This 10-year figure (calculated as being 2 hours 45 mins of metaverse use per day over the median projected lifespan of today's children being 88.75 years = 10.16 calendar years) supports the IET’s ground-breaking new ‘Safeguarding the Metaverse’ report - which explores both the opportunities and potential harms of the new digital realm.

The report has been launched to coincide with the latest reading in Parliament of the UK Government’s new Online Safety Bill. The long-awaited, much-delayed bill passed its second reading today (April 20). The IET's report was co-authored by Catherine Allen, Limina Immersive and Verity McIntosh from the University of the West of England.

The IET is calling on politicians and policy makers to ensure comprehensive measures for regulating activity taking place within VR and the metaverse are included within the final Bill – a major gap which has implications for online safety such as harassment and abuse.

Despite...