A closer look at Virtual Reality- And it’s harmful implications
Virtual Reality could be the next reality. It could be the next Instagram. The next GTA (Since GTA VI would probably never get released). Or both. It could shape every big business- Inside of it.
Joan Lowery Nixon
Virtual reality had once been a superior gadget, only meant for the rich. It wasn’t the kind of gadget you’ll see the normal populace with. At the time, most of the masses wouldn’t have even known what VR stands for.
If someone told them that VR could be the future of technology and the internet (which was in it’s initial stage at the time), things could have been a little different (or they would probably consider you an unorthodox). But for that, we would need a Time Machine and may need to break some laws of Physics, but that’s a good topic for another story. For now, let’s take a look at what an ideal future with VR could mean.
Imagine waking up in a world where you can do whatever you want. You can invite your friends, play a game of cards or drop into an FPS/Battle Royale game, and of course, you don’t have to worry about dying in the game, as it’s all virtual. If you have family, relatives, or friends that live far away, you can meet them anywhere anytime saving both, a ton of money and a lot of time. And maybe a few years from now, you’ll be able to study and work virtually (on VR). You could switch between different locations, from working in a café to working with your boss or clients in the virtual office. You could attend your classes in a room with the teacher and the students, just like you do now, and hang out with friends or play a game between classes.
The possibilities are endless, but of course not frightening. The dangers involved in using VR Headsets are pretty limited when compared to the advantages, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t considerable.
Last year, Danny Bitman, a software developer who has been using VR headsets for more than 6 years, in a tweet stated that he developed an eye converging problem that acts like dyslexia, and got prescribed glasses usually described to 40 year olds. His doctor was convinced his VR use caused this.
According to Oculus, 1 in 4000 people may suffer from dizziness, seizures and eye or muscle twitching. Doctors have previously warned that VR, being an artificial and imaginative world, can cause eye strain as the brain is forced to process visual stimuli in a different way than normal. While this might get fixed over time with new technological advancements in VR headsets, it is worth considering at the time. Also, players have reported suffering from broken bones, torn ligaments and electric shocks caused by prolonged use of these headsets.
And that’s not all. VR Headsets could prove to be more dangerous over time, with new technologies added in every new headset, decreasing credibility and reliability. They could prove to invoke a sense of social anxiety among youngsters if they don’t get to hang out with friends on the VR platform. Also, I believe it could hinder youngsters’ basic understanding of the real world’s fundamental physics. For example, a young kid in the metaverse could get shot, jump from a high place and die, but nothing will happen to him in the real world. Such repetitive experience in the game, like jumping and falling from high places but still remaining untouched in the real world could alter their basic understanding of the world and may cause some serious problems. This is one of the reasons why I believe that children shouldn’t be allowed to use such headsets.
According to multiple reliable sources, one should take a break from using VRs every 30 minutes and touch a wall, blink a few times, look around and maybe look out in the sun for a few minutes.
A big thank you for reading this far. Do your part, research on VR before deciding if VR is good for you or not, and if you already have one, be careful while using it and always remember, prevention is better than cure.
Most of the content in this post is based on credible sources, while some of it is based on my understanding and views on the subject.
Thanks again for reading!