King's College London

While the ‘metaverse’ as a digital alternate reality remains unrealised, children increasingly immerse themselves in 'proto-metaverses' like Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft. Within these virtual gaming environments, players engage in intricate economic systems that involve microtransactions, the management of virtual currencies, and the accumulation of digital assets.

The aim of this project is to understand how digital gaming environments contribute to the development of children's economic understanding and consumer socialisation, offering insights crucial for policy discussions on financial education, safeguarding, and mental health in virtual environments.

Research team

Josefina Martinez Pandiani is our project coordinator. At King’s, she is exploring the intersections of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics—one curious question at a time. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Josefina if you have any questions about the project.

Julia Mathews, Celine Kim, and Hassan Ali are our research assistants. They are currently mapping the Roblox landscape.

Participant recruitment

Would you and your child like to participate in the project? More information and instructions on how to sign up are available on this information page.