The Metaverse should be designed with children in mind : Lego VP
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2022 at Davos on its fifth day saw discussions veering towards the Metaverse and Web 3.0.
In the light of growing interest shown by companies to invest in extended reality ecosystem, the talks consisted of interested stakeholders and their opinion on metaverse. It included a panel to discuss “The Possibilities of the Metaverse” to understand the steps needed to ensure a safe and inclusive transition into Web 3.0.
Edward Lewin, the Vice President of the LEGO Group, spoke on the importance of keeping children in mind while designing the metaverse. He concurred with Peggy Johnson, CEO of Magic Leap, that we are on the cusp of a wave of technological innovation. He said that such innovation powered by human ingenuity relies on imagination, which is driven by tapping into our inner child.
Lewin pointed out that one in three internet users is a child or a young adult.
He warned that creating a safe environment for children in the metaverse was thus necessary to avoid repeating the mistakes of Web 2.0.
He went on to talk about the relevancy of metaverse to children and its endless possibilities in designing educative content. He speculated on the exciting possibility of learning about volcanoes through augmented reality or even learning through recreation of an event.
Speaking on the mistakes of Web 2.0, he added that designers of metaverse should not restrict themselves to the safety of children but also include their well-being.
Lewin continued to say that his company was working with research teams on ascertaining indicators of well-being of children. He believed such indicators should act as a guideline while developing metaverse.
Lewin also mentioned Lego’s recent tie-up with Epic Games to build a safe, kid-friendly metaverse.
