Understanding and Mitigating Harmful Design in User-Generated Virtual Worlds

Abstract: Virtual space offers innovative ways for individuals to engage with one another in a digital setting. Prominent virtual social platforms, such as Facebook Spaces, VR Chat, and AltspaceVR, facilitate social connections, allowing users to interact seamlessly. Additionally, certain video games, like Second Life and World of Warcraft, are set within these virtual spaces as well, providing immersive player experiences. As the popularity of virtual space grows, various companies have begun to democratize the process of creating these spaces, shifting the development from skilled professionals to hobbyist creators. Platforms like Minecraft, Roblox, and RecRoom enable users to create and publish their own virtual environments, hosting a wide range of interactions and narratives. This shift echoes the rise of user-generated content, where content creators create and publish content on platforms, such as social media platforms [6]. For example, YouTubers upload videos on YouTube and Reddit users post text-based content on Reddit. For a long time, user-generated content has predominantly contained text, videos, and images. However, with the emergence of virtual spaces, some platforms now allow creators to create and publish their own virtual spaces, leading to the emergence of user-generated virtual worlds.