By FREE THINKERS COLLECTIVE November 9, 2021
The vast possibilities for VR are not limited to gamers. Large corporations are toying with the idea of making business meetings virtual. Some appointments can be made with VR such as doctors visits, dermatologists, job interviews, etc. Even virtual tourism is on the rise.
With VR, you & your friends can travel the globe, walk the streets of any city and see the sights. The opportunity for VR in everyday life has exploded due to the lockdowns & authoritative measures implemented by leaders around the world as a response to Covid-19.
With all the exciting advancements in VR, there are also real pitfalls that may develop along the way. For instance, with the unveiling of META, Facebook's new VR based social media platform, we can look at the current levels of addiction to social media that many users face.
The average person spends nearly 2 hours a day using social media, which amounts to 5 years and 4 months of their lifetime. In that time a person could run more than 10,000 marathons or travel to the moon and back on 32 separate occasions. For teens, social media time spent could be up to 9 hours every day.
While social media offers unprecedented access and connectability, some are concerned that social media overuse is inhibiting users everywhere and affecting them in adverse ways.
Have you ever got lost in something you deeply enjoy doing? You lose track of time. It gets worse with a VR headset on. There is also the concern that other addictions such as sex addiction, video gaming, etc. May be exacerbated with virtual reality.
Another issue we face is the crisis of identity. In the virtual world you can build your avatar to look however you want. You can be whoever you want. Could this lead to VR addicts losing touch with themselves or affecting their perspective of reality?
Technology has always been a double edged sword. It can push some people to better themselves, to learn and to benefit humanity, while others become reliant, lazy and apathetic.
Time will tell whether VR will push humanity forward and empower us, or lead to our own enslavement.