The Leader podcast: Apple Vision Pro & the child dangers lurking in VR

Apple says its eye-tracking Vision Pro mixed reality headset heralds the “era of spatial computing” to browse and game with a digitised version of the world overlaid onto actual reality.

The tech giant’s boss Tim Cook promises the nearly £3,000 Mac for your face will “unlock experience like nothing we’ve ever seen” in a new metaverse.

But what are the risks to young minds from this increasingly immersive computing experience that cuts users off from the physical realm?

The NSPCC children protection charity recommends to parents a maximum 15 minutes per session strapped into a virtual or mixed reality headset, and says to avoid it before bedtime as time spent in the alternate digital universe can disrupt actual sleep.

At the same time, the NSPCC also obtained data from Freedom of Information requests to 45 British police forces revealing that eight constabularies said they had recorded child abuse images offences involving VR headsets

This episode of the Leader podcast sought out two psychologists expert in the impact of VR on child mental health.

In part one, we’re joined by Dr Elena Martellozzo, associate professor of criminology at Middlesex University and associate director of the Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies, who’s specialises in issues around online harm and is currently researching the metaverse.

Then in part two, we speak with Sonia Livingstone, a professor of social psychology at the London School of Economics, who researches children’s digital lives.

We discuss the impact of VR on the brain, harassment risks, gamification and how cooking can help children stay grounded in the real world.

Listen above, and find us on your Spotify Daily Drive or wherever you stream your podcasts.