Augmented reality (AR) is when digital stuff gets layered on top of the real world through your phone or tablet screen. Unlike virtual reality where you're fully immersed in a digital world (headset on, reality blocked out), AR keeps you in the real world but adds digital elements to it.
Think Pokemon GO — you're walking around your actual neighborhood, but through your phone screen, there's a Pikachu sitting on your mailbox. Or Snapchat filters that give your kid dog ears and a nose that tracks with their real face movements. That's AR.
The technology has gotten really good in the past few years. What used to be clunky and glitchy is now smooth enough that kids genuinely forget where the digital ends and the real begins. And that's where things get interesting for us as parents.
AR hits different than regular apps because it makes the boring real world feel magical. Your living room becomes a portal to another dimension. The sidewalk to school has hidden creatures. Your face becomes a canvas for impossible transformations.
For younger kids (ages 5-10), it's pure wonder. They're still in that developmental stage where imagination and reality are delightfully blurry anyway, so AR feels like their imagination coming to life.
For tweens and teens (ages 11-17), AR is about social currency. The right Snapchat or Instagram filter makes you hotter, funnier, or more interesting. AR games like Pokemon GO give you something to do with friends that's not just sitting around staring at screens separately. It's a shared experience that happens in physical space.
Also? AR apps are often free or freemium, which means kids can download them without asking permission if you haven't locked down their app store. By the time you notice, they're already deeply invested.
Pokemon GO (Ages 9+): Still going strong since 2016. Kids walk around the real world catching virtual Pokemon, battling at gyms, and participating in community events. It actually gets them outside and moving, which is... good? But it also requires location tracking and has in-app purchases.
Snapchat (Ages 13+, but let's be real...): The filters and lenses are AR. Some are silly (puppy faces), some are beauty-enhancing (smooth skin, bigger eyes), and some are just weird. The app's core feature is disappearing messages, which creates its own set of concerns, but the AR component is what keeps kids coming back dozens of times per day.
Instagram (Ages 13+): Has AR filters similar to Snapchat, plus AR shopping features where kids can "try on" products virtually. The beauty filters here are particularly sophisticated and can seriously mess with body image.
Minecraft Earth: Actually shut down in 2021, but worth mentioning because kids still talk about it and similar AR building games are popping up.
Roblox: Not traditionally AR, but increasingly incorporating AR features and experiences. Keep an eye on this.
Reality distortion isn't just philosophical: Younger kids (under 8) can genuinely struggle to separate AR content from reality. That Pokemon isn't really there, but their brain is still developing the ability to fully understand that. This isn't a reason to ban AR entirely, but it means you need to actively talk about what's real and what's digital.
Beauty filters are doing a number on self-image: The data on this is pretty clear — teen girls who regularly use beauty-enhancing AR filters report higher rates of body dissatisfaction
. When you see your "improved" face dozens of times a day, your actual face starts to feel wrong. This affects boys too, just less dramatically.
Location tracking is required for most AR games: Pokemon GO needs to know where you are to place Pokemon around you. This means the app (and the company behind it) has detailed data about where your kid goes, when, and how often. Some parents are fine with this trade-off. Others are very much not. Learn more about location tracking in kids' apps.
Physical safety takes a hit: Kids walking around staring at their phone screen trying to catch a Pokemon or record a video with an AR filter are not paying attention to cars, curbs, other people, or their surroundings. There have been actual injuries and even deaths related to AR gaming. This isn't fearmongering — it's physics. Distracted humans make bad decisions.
Social pressure intensifies: When everyone at school is using the same AR filters or playing the same AR game, your kid will feel left out if they're not participating. This isn't unique to AR, but AR's blend of digital and physical makes the FOMO particularly acute.
Ages 5-8: AR apps designed for this age group (like Wonderscope or some PBS Kids AR features) can be genuinely educational and magical. But use them together, talk about what's real vs. digital, and keep sessions short (15-20 minutes). Avoid social AR apps entirely at this age.
Ages 9-12: Pokemon GO and similar AR games can work here, with guardrails. Walk with them initially, set boundaries about where they can play (not near roads, not in strangers' yards), and use the app's parental controls. Still too young for Snapchat and Instagram, despite what they tell you about "everyone having it."
Ages 13-17: They're probably already using Snapchat and Instagram filters. Have explicit conversations about beauty filters and digital manipulation. Consider using AR games as a family activity — Pokemon GO community days can actually be fun. Set expectations about phone use in public spaces (not while crossing streets, not while biking, etc.).
Start with the conversation, not the restriction: Ask your kid to show you their favorite AR features. Let them teach you how it works. You'll learn what they're actually doing, and they'll feel heard rather than policed.
Use built-in parental controls: Pokemon GO has parental controls that limit who can interact with your kid. Snapchat has a Family Center feature. Instagram lets you set time limits. Actually use these tools.
Talk about the beauty filter thing explicitly: "You know those filters make your face look different from how it actually looks, right? And your actual face is the good one?" Sounds cheesy, but teens need to hear it repeatedly.
Set physical boundaries: "No AR games while walking near traffic" is a reasonable rule. "No using AR apps after bedtime" is another one. Make them specific and enforceable.
Find the good stuff: Not all AR is problematic. Apps like Google Arts & Culture use AR to let kids explore museums and historical sites. SkyView uses AR to teach astronomy. Seek out AR experiences that add value rather than just burning time.
Augmented reality isn't going anywhere — it's only going to get more prevalent and more sophisticated. Apple's Vision Pro, Meta's AR glasses, whatever's coming next — the blended world is the future.
Your job isn't to keep your kids in a pre-AR bubble. It's to help them navigate AR thoughtfully, understand its effects on them, and make conscious choices about when and how to use it.
Some AR is genuinely cool and enriching. Some is vapid and harmful. Most is somewhere in between. Your family's approach will depend on your kid's age, maturity, and your own values around technology.
The parents who seem to handle this best aren't the ones who ban everything or allow everything. They're the ones who stay curious, keep talking, and adjust as they go.
This week: Ask your kid to show you any AR apps they're using. Just watch and ask questions.
This month: Check your kid's phone for location tracking permissions. Decide which apps actually need location access and which don't.
Ongoing: Keep having the "digital isn't real" conversation, especially around beauty filters and social comparison. It's not one talk — it's a hundred small talks over time.
Want to dig deeper? Explore alternatives to Pokemon GO or learn more about Instagram's effects on teens.