George is a thoughtful father who provides his family with a technologically advanced, fully automated house. Initially unperturbable and dismissive of the nursery's intense realism, he slowly recognizes the isolating effects of their pampered lifestyle. He struggles to assert authority over his heavily spoiled children, often yielding to the conveniences of modern life before attempting to reclaim a traditional family dynamic.

Lydia is a prescient, intuitive woman who quickly perceives the psychological toll of their fully automated home. Feeling displaced by machines that have usurped her roles as wife, mother, and nursemaid, she longs for a return to traditional domestic chores. Despite her early wisdom and constructive ideas for a technology vacation, she finds it difficult to maintain firm boundaries when dealing with her children's emotional demands.

Peter and Wendy are ten-year-old siblings with cherubic appearances who are profoundly addicted to their high-tech nursery. Spoiled by instant gratification, they treat their parents with disrespect and actively resist any attempts to limit their virtual privileges. The siblings operate as a cohesive unit, with Peter acting as the primary instigator who directly confronts his father to protect their simulated African veldt.

David is a psychologist and a trusted friend of the Hadley family. Serving as a voice of reason, he recognizes that the nursery has shifted from a therapeutic tool to a channel for destructive thoughts. He represents the responsible, beneficial side of scientific knowledge, advising George to shut down the simulation entirely and bring the children to his office for treatment.