VR and Empathetic Connection
How virtual reality has changed and aided in animal advocacy
Virtual reality has taken the world by storm, revolutionizing the way individuals are consuming film and media. It has incited changes in a variety of mediums, including journalism and advocacy. In a world where individuals are constantly seeking new connections with the help of technological advancements, the importance of immersive experiences through technology is vital. In an interview with Henry Jenkins, William Urichio explains how good news content itself is not enough to inspire change in today’s world, and that “finding ways to enhance user participation, to intensify immersive experiences, and to encourage sharing and community building” is the key to inspiring action and change.This shift has given birth to a new kind of advocacy in which nonprofits and other charitable groups are able to capture the attention of individuals and immerse them in specific causes. It can be seen in the realm of animal protection and rights, as VR experiences are created to engage the public in these issues. Projects such as Animal Equality’s third iEquality video and Chasing Coral have brought VR into the forefront of projects promoting animal welfare and conservation. A few other examples are as follows…
ASPCA disaster relief
ASPCA released this 360° video about St. Croix after Hurricane Maria. The video allows the viewer to explore the devastated area and the disaster relief that was set up to help affected animals, all while listening to a voiceover explaining the importance of treating animals alongside humans, the philosophy of teaching others how to react to a disaster, and the way volunteers handle the animals and set up emergency shelters. The visuals highlight the devastated area before entering the worlds of the animals who have been displaced. There is something about watching humans interact with these frightened creatures that compels the viewer to want to rescue the animals themselves. The freedom to explore the area with the 360 capability makes this video impactful, as the viewer feels a sense of agency and responsibility to see for themselves what is being done for the animals. The end of the video prompts viewers to go to a webpage that provides instructions about disaster relief, all within the ASPCA website where donations can be made in real-time to the cause.
Animal Planet- Saving Threatened Species
This video discusses how giraffes are both illegally and legally poached while facing habitat loss and trophy hunting. The woman narrating addresses the viewer directly, saying things like “I’m worried about his future” and “I’m counting on you” which forms an emotional connection. However, it is once again the 360° capability that truly drives home the impact of the video. The video showcases a day in the life of a giraffe and makes it look as though the viewer is standing with him among the trees and the zebras. Furthermore, there are moments in the video when the giraffe seems to be looking the viewer straight in the eye as though asking, “will you help me?”
Bear 71
International Film Board of Canada’s Bear 71 was originally released in 2011, with an updated VR version in 2017. Created by Jeremy Mendes and Leanne Allison, the piece uses footage from Banff National Park to show the devastating changes and realities of being a grizzly bear in the park. The immersive experience allows the viewer to click through the park and explore on their own. The documentary tells a tragic story for which the viewer has a front row seat, seeing first-hand the tragedy human intervention and infrastructure has on wildlife. The VR technology allows viewers to explore the park and meet other inhabitants, following the story of this ecosystem. However, it is not reading how many of these animals are killed, or seeing the video footage of the road that cuts through the park that truly drives it home. It is the end of the story, in which the bear is hit by an incoming train. Reading about a bear being hit by a train in a newspaper or online article has one kind of emotional impact. However, getting to know a bear through the use of VR and seeing it killed is a different experience entirely. The attachment you experience from having the freedom to explore the bear’s world provides for a more powerful, empathetic attachment; it feels as though you are experiencing the world with the animal. As well, it forms an emotional connection between the viewer and the bear, making the emotional impact of it’s death much more powerful.
Immersive Advocacy
“Perspective-taking has been proven by psychologists to foster a number of positive qualities such as the reduction of stereotypes, improved communication, and construction of favorable attitudes and helping behaviors, toward those in adverse situations that are alien to our own individual experience, as is often the case in news consumers.” (Archer and Finger 17)
With VR, animal rights advocates now have the ability to truly illustrate the abuse faced by the animals they are trying to protect. While viewing and interacting with these videos and documentaries, individuals are immersed in the experience of the animals and their dilemma. They are not just reading words in an article, or seeing photos of horrible conditions and distressed animals; they are seeing the whole picture, experiencing it first hand. These technologies are allowing them to form an emotional connection with the animals on screen. Indeed, “the interactivity of VR immerses the user in a world experienced as already in place; as a process involving the mind, it turns the user’s sojourn in the virtual world into a creative membership.” (Ryan 285) The simple act of navigating one’s own screen enhances the experience, the accessibility and the emotional impact. VR is creating a stronger empathetic connection between viewers and the animals on screen, prompting them to feel a stronger sense of responsibility which will translate into action.
Works Cited
Archer, Dan, and Katharina Finger. “Walking In Another’s Virtual Shoes.” Tow Center for Digital Journalism, Mar. 2018, pp. 1–71.
Jenkins, Henry. “Charting Documentary’s Futures.” In Media Res, 2016, pp. 18–27.
Ryan, Marie-Laure. Narrative As Virtual Reality : Immersion and Interactivity in Literature and Electronic Media. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001.
