VR: Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should
There’s a moment in Jurassic Park when Dr. Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum, says emphatically, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
Sure he’s talking about cloning dinosaurs, but I think this applies to something that’s just as sci-fi in concept: virtual reality.
This article applies to everyone working in the VR or collective “XR industry”. If you’re a developer, designer, filmmaker, scientist, marketer, or business person working on a VR company or project, you have a tremendous amount of responsibility resting on your shoulders. This is something I often think about as the founder and director of a cinematic VR company.
What I have learned over the past four years of being immersed in the VR industry (slight pun intended), is that as a VR creator, you are literally creating your audiences’ reality. A big distinction from merely creating a movie or traditional video game.
Virtual reality is an incredibly persuasive, psychologically manipulative, and powerful medium. Don’t take it lightly.
The future of media, movies, storytelling, gaming, travel, communication, and recreation is in our hands as immersive media creators. We decide what this future looks like. The question is, do we want this to be a positive, spiritually evolved and transcendent future? Or dark, bleak, post-apocalyptic one? Do we want The Jetsons or The Terminator? Do we want the Holodeck or The Matrix?
You can literally create any alternate reality you can imagine for people to experience and get lost in. And just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Just because you can put me in a room with no escape, doesn’t mean you should.
Just because you can literally put me in hell, doesn’t mean you should.
Just because you can put me in the middle of a bloody, PTSD-inducing war, doesn’t mean you should.
Just because you can put me face-to-face with a ravenous dinosaur or a serial killer, doesn’t mean you should.
You can see where this is going…
The whole point of being a VR creator is that you have the freedom to create any world you want, put the viewer / player in any situation you want, and essentially get them to do anything you want them to do through game design and psychological manipulation. But that doesn’t mean you should. There are lots of examples of designers and therapists using VR for psychological manipulation for good. But then again, that doesn’t mean you should.
(I’m not saying that using VR and psychological manipulation should not be used positive transformations, I’m just prompting you to think about it, before you just do it.)
“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
There are many articles written around ethics in VR and I won’t go into depth with my own code of ethics. My only objective is to encourage VR creators to think. I just want to raise the consciousness around the power at play and help shape the future in a positive way.
Think deeply about what you’re doing the next time you start production on a new project, think about the power you wield the next time you open up a new Unity project, and think about how your audience is going to feel before you strap a headset to their face. VR is the “ultimate empathy machine”, so why not practice empathy for your user first, rather than forcing your user to empathize with someone else?
This is all simple user-centred design. And if you’re not familiar with this, I suggest you master this fundamental principle or get out of the VR industry.
This is just meant to be a call to action for the content creators and developers — the ones who ultimately design the worlds and experiences that put people into their own constructed realities, if only for a brief period of time. But really, everyone even remotely involved in the “XR” industry should think about these considerations.
Practice empathy for your user first, rather than forcing your user to empathize with someone else.
What I’m really suggesting here is to take extra steps and special care when conceiving, developing, and demoing your VR experiences. Make sure that what you’re creating is ultimately a positive experience — even if the experience is terrifying. And even if your intended outcome for the experience is utter fear and anxiety, at least ask yourself “why”?
When you’re putting someone in a virtual environment it’s like putting them in your wildest dreams or a terrifying nightmare. How would you feel if you found yourself powerless in a frightening or inescapable experience?
A big selling feature of VR is to give people unlimited power.
But I hope you just asked yourself “Just because you can give people unlimited power, does that mean I should?” Also, I might write a full article on “Unlimited Power in VR”. Comment if you would like to learn more about this!
One exercise I always find helpful is that whenever you’re creating an experience, just think of how your grandmother would react in it. Seriously, keep a photo of your grandma on your desk so she’s always watching you and you’re always thinking of her. This will act as a constant reminder that will keep you in check. If you wouldn’t put your granny in this environment, why would you put a stranger in it?
Look, I’m not telling you what you should or shouldn’t create in a virtual environment. There are many reasons not to mess with people’s psyche. All I’m suggesting is that we as an industry, consider every aspect of user experience design because it will make or break this entire industry.
This all comes from a content producer’s point of view. I haven’t even gotten into the concerns around the corporations involved, the hardware, distribution and demoing, accessibility, or even the deep philosophical and psychological implications. I’ll save those for future posts.
Be aware of the unique opportunity and limitless power and choices you possess as a VR creator. Always ask yourself “Just because I can, does that mean I should?”
And just remember, anything is possible. The world is yours. So make it a good one.
Please share this article with anyone you know in the VR or “XR” industry. You never know the impact you could make on the future of media.
If you liked my perspective, hit that clap button so I know you read this far. Also, share your thoughts in the comments. I would love to hear from you!
