Washington, D.C. – Today, the XR Association, representing the growing ecosystem of companies powering virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies, released chapter six of the Developers Guide, “Designing for Youth Engagement and Wellbeing in Immersive Experiences.” Chapter six is the latest in XRA’s guide of industry-leading best practices for the development of immersive technology.
“Designing for Youth Engagement and Wellbeing in Immersive Experiences” explores real-world use cases for teens, from utilizing VR to reduce pain and anxiety in medical settings to creating immersive field trip experiences, including virtual museum visits. As XR technology continues to permeate multiple aspects of teens’ everyday lives, XRA has developed a set of design principles for immersive environments that take a proactive approach to intentionally building immersive technology with teens’ wellbeing in mind.
This chapter examines how teens experience immersive environments differently from adults. It offers youth-centered features like clear objectives, cooperative gameplay, rewards for positive interactions, and community guidelines that are easy to understand. These features, alongside collaboration with educators and child development experts, can help developers design technology that creates safer, more enriching experiences for teens.
Chapter six of the Developers Guide builds on XRA’s ongoing commitment to promoting youth safety and wellbeing at every stage of the design process. This focus is reflected in recent initiatives, including XRA’s whitepaper on XR in Career and Technical Education (CTE) for neurodiverse students. Earlier this year, XRA also released the 2025 edition of the youth survey, which found that 63% of teens express growing enthusiasm for XR technology.
“As teens continue to engage with immersive tech, our focus is on prioritizing their wellbeing from the ground up. Chapter six reflects XRA’s commitment to guiding the tremendous potential of XR into thoughtfully designed experiences supporting all users’ wellbeing and enjoyment,” said Stephanie Montgomery, Senior Vice President of Research and Best Practices. “We’re working to equip developers with the tools and best practices needed to responsibly harness the benefits of immersive technology to improve the lives of the next generation.”
“Chapter six represents a critical milestone in XRA’s mission to ensure immersive technologies benefit all users, especially young people. As XR continues to reshape how teens learn, create, and connect, we must lead with a safety-first mindset and build products intentionally prioritizing safety and wellbeing,” said CEO Liz Hyman.
Chapter six of the Developers Guide is now available for download on XRA’s website. For more information on the series, explore and download the chapters here.
ABOUT THE XR ASSOCIATION
XRA is a non-profit trade organization representing hardware manufacturers across the broad XR industry, with current members including Google, HTC VIVE, Meta, and Qualcomm. The association promotes the advancement of XR as a foundational technology that is powering the global economy and advancing positive societal impact.
