A different prespective
An alien is looking at a special, green-blue planet. He is a scientist, and his orders are to understand the strange creatures that live on this space rock. Humans, he remarks, are different from normal creatures. He watches them eat, sleep, and interact with each other, just as all organisms do. But then he watches as they spend hours of time staring at stacks of processed, bleached, sheets of wood that they call “books”. After several decades of research, he reaches a conclusion. It’s a drug. The evolved apes hallucinate, have emotional reactions, and often continue even if it harms their body. Satisfied with his years of research, he plans his return to his planet. His work is to be published in the premier scientific journal in his galaxy. “Maybe people will actually read it,” he thinks.
How it’s used
Virtual reality, which is what the alien observed, is often seen as distant and complicated. However, we have been using it in our day-to-day life since the beginning of civilization, and not only in entertainment. Virtual reality is used in medicine, education, and therapy.
First and foremost, virtual reality provides a way to train for events that would otherwise be impossible to simulate. For example, the company Osso VR is using virtual reality to replicate orthopedic surgery. Something that is usually very expensive as it requires special, synthetic bones. Similarly, another way this technology can be used is to provide hands on learning. VR Educations Holdings is using augmented and virtual reality to revolutionize online learning. Using it, students will be able to attend virtual lectures, and even be able to inspect historic objects in the simulations. Finally, many people who suffer from traumatic events will be able to overcome their pasts.
Conclusion
Just as the alien observed however, it is not a natural, healthy way of existing for long periods of time. Many people now suffer from anxiety and depression and this could be a result of our technology usage. Furthermore, As we look into the future, it’s not a question of having virtual reality, its about how we will learn to live with this exciting technology. It’s about finding the proper balance between utility, efficiency, and health.
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