Abstract

Metaverses, like Second Life and Teleplace, and the inherent technology capabilities that they offer continue to be of interest for researchers, practitioners, and educators. Due to this trend, and the uncertainty regarding immersive virtual experiences as contrasted with face-to-face experiences, there is a need to further understand the ethical challenges associated with this virtual context. This paper presents a starting point for discussing ethics in virtual worlds. Specifically, we review virtual worlds and their unique technology capabilities as well as the ethical considerations that arise due to these unique capabilities.

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Ethical Considerations for Virtual Worlds

Metaverses, like Second Life and Teleplace, and the inherent technology capabilities that they offer continue to be of interest for researchers, practitioners, and educators. Due to this trend, and the uncertainty regarding immersive virtual experiences as contrasted with face-to-face experiences, there is a need to further understand the ethical challenges associated with this virtual context. This paper presents a starting point for discussing ethics in virtual worlds. Specifically, we review virtual worlds and their unique technology capabilities as well as the ethical considerations that arise due to these unique capabilities.