The Positives and the Negatives of Augmented Reality
The reasons why I think A.R. is good for us and why I think it is not.
A technology that integrates digital information with a user’s environment in real time. A way for us to see non-existent objects and images take place in our actual world. How do I feel about this? I am going to discuss my thoughts on why augmented reality can both benefit our lives and also destroy it.
How A.R. Can Help Us
Augmented reality is one of the latest and greatest technologies that we have seen in a long time. It is an idea that has been around for decades, however, it isn’t until recently that we have seen some of its greatest services. A.R. has spread publicly due to the implementation of GPS, camera and A.R. capability in Android and iOS devices. The advancements in augmented reality have allowed users to retrieve relevant information quickly and efficiently. We can understand current materials and potential future products in the most realistic way possible.
A.R. Headsets, such as Microsoft’s HoloLens and Facebook’s Oculus Virtual Reality, allow users to visualize digital pictures through a lens. Individuals can learn about topics in the most practical ways, interact with holograms, movies, and games, test and prepare for products, procedures, and more, and experience travel in the most sensible ways.
There are A.R. applications and headsets that benefit the military in both educational and informal ways. There are apps that assist the military with making repairs in the field and preparation for surgeries. There is also The Heads-Up Display which provides the military with vital data and The Head-Mounted Display which contains useful simulations for training purposes.
As I had mentioned, augmented reality is an excellent resource for practicing medical operations. Medical A.R. gives medical students the opportunity to practice surgery in a controlled environment. This is especially helpful for neurosurgery because the brain is the most accessible part of the body to recreate for training.
Some of the other exciting and notable advancements that augmented reality have carried out include: improved GPS and navigation, enhanced sightseeing experiences, exceptional maintenance and repair practices, more impressive gaming, and beneficial advertising and promotional opportunities.
How A.R. Can Destroy Us
Augmented reality gives our world numerous opportunities, like the ones that I have mentioned above. Although I have discussed the many benefits and advancements of A.R., I would also like to share with you the reasons why I think it can be very dangerous both physically and mentally.
We already know that it is not satisfactory that we stare at a screen with digital images. More of a reason to participate in this type of activity doesn’t make it any better, but honestly, that is just todays reality. A major issue that I would like to point out are users getting physically injured.
I am sure most of you can remember the release of Pokemon Go last summer. If you do not remember this time period, then I can explain it to you very clearly. A game where users would need to complete the task of finding and catching various Pokemon that were virtually placed all around the world. In order to do so, users would have to travel through the streets while holding up a phone to their face. All that user would typically be looking for was a Pokemon showing up on their screen. This meant that they were almost completely unaware of their actual surroundings such as cars, people, buildings, walls, etc. Although a game like this is unimaginable, it is actually really dangerous! We can technically blame the users for being irresponsible and negligent while playing this game, but we all know it seems almost impossible to not be unaware when something like this enters our real-world.
When something enters our environment that isn’t supposed to be there, there are bound to be some concerns. We as humans immediately become oblivious to what is actually surrounding us and become absorbed into a fictitious form that is displayed on a screen.
We should certainly enjoy and take advantage of the incredible technology that is built and designed for us. However, we must remember to be mindful of ourselves, the surroundings within our environment and what it gives us.
