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Exploring the virtual toy box: virtual worlds and young children

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Jeremy SarachanAuthors Info & Claims

iConference '12: Proceedings of the 2012 iConference

Pages 546 - 547

https://doi.org/10.1145/2132176.2132282

Published: 07 February 2012 Publication History

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Abstract

Virtual Worlds such as Club Penguin and Poptropica attract millions of children ages 6-14. This ethnographic-based study examines the foundation for children's interest in virtual worlds and how choices about using the spaces are influenced by the interfaces. Significantly, children engage in activities of their own choosing, sometimes sidestepping the expectations of the virtual worlds. Initial observations suggest that the age range of users suggested by the respective games/websites do not necessarily match the competence and cognitive levels of the younger children, causing their play to lack direction and fail to take advantage of many of the features of the virtual worlds. However, this exploration may help to prepare them for more sophisticated virtual activities.

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Exploring the virtual toy box: virtual worlds and young children
1. Human-centered computing

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iConference '12: Proceedings of the 2012 iConference

February 2012

667 pages

ISBN:9781450307826

DOI:10.1145/2132176

Conference Chair:
Jens-Erik Mai
University of Toronto

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

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Published: 07 February 2012

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iConference '12: iConference 2012

February 7 - 10, 2012

Ontario, Toronto, Canada

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A Virtual Space for All: Exploring Children's Experience in Social Virtual Reality

Investigating the impacts of avatar gender, avatar age, and region theme on avatar physical activity in the virtual world

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