The Hidden Dangers of VR for Children

Virtual reality (VR) promises immersive experiences, games, and social worlds unlike anything in 2D screens. But for children, those very immersions bring unique risks. Because VR blurs the boundary between virtual and real, younger users are especially vulnerable. Recent whistleblower allegations, expert studies, and legal scrutiny suggest the dangers are both real and underacknowledged.

What Recent Allegations Reveal

In September 2025, a group of six whistleblowers—current and former researchers at Meta—came forward with claims that the company suppressed internal research showing severe risks to children using its VR products. These harm exposures included grooming, sexual harassment, violence, and exposure to inappropriate adult behaviors (The Guardian).

Among the alarming claims:

• A German family reported that a child under 10 was sexually propositioned multiple times in Meta’s VR environment, but Meta allegedly ordered the deletion of the recording and written evidence (The Washington Post).

• Researchers said that legal teams within Meta instructed them to avoid or drop research topics that might expose child harm, allegedly to reduce regulatory or reputational risk (The Washington Post).

• Internal documents and whistleblower testimony suggest children under age 13 are bypassing age-verification systems to use VR headsets (The Guardian).

Known Health, Developmental, and Psychological Risks

Beyond those specific cases, there is a growing body of study indicating several categories of risk for children in VR.

Physical health and sensory risks

• VR headsets are heavy and can strain necks, eyes, and visual processing, especially in younger children whose bodies are still developing (Wikipedia, PIRG Education Fund).

• Motion sickness, dizziness, and disorientation can occur more severely because VR isolates visual input from physical motion (PIRG Education Fund).

Brain and cognitive development

• Because VR feels more “real,” children may have more difficulty distinguishing virtual interactions from real ones. This can heighten emotional responses and cause traumatic stress from interactions they are not ready for (arXiv).

• Early and repeated exposure to highly immersive content could impact spatial awareness, attention spans, and the processing of social cues.

Psychological harm from harassment, sexual content, and predators

• As the Meta whistleblowers revealed, children report encounters with strangers who harass or proposition them sexually or attempt grooming in VR (The Guardian).

• Bullying and hate speech in VR social environments are also common. Children may be less protected because in VR environments, parental oversight is harder (PIRG Education Fund).

Privacy, data collection, and misuse

• VR platforms collect a lot of data: movement, voice, location, and social interactions. Young users and their parents often are unaware of how much is collected or how it might be used (arXiv).

• Age verification is inconsistent; children under set age thresholds are often still using platforms.

Legal, Policy, and Lawsuit Context

While not all allegations have resulted in lawsuits yet, the current pressure is substantial and likely to lead to legal consequences or regulatory reforms.

• Whistleblower disclosures to Congress: The revelations by former Meta employees Jason Sattizahn, Cayce Savage, and others have been submitted to Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission (The Guardian).

• Senate Hearings: Professors and researchers have testified in Senate Judiciary Committees, alleging that Meta suppressed research and prioritized profit over youth safety (Reuters).

• Legal Threats and Lawsuits:

  • Senator Josh Hawley urged opening courtroom doors so parents and victims can sue Meta after these disclosures (Fox News).

  • Lawmakers are pushing for stronger regulations to protect minors online, including proposals for laws similar to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) but tailored to VR environments (Reuters).

Why Children Are Especially Vulnerable

Children are not simply small adults. Their cognitive, emotional, and physical systems are still developing. VR amplifies risk in ways that conventional media do not.

• Children often struggle to judge intent: when an avatar interacts inappropriately, they may believe it is “real” or that they somehow caused it.

• Empathy and emotional regulation are developing; traumatic or unsettling experiences in VR may translate into nightmares, anxiety, or avoidance behaviors.

• Socialization in VR can blur safe and unsafe boundaries, especially with strangers, because children may be less guarded in virtual spaces where norms and supervision are unclear.

How Bad Could It Get

If no adequate protections are put in place, the future risks include:

• Children suffering lasting psychological trauma from repeated exposure to harassment, solicitation, or abuse in VR.

• Increased desensitization: repeated exposure to harm can dull empathy, making real-world abuse or violence seem less shocking.

• Privacy abuses: VR data could be exploited, misused, or exposed in breaches.

• Legal liabilities and societal costs: healthcare, mental health services, and legal claims could rise steeply.

What Can Be Done: Steps for Parents, Companies, and Regulators

For Parents and Caregivers

• Educate yourself about the VR platforms your children use. Know what social features exist and whether users can talk to strangers.

• Set strict time and content limits. Be in the room when children use social VR for the first time.

• Use parental controls where available.

• Talk openly with children about what is safe, what is not, and what to do if something makes them uncomfortable.

For VR Companies

• Proper age verification systems must be put in place and enforced.

• Internal research showing risks should be transparent and acted upon, not suppressed.

• Safety tools should be default — blocking, reporting, moderation should be baked in.

• External audits and oversight to ensure child protection standards are met.

For Regulators and Policymakers

• Update laws to address VR specifically: the immersive nature raises new legal concerns around virtual contact, data collection, and harassment.

• Create “duty of care” standards that force companies to actively prevent harm to minors in social virtual spaces.

• Require transparency in research and penalties for suppression of safety data.

Facing the Reality of VR Risks

VR is powerful. It can transport children into worlds of imagination and learning in ways traditional tech cannot. But power without responsibility becomes dangerous.

These recent allegations against Meta show that risks are not hypothetical. They are currently affecting children. We must not accept profit or product pipelines as excuses for unaddressed harm.

Children deserve virtual spaces that enhance rather than endanger their development. We owe it to them to demand accountability, clarity, and ethical design.

Sources

• The Guardian, “Meta hid harms to children from VR products, whistleblowers allege” (September 2025)

• The Washington Post, “Meta research on child safety in virtual reality suppressed, whistleblowers claim” (September 2025)

• Reuters, “Meta put VR profit over child safety, whistleblowers tell Congress” (September 2025)

• Fox News, “Hawley pushes legal action as Meta whistleblowers detail child abuse in VR” (September 2025)

• PIRG Education Fund, “VR Risks for Kids and Teens”

• arXiv.org, “Parents’ Perceptions and Practices Toward Children's Security and Privacy in VR”

• Wikipedia, “Virtual Reality”