The Jed Foundation issues report on preserving youth mental health in the metaverse
Missed the GamesBeat Summit excitement? Don't worry! Tune in now to catch all of the live and virtual sessions here.
Will the metaverse be good for the mental health of young people? That was the topic of a new research report aimed at those who will make the metaverse happen.
The 69-page report comes from The Jed Foundation (JED), in partnership with Raising Good Gamers (RGG) and with the support of the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health.
The report urges developers and other key parties to focus on metaverse environments that prioritize the mental health and safety of youth. The Jed Foundation is a national nonprofit that has been around for two decades. Its job is to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for teens and young adults.
The report, entitled “Can the Metaverse Be Good for Youth Mental Health?”, provides recommendations for policymakers, metaverse developers, caregivers, and other stakeholders to expand the benefits and safety of online spaces.
The report focuses on people aged 13 to 24, as they are often deeply engaged in metaverse-like spaces and developmentally susceptible to their potential social and psychological benefits and harms. With young people’s rising rates of mental health problems, including depression and suicide, it is critical to investigate the impacts that online spaces have, and the rise of the metaverse adds another layer that has not been investigated, said Rebecca Benghiat, president and COO of JED, in an interview with GamesBeat.
“The U.S. Surgeon General has called on the country to take a ‘safety first’ approach to the online lives of youth,” said Benghiat. “This report answers that call to action. As the time young people spend in these immersive spaces and
Read more on venturebeat.com
