The focus of this chapter is on the design and application of virtual environments (VEs) for children and teenagers by reviewing examples of current systems in education, health, and information settings, design methodologies, and engagement. Many corporations have combined their virtual worlds with real children’s toys to increase their traffic and therefore their revenues, such as Webkinz, Bratz dolls and Barbie dolls.Beals and Bers conclude that to some extent, parents may perceive these virtual spaces as safer havens than real brick and mortar buildings and encourage their children to use them. Beals and Bers mention many other VEs for children and provide detailed statistics of their usage. World of Warcraftis perhaps the best known and most used VE designed for adult gamers, while Habbo Hotel (is one of the most subscribed among the more than 250 virtual worlds constructed for teens.Habbo Hotel founded in 2000, is an example of a thriving VE, boasting to be the “world’s largest online community” with more than 200 million registered characters.Other examples of gaming virtual environments for children and teens include Club penguin, (), which is the most popular virtual world among children aged 7 to 10 in Europe, Pet Society ( /), Secret Builder (), and Whyville (). īy far the vast majority of VEs have been developed for entertainment and gaming. VEs provide a computer-generated experience obtained by and through an interface that engages one or more of the user’s senses, and almost always includes the visual sense.
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They define augmented reality as a display where real environments are augmented with virtual objects. In the taxonomy of virtual reality, Milgram and Kishino identify a continuum that connects real environments to virtual environments. The young generation uses the gaming console to access the internet and social networks, and therefore is most likely to want to use the virtual reality technology for more than gaming.Ĭomputer simulations can take various technological forms, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and virtual environments. The total number of users registered for virtual world sites is now more than one billion, of which the largest demographic group is between the ages of 10 and 15. Recent reports also suggest that virtual environments or worlds are one of the most popular modes of interaction on the web. According to a UK survey, teens’ reliance on the gaming console to surf the web has increased significantly. ĭigital natives often are well versed in using computer games, most of which now take the form of simulations, such as those designed for the X-Box 360 and the Nintendo Wii.
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They use social networks (SNS) to create personal spaces to store artifacts such as currency and familial possession as a means of self-expression. Whereas most adults are attached to their physical material artifacts, cherishing their hardcopy books and DVDs, the digital natives live in digital worlds where they own virtual artifacts, which are more than just digital music and streaming movies.
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The digital natives do much more than text messaging they livein the digital world. This new generation is referred to as ‘net savvy’ youth, Google generation, and generation M, for Media, MySpace, or the Millenials among other titles.The most common term, however, is the digital natives those born after 1989, who may process information “different from their predecessors”. Information and communication technology (ICT) is the prevalent mode of communication among them, with 75 percent of 12 to 17 year olds owning cell phones, and text messaging at an incredible rate of more than 3000 messages per month. Today’s children and teens are technology savvy.