Virtual Reality headsets are becoming more and more affordable. You may have a child asking for VR to go with their gaming console this year. Here’s what you need to know to make a safe choice for your child.

Our culture has a habit of inventing and introducing new technology without first asking important questions: Is this technology a good idea in our lives? What are the adverse outcomes of this technology? How will it affect our children’s developing brains? No, we don’t do that. We put it under the Christmas tree and wait to see what happens. Your child might ask for a VR rig for their gaming console or computer for Christmas. Maybe we should think carefully about what our answer will be.

Ask any adult why they play video games. The answer you usually get is, “It’s an escape.” When children play video games, they are “escaping,” too. Intentionally or unintentionally, they escape from relationships, social skill-building situations, and pro-social experiences that should be learned before adulthood. If you don’t like what social media and games are doing to our children now, you haven’t seen anything yet. Here comes VR (Virtual Reality).

A couple of months ago, my brother, a computer programmer and former game developer, invited my two boys and me to his home to enjoy pizza and try out his new VR system. After my boys tried, I pulled on the headgear, consisting of video goggles and headphones. I held the two controllers in my hands and stood in the middle of my brother’s living room, ready for anything. I found myself standing on the edge of a cliff. A wizard floated in front of me and gave me a quest. I think I was supposed to stop an evil sorcerer, rescue a princess, or something. Accepting my quest, I stepped forward and found myself standing on a rope bridge susp ...