Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

    Virtual reality is a computer generated stimuli that creates a immersive illusion of real world like experience.  In my opinion, it is the next big thing after the smartphone revolution.  It has a lot of potential to make our world a better place as it can be used for education and medical purposes.  But it also raises the concern of privacy breaches, internet addiction and toxic online behavior.  

    We all know VR would greatly enhance the gaming experience but its positives go way beyond that.  It shows promising applications for pain relief and PTSD, for education and design. It can also be used for both telecommuting and office work, enabling coworkers to have that almost office vibe without being there and in our time a socially distanced work environment.  

    Although VR has all of these amazing application purposes to make our lives better it still raises the concerns about privacy, human connection and internet addiction. In our digital world, we are giving away data to all these companies and it has raised concerns about what might be implications if VR data are misused by companies or compromised.  We also face concerns about deteriorating human connection. In a world divided already, we might end up straying away from each other by using this technology.  Last it might lead to internet addiction. People already have concerns about spending too much time in their smartphones so expect it to be a even bigger problem when people start using VR.  

    In conclusion, I think the positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to VR technology.  I see it fostering creativity among our kind by enabling us to experience the world and gain different perspective. A world with VR would look like what we are currently going through.  People working from home using VR, visiting grocery stores virtually and having it delivered, and there are many more possibilities.

Reference:

• Rubin, Peter. “The WIRED Guide to Virtual Reality.” Wired, Conde Nast, 8 Mar. 2020, www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-to-virtual-reality/.

• Hicks, Paula. “The Pros And Cons Of Using Virtual Reality In The Classroom.” ELearning Industry, 23 Apr. 2020, elearningindustry.com/pros-cons-using-virtual-reality-in-the-classroom.