Whats with the absense of parental managment of kids in this game? Is it a VRC thing? Or is it the internet as a whole? VRC then vs now.
I started playing this game back in my teens almost a decade ago now, during high school and those "formative" years. I remember what I consider peak of VRChat, the 2017–2018 streamer moments, the Pokelawls and crew clips, Drekwiz mama, all leading into the pandemic.
I’ll admit I was pretty spoiled growing up. I only played PCVR for a short time before getting the original Vive as a Christmas gift after mentioning it once to my father (thanks dad). But even at that age, I feel like I understood how to behave. I probably annoyed some adults as I grew up in Source game lobbies, but I knew when to shut up. I also had older players who looked out for me acting like older brothers and sisters who kept me in check and steered me away from bad actors and situations, something I appreciate now as I grew up being the oldest child in my family.
As an early Gen Z, I grew up in that weird transition period of fading analog habits, but alongside formative digital internet years, those awesome 2010+ years of the internet.
Now I’m in my mid-20s and honestly, I’m shocked by how some kids act in this game. I don’t see it often since I stick to age-verified instances, but every time I hop into a public world I’m reminded why I avoid them.
wtf happen?
Was it the post-2020 algorithm/content shift? VR becoming mainstream? Or maybe a disconnect of how some millennial parents monitor what their kids are doing online? (Which is weird to me as I know I grew up constantly being warned of the dangers of the internet)
This isn't a new conversation, but I'm curious what others think. Especially those who for better or for wose, grew up alongside VRChat into adulthood like myself.