I Douthwaite

Papers

Total Citations

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About

I Douthwaite is a leading voice in the study of children’s interactions with emerging technologies, with a particular focus on virtual reality (VR). Their most-cited work, “Children and Virtual Reality: Emerging Possibilities and Challenges” (2017, 40 citations), provides a foundational analysis of the rapid proliferation of VR—forecasting over 200 million headset sales and a $20 billion market by 2020—while critically examining the unique developmental, ethical, and design challenges posed to younger users. Douthwaite’s research bridges human-computer interaction and child-computer interaction, exploring how major platforms like PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and Google Cardboard shape children’s cognitive and social experiences. By mapping both the transformative educational potential and the risks of immersive environments, Douthwaite has established a key framework for designing age-appropriate VR content. Their work is frequently cited in guidelines for child-safe VR development and has influenced policy discussions around digital wellbeing. Douthwaite continues to investigate how virtual spaces can be made equitable and beneficial for the next generation of digital natives.