The tech industry’s track record on issues of diversity could have serious consequences.
For years, tens of millions of people of color have endured unwelcome experiences on platforms built by mostly white and male tech CEOS. If those issues follow users into the metaverse, today’s online abuse could become significantly more visceral and damaging.
Studies have found that minors are regularly exposed to racist, violent language and harassment in the virtual worlds. Those types of experiences can be assaults to users’ mental health, psychologists say. “It absolutely is a problem,” Nelson says.
