The Educators in VR Cyberbullying Team will be featured speakers at the AWE Live event September 16, 2023, at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM UK / 5AM+ Sydney.

To register to attend the online live event, go to the AWE.LIVE registration page. Once logged in, look for the Metaverse Meanness: Prevention & Response live session. The AWE Live event features over 790 experts in XR technology, development, education, research, and beyond in the metaverse, and the events are free.

Harassment & bullying online has moved from the online chat rooms to social VR and esports. The potential of a greater negative impact on users expands with the feeling of presence and embodiment on VR. There are boundary-setting and reporting tools available to mitigate the issue, but these aren’t enough as they don’t address the root issue – that people believe any kind of behavior, no matter how cruel or harmful, is acceptable in these environments. Join a panel of experts who will discuss the “Meanness in the Metaverse,” and how we can prevent and respond as individuals and communities, and encourage platforms to collaborate and improve cross-platform protections.

The panel features:

Sonya Haskins: Head of Programming at AWE developing speakers on topics related to the XR community. Formerly a professional VR esports player, Sonya was the first female to qualify for the Intel and Oculus-sponsored VR League North American Regional Championships. She writes and publishes extensively about VR and esports and is the author of 8 books.

Ruth Diaz: Founder at VR Create|Connect, Ruth is a Psy.D. Community Design Consultant, Leadership Coach, and Conflict Resiliency Trainer, and social scientist, organizational consultant, and innovator on conflict resiliency in VR culture. VR Create|Connect is a growing network of VR enthusiasts who connect diverse contributors and creators to create transformative and inclusive events in social VR applications. Also known as rcdegs in multiple VR applications, Ruth is an environmental story teller, has built over 100 worlds, and is passionate about all technology mediums that help us become better versions of ourselves as humans individually and collectively.

Amy Stormant: Content creator and reporter for the EchoMania Community, a family friendly Echo Arena community, Amy also reports at her VR News outlet, The Mix VR. As a small business owner for 20 years in the production industry and an actress, she crosses those skills into the realm of VR entertainment. Amy is also a sports broadcaster for Echo Arena and uses her education background to help promote a clear understanding of the game to the viewers. As a mom to two boys, she returned to the gaming world to share a common bond with her boys. She hopes to help others enjoy the happiness and benefits she finds in VR gaming and in the Community.

Lorelle VanFossen: Co-founder and Director of Educators in VR, a membership organization of over 4,000 members dedicated to integrating immersive XR education into schools, classes, training, research, and business. Educators in VR offers training, workshops, classes, and conference production across multiple VR event and social platforms, producing over 800 VR events annually. Educators in VR also supports over 25 special interest groups exploring XR industry verticals called Teams that host regular meetups and workshops in VR. Lorelle has taught and developed hundreds of VR events and workshops and is a keynote speaker, educator, trainer, and author specializing in digital multimedia storytelling, virtual reality, and web publishing.

The EDVR Cyberbullying Team was formed in 2019 to promote discussions on the challenges in the metaverse in and around cyberbullying, policing, harm reduction, and prevention and response training. In October 2019, Educators in VR hosted the first month-long Cyberbullying event with special presentations, speakers, and panels discussing the impact of personal crime and cyberbullying in the metaverse, and this year will be our 4th year.

The Cyberbullying Team, recently renamed to Metaverse Ethics Teams to expand the range of topics beyond bullying as the metaverse expands, meets on the first and third Thursdays of the month in AltspaceVR.

For information on how to attend an Educators in VR event, see our How to Attend a VR Event Guide. To keep up with the Educators in VR UniVirtual Experience events in AltspaceVR, subscribe to the Educators in VR Channel and to our Educators in VR Google Calendar of events, workshops, classes, and conferences.