and not try and replace them.
Privacy
Because AR uses real-world information to augment virtual details, privacy is another concern. Parents should understand this particular aspect before allowing their kids access to it. Youngsters are more gullible and susceptible to sharing information that would put them at risk of harm.
In other words, parents need to provide supervision, guidance, and oversight. When new and better gadgets enter the market every day, parents should be quick to notice. Or, to be more precise, they should be at least quicker than their offspring.
Security
There is a genuine risk that hackers could gain access to AR platforms and cause harm. Due to how such programs operate, hackers can find an opening to a lot of data.
Another threat is malfunction or viruses. AR carries the potential to train oneself in a simulated environment. However, if something goes wrong, there can be severe consequences.
Are Augmented Reality Apps Safe?
There are several practical applications for augmentation. Learning is one of these. Simulations enable students to integrate the real and the virtual. In turn, this might enhance the learning process.
In time, such options can change up how we approach schooling in general. For this and several other reasons, AR apps are helpful. They can stimulate many important aspects of growing up, making them more approachable for any youngster.
Balance and Context Is Everything
Overuse of AR and underuse of other forms of learning, play, and interaction can lead to a warped sense of perception. Later, even to some very alarming side effects. But let’s not throw the proverbial baby out the bathwater just yet.
Too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. So too, with AR. This form of technology can be very addictive because it is so captivating. Certain apps can, in fact, be unsafe, especially if you utilize them wrong. This is another reason why we should remain in control when it comes to young users and AR.
For instance, AR games mirror reality to an astounding degree. This sense of heightened excitement can cause the release of dopamine every time one achieves a virtual reward or token. However, it can also create an addiction. In worse cases, it can evolve into a form of substance abuse or substance abuse-induced psychosis.
Rules Are There for a Reason
Parents and caregivers need to heed age restrictions now more than ever and limit the time spent with devices. Children still need to play outside, and it is very healthy for minors to have periods of rest and low stimulation. Specialists encourage taking time away from screens for a few hours, especially before bed.
Forbes suggests “screen holidays”, where parents don’t allow screens for several days. But, if withdrawal symptoms are present during the screen breaks, this might be a cause for concern. There probably is an overuse problem that needs to be addressed urgently.
What Are the Dangers of Augmented Reality?
To establish whether augmented reality is safe for kids, it is important to look carefully at all the potential dangers. Sabelman reported several immediate dangers to AR that one would not necessarily have considered at first thought. According to his research, there is a steep learning curve, especially in getting used to optical AR devices such as GoogleLense and the like.
The mind and eye often need to adapt and are unaware that they do not perceive reality incorrectly. At times this can have dire consequences. These tools can “trick” us in a way, diverting our attention away from the most immediate danger.
Hence, we should avoid using AR tools while in motion. Many researchers suggest that AR is more a distraction than an enhancement and can cause serious accidents, especially for new users. Thrill-seeking youngsters playing games such as the popular Pokemon Go have often ended up putting themselves in harm’s way. Sometimes, the games are so captivating that reality comes only at second place.
However, these games cannot detect hazards such as oncoming traffic, a threatening animal, or a similar threat. At the same time, youngsters whose amygdala is still growing won’t know how to react in time. As a result, they often put the reward above the risk. Accidents happen when vigilance is low, and AR in all its forms can be very distracting to both old and young alike.
Augmented Reality as a Technology
The technology for AR has been developed over several decades, and, since more recently, you can encounter it almost anywhere. The fact is this technology is here now, and it is here to stay. There will be adaptations, learning curves, and bumps along the way, as with any change. As a parent or guardian, it only makes sense that we would be extra vigilant about all this. This means a constant concern about the possible pitfalls and dangers for those most precious and vulnerable – our kids.
As we progress rapidly into new growth areas, it is wise that we do so with our eyes wide open. To do so, we should keep up with the times. Education always was and always will be paramount to our success and progress. Sure there are dangers and hazards that one must be mindful of. However, there is also plenty to be excited about as we progress as a species.
It’s Not All Doom and Gloom
Awareness is key. Knowing that there are both risks and rewards is the first step towards responsible use of AR devices and programs. Vigilance will always be the hallmark of a safe and responsible tech user. The parent’s responsibility is to instill this common sense and set the right course. Children should learn good tech hygiene starting from the youngest age. So, rather than ask, “Is augmented reality safe for kids?” instead inquire, “How is augmented reality safe for kids?”
Today, AR is gaining sure footing and rapidly becoming part of our everyday lives. Learning, playing, working, and socializing will be areas where AR is present soon. Hence, this tech is both an effective and efficient means to enhance how we do things. AR is one way in which we will be able to start overcoming new hurdles and start progressing far more than those who walked before us. In short, AR is no longer something only seen in the sci-fi genre.
