It is scary to think that virtual reality is becoming a
bigger technology in our day to day lives. While it is certainly amazing that
we have developed a technology that brings a
vast amount of opportunities, it frightens me.
Virtual reality will provide an even greater disconnect in
the world around us. It'll discourage us from going out and exploring the world
and learning about new cultures. Instead,
all we would have to do is put on a pair of VR goggles,
and we are walking along the Great Wall of China or swimming in the Great
Barrier Reef, without ever leaving the comfort of our home. On top of that, if Facebook's vision of Facebook Space comes to fruition, we will have an even greater disconnect socially. Already social media has lessened our face to face communication, but this new platform seeks to further that disconnect. With Facebook Space, users will have the ability to meet friends virtually and do things together. While it would certainly be an amazing innovation, it begs to ask what does the future hold for VR?
The technology already exists that allows users by a few clicks of a button to find an encyclopedia of information stored on the internet. What is to say that won't someday become a part of VR?
The need for formal face to face education would disappear. Instead, it would be replaced by an artificial
intelligence that would teach us. Valuable life skills that we develop from the
classroom would disappear.
Over the next decade or to
we need to tread carefully and make sure VR doesn't take over our lives and begin to replace what makes us unique
as human beings.
