Beals Laura M
Developmental Technologies Research Lab, Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development, Tufts University.
New Dir Youth Dev. 2010 Winter;2010(128):45-53. doi: 10.1002/yd.374.
Virtual worlds are online graphical environments that are becoming an increasingly large part of the online experience of young people. Virtual worlds have the potential to become one additional environment, like school, home, and the playground, where youth can learn, play, and grow. The physical world is becoming interconnected with virtual worlds, and it is important for researchers to understand how this will affect children's development. Virtual worlds technologies provide a unique opportunity to allow youth to explore many types of content creation, including customizable avatars, media galleries, and virtual representations of personal spaces. This ability for youth to create content can be an important means by which to support and encourage adolescent identity development.
虚拟世界是在线图形环境，正日益成为年轻人在线体验的重要组成部分。虚拟世界有可能成为像学校、家庭和操场这样的又一个环境，让年轻人在其中学习、玩耍和成长。现实世界正与虚拟世界相互连接，研究人员了解这将如何影响儿童的发展非常重要。虚拟世界技术提供了一个独特的机会，让年轻人能够探索多种类型的内容创作，包括可定制的虚拟形象、媒体库以及个人空间的虚拟呈现。年轻人的这种内容创作能力可能是支持和鼓励青少年身份认同发展的重要手段。
