The Future with Virtual Reality

For this discussion posting, I would like us to consider the implication of new and advancing technology on society. Let’s consider Virtual Reality (VR) that allows users to experience virtual experience, other environments (places) or 3D Content through the use of VR wearables. Let’s consider the impact of this technology, here to examples of article to provide an idea of the impacts or uses:

https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/how-does-it-affect-us.html

https://elearningindustry.com/pros-cons-using-virtual-reality-in-the-classroom

This is one of the new emerging technologies that has the potential to dramatically alter how we work, play. Are such advancements a good thing of a bad thing, or are they neither (just because someone invented something, do we need it)? What implications does the use of such technology pose in society? Could the rapid development of new technologies like other wearables (google classes, Apple Watches, Fitbits, etc.) saturate society, resulting in a backwards trend towards a society that values having less technology rather than more technology?

        Virtual Reality, commonly referred to as “near-reality”, is one of the new emerging technologies that can have the potential to dramatically alter how we work and play. Advancements such as virtual reality can be a good thing because by embracing virtual reality, it is allowing us an experience that is never reached before. Once a technology of the future, it is already finding itself in fields such as gaming and transportation where the user get an intense, immersive experience in a safe environment. We need virtual reality in our lives because, it is the answer to things that are usually to dangerous, expensive or impractical to do it in reality. It allows us to take virtual risks to gain real world experience at a much cost effective way. Sometimes, things couldn’t have been done since it was really expensive without virtual reality. Especially in military, virtual reality is useful for training soldiers for combat situations or other dangerous situations where they can learn how to react in the appropriate manner has been proven to be safer and less costly than traditional training methods.

        Using technology such as virtual reality, poses two implications on society. They can be classified under physical effects and time constraints. Under physical effects of virtual reality, one problem is that it brings upon motion sickness with users. Another physical effect with virtual reality is that it will become a type of technology that will consume the minds of people. Another problem with virtual reality is time constraints. It takes time to build and develop a virtual environment that is indistinguishable from the real thing. Therefore, with technologies such as virtual reality, it can bring upon implications on society.

        With the rapid development of new technologies like other wearables (google glasses, Apple Watches, Fitbits to name a few), it will saturate society, resulting in a backwards trend towards a society that values less technology rather than more technology. By using technology, it can have many positive impacts on society. With the rapid development of technology, it has brought upon things such as “improved communication, agriculture that is mechanized and an improved education and learning process” (Ramey). However, when we have more technology at our disposal, we can end up doing things that can be detrimental to the wellbeing of human beings. Because, with the overconsumption of technology, we can end up ignoring the people that we’re actually with, losing time to sleep and unwind and that by being overwhelmed with technology, we end up missing valuable information. Therefore, results in a backwards trend towards a society that value having less technology rather than more technology. In order to overcome a society, that values having more technology rather than less technology, I think it is best to pay attention, asking yourself “what matters most” and developing more face-to-face time as opposed to virtual time.  When we shift our focus on things that bring upon happiness, our relationship with technology will then change, and will result in a society that will evidently value more technology as opposed to less technology.