By SCV
There are many benefits and drawbacks of virtual reality. To illustrate in workplaces meetings can be done online, but with props that can be touched by multiple people across the world. Virtual reality will also make working safer, robots will be able to be controlled remotely. This is especially helpful for workers in janitorial and radioactive fields, where being physically present is dangerous. Impacts can be made in educational fields through the more engaging learning tool of VR because it’s uncommon and fully immersive. People can be immersed in historic moments such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, or go watch dinosaurs. School science programs would greatly benefit because more extravagant experiments could be conducted, without fear of hurting equipment, students, or teachers. Immune-compromised students could also go to a safer school because germs can’t be transferred on virtual objects, no one is really touching them. The integration of virtual reality will also make living more sustainable. Fast fashion will be less relevant because people can change their avatar’s outfit on every whim. Allowing for fewer outfits and clothing. If people could go anywhere in the world virtually, carbon emissions would be decreased as people don’t have to travel there. Finally, because job training could be done virtually, mistakes can’t break equipment. So less equipment needs to be made.
People can also personally benefit from integrating virtual reality into everyday life. Currently, virtual reality is a gaming apparatus. Games can be played and fun can be across countries and continents. Because virtual reality is fully immersive people are more active than they would be one computer games, increasing physical health. As mentioned above people can travel anywhere, and to anytime. Virtual reality is also currently used to save lives. Virtual Reality is used in medical schools so doctors can practice complex operations in realistic settings on fake people. So we get more practiced doctors to help save lives. To turn lives around virtual reality is used in rehabilitation, to show patients what could be. Resulting in a large impact and increase in hope, turning more lives for the better.
As with all things virtual reality can not be perfect, there are some drawbacks. The possibility of PTSD is highly possible. If people do not properly monitor their content and games (such as playing very bloody warlike games) they can mentally injure themselves in a hyper-realistic setting. Additionally, it is not recommended for children under the age of thirteen to use virtual reality systems as it can cause brain damage. There is also worry for people who will come to think they are invincible, even after they take off the headset. In a virtual world, people don’t have to have fear of death or injury. Playing without consequences can change world views to be detrimental. However, all possibilities have never been documented. Furthermore, the programming and cost for the virtual reality systems are too expensive to make mainstream.
Most importantly virtual reality can cause human connection. When people are put into another person’s living situation and are forced to confront reality instead of their picket fence world it causes change and connection. Chris Milk did a Ted talk on this. What he is doing is going to refugee camps and following a child around. Then he shows this hyper-realistic snippet of their hardship to people can cause a change. United Nation members, this cause change. Humans don’t want to see other humans in pain. So the UN members try to make their lives better, removing pain.
Virtual reality is for more than games, it is to cause changes and make a beneficial impact on the world. Virtual reality can save and change lives, From just getting you off the couch to preventing radioactive poisoning. We just need to spread the word.
