Mother says she was virtually groped by three male characters within seconds of entering Facebook's online world Metaverse

[PrincessNikla]

On a visit this month, the mother-of-four entered the ‘lobby’ – a virtual space serving as an entry point. But within seconds she was pursued by the men’s avatars, who groped her, subjected her to a stream of sexual innuendo and took screen shots of the attack for several minutes as she tried to flee.

She had to tear off her headset – which covers her eyes and allows her to see the metaverse as her avatar sees it – to end the ordeal.

While she could not actually feel the avatars’ hands, Mrs Patel has suffered from anxiety since the attack – and fears for the safety of her three teenage girls and other women in this lawless virtual world.

She said: ‘I entered the Horizon Venues metaverse as an avatar who looked just like me – middle-aged, blonde and dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved top.

‘The space you enter is a lobby, like a theatre foyer. Within 60 seconds, three male avatars – who all had male voices – came towards me and touched me inappropriately.

‘Before I knew what was happening, they were taking screen shots of them touching my avatar, both my upper and lower body. While doing that, they said things like, “Don’t pretend you don’t love it.”

‘I tried to move away but they followed me. I didn’t know who these people were or have the time to stay and investigate.’

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10455417/Mother-43-avatar-groped-three-male-characters-online-Metaverse.html

I haven't been on there, so cannot comment on how often this happens and if she was unlucky or if it happens a lot. I agree that the 'men' (if they were men as they were avatars) were completely out of order.

I totally agree it is horrible, but 'an ordeal' ? 'suffered from anxiety' since the attack? How hard would it be to just take off your headset to get out of it?

I guess you have not had any treatment for you phobia, or you would understand this. Back off with the aggression, please.

In other news, cyberbullying is not 'real' - yet people, teenagers, children are killing themselves in their droves over it. They, too, are told 'just get off the internet'. I find the bland minimising of this VR experience really odd.

@milkyaqua

I guess you have not had any treatment for you phobia, or you would understand this. Back off with the aggression, please.

You're the only aggressive one here, love

Oh, did you enjoy that?

@milkyaqua

I guess you have not had any treatment for you phobia, or you would understand this. Back off with the aggression, please.

I am not being aggressive. Just puzzled as to how you dragged my phobia into a convo about VR, and what your motivations are for doing so.

Truthfully? I would not be shaken up at all. I'd be a bit annoyed, but in no way at all shaken. m

How do you know how you’d feel? And by shaken I don’t necessarily mean the old Mn “shaking and crying”.

I mean you’d view the platform differently, modify your behaviour (you’ve said yourself you’d NC and worry about being linked IRL - that’s enough to say you’d be a bit bothered).

I’ve had vile shit sent to me via Dm on social media. It does “upset” you for a bit. It’s the fact that you lose a bit of faith in mankind each time.

Whether the word “assault” is correct - I’m not sure, but it’s the same thing as any only abuse in that is is abuse.

Dear Xeno, I think you said several posts back, let's not derail. I was trying to make an analogy that I thought you might particularly relate to - as you deal with a phobia (as do I).

As I said, I suspect your phobia is untreated, or you would not be taking offense to how I described it.

A phobia is, by definition, a fear (that significantly impacts your life) of something that cannot in general actually harm you.

I think anything I say - which to my mind so far has been perfectly clear in intent - will just cause you further offense. Which was not actually my point. I have explained it all several times, now, and you keep semi-shrieking at me. I am sorry you feel upset and offended.

@milkyaqua

In other news, cyberbullying is not 'real' - yet people, teenagers, children are killing themselves in their droves over it. They, too, are told 'just get off the internet'. I find the bland minimising of this VR experience really odd.

I think the VR experience is,probably too real for lots of people. That's why I think it's a dangerous thing to get into.

I've got a vr headset and sadly the abuse from men/boys on there is rife, I play mainly Paintball where two teams of 4 try to steal each others flag and get it back to their base, a big part of the game is shooting each other with the paint guns.

If I use a female avatar and shoot a guy I often get called a bitch or whore and also get comments like 'suck my dick', go back to the kitchen, fuck off slag.
If I play the same game with a male avatar and shoot someone I get told I'm a good shot.
These comments come from men and sadly boys too, they're growing up thinking it's OK to talk to women like that.
I'm pretty good at the game and so enjoy shooting them over and over again and then in the main lobby between games where all 8 players can hear each other I call them out on it and ask them to say in front of everyone what they were saying to me throughout the game, they rarely do and often other guys there will have a go at them on my behalf.

Regarding the news story unless you've been in vr it's impossible to imagine how it affects your senses, the graphics may not be realistic but when you look down at your hands they move as yours do, you hear voices across the virtual rooms, you physically turn your head to look around, if you go on a rollercoaster you get the same feelings in your stomach.
So if a guy is in your face, "touching" you then it does feel very threatening and realistic.

I understand what you were trying to say @milkyaqua but in my view, it’s not about comparing the actual act but the emotions behind it. If I were someone who expects others to respect the emotional response to a needle phobia, I would also endeavour to respect under of another persons emotional response to online abuse.

Of course online assault is not on the same level as physical assault but it’s not necessary to play top trumps. We accept that cyber bullying has consequences, why not this?

@NickiMinajerie thank you, fascinating! People are truly awful.

@milkyaqua

Dear Xeno, I think you said several posts back, let's not derail. I was trying to make an analogy that I thought you might particularly relate to - as you deal with a phobia (as do I).

As I said, I suspect your phobia is untreated, or you would not be taking offense to how I described it.

A phobia is, by definition, a fear (that significantly impacts your life) of something that cannot in general actually harm you.

I think anything I say - which to my mind so far has been perfectly clear in intent - will just cause you further offense. Which was not actually my point. I have explained it all several times, now, and you keep semi-shrieking at me. I am sorry you feel upset and offended.

I have not semi shrieked at you. I am just baffled as to what your point is.

‘ A student faces jail after admitting posting offensive comments on Twitter about the on-pitch collapse of footballer Fabrice Muamba.

Liam Stacey was arrested after his tweets were reported to police by Twitter users from across Britain, including former England striker Stan Collymore.’

There is no physical hurt here but an arrest due to tweets

I’m not sure if women ever see the same when they get violent tweets, and if not why not

But also I doubt being groped on VR will lead to the same I’m interested in how we decipher what to do wrt to online abuse etc

Some of these responses are virtual reality in themselves. OP, you are not being unreasonable. There is no shortage of people ready to subject themselves to ‘trauma’ for 15 mins of fame.

Wtf OP

I am just baffled as to what your point is.

Fear is fear.

@milkyaqua

I am just baffled as to what your point is.

Fear is fear.

It really isn't.

Why are you so determined to undermine this?
I was sexually assaulted, her experience is no less traumatic than mine. The people behind the avatars were real men, with male voices. She's clearly very distressed. It's not your place to question her trauma, or anyone else's.

I think that’s terrible.

Stop blaming the victim. 😒

We use simulation in training all the time. The stress mimics the real situation we’re training for. It works because the experience is close enough to the real thing. The first time I did a surgical airway to save someone’s life I used the steps I’d learned in simulation and felt many of the same feelings.

I’m astonished anyone can’t see how a simulated experience can have an emotional consequence. You’ve never cried in a film?

Have you previously ever been told you lack empathy? As that’s what you’re exhibiting here, are you aware of that?

There is no way of knowing if they were men is there?

I have sons, I teach them not to put themselves in danger of gangs, and to walk away from aggro, to ignore the bullies. Yes in an ideal world I wouldn't have to and yes I am sick of it

I knew OP would have sons. These threads are always started by women of sons (or men) who hate the idea of society judging their precious male offspring.

I’m astonished anyone can’t see how a simulated experience can have an emotional consequence. You’ve never cried in a film?

Yes, I have been moved by a film, but not enough to consider it an ordeal, or compare to say a funeral of a loved one (in the case of a character dying for example) I know it's fiction. Can you imagine your boss's reaction if you said you needed bereavement leave because Sharon died on Eastenders?

I'm not discounting triggers here. There was no mention of previous assaults in the article

When you’ve had a really bad dream you don’t just wake up and think “oh well it wasn’t real ha ha”. It stays with you for a while.

This woman’s experience was much more real than a dream. The avatars in this experience weren’t real but the men behind them were real. Their voices were real.

I’m amazed some people don’t get it.

@PrincessNikla

I’m astonished anyone can’t see how a simulated experience can have an emotional consequence. You’ve never cried in a film?

Yes, I have been moved by a film, but not enough to consider it an ordeal, or compare to say a funeral of a loved one (in the case of a character dying for example) I know it's fiction. Can you imagine your boss's reaction if you said you needed bereavement leave because Sharon died on Eastenders?

I'm not discounting triggers here. There was no mention of previous assaults in the article

It’s different to watching a movie emotionally,

But also why would someone be arrested for a tweet in your opinion?

If there was no physical harm