Virtually Bleak Reality

Virtual reality has come a long way since its initial existence as a simple illusion found in 19th century panoramic paintings. The basis of this current phenomena lies in its strong stimulating nature. From the View-Master to Samsung’s Galaxy VR Gear, the level of stimulus has definitely progressed exponentially. The future of virtual reality can go two ways as technological engineering continues to progress. With any new technological milestone, there always seems to be a radically negative outcome paired with a contrasting positive outcome. However, as more people fall into the category of developing technological dependency, the risk of living in an overtly artificial world begins to increase while the normalcy of experiencing organic feelings seems limited.

In Jean Baudrillard’s “The Precession of Simulacra” the basics of simulations are no longer a reflection of reality, but instead are a new creation in itself (3). This statement is quite relevant in regard to the video games of today. People are more immersed into online/console gaming and role-playing games because of the barrier formed between fantasy and reality. The engineered world is almost tangible for the few hours of gaming that acts as an escape from one’s own reality. In Tony Earley’s nonfiction short story “Somehow Form a Family”, he creatively depicts his childhood through television shows that he was once immersed in while his real life carried on behind the screen. His hyper-immersion into different realities are the majority of his earliest memories, but he never fundamentally experienced the adventures that the Brady Bunch did firsthand, leaving him in the background of his own childhood (Earley). This can be categorized as an example of false memories in its minor stages.

Perhaps it is the hyper-stimulating feeling that one undergoes whilst immersed in a simulation that allows a person to exist in his or her reality with content. Baudrillard uses the example of Disneyland to draw upon the falsehood of these feelings (2). He points out that the obvious fictitious environment of an overtly “happy place” is what leads others to acknowledge the realness of their own world (Baudrillard 3). So, what is it that causes people to dive headfirst into fictitious realities? BBC’s article on Virtual Reality headsets claims that it has to do with the addictive nature of technology (Is Virtual). There seems to be a repetitive nature involving the latest technological advancement in video games. Therapist Kim Daniel says that it relates directly to this generation of kids and teens who appear to have major issues with loneliness (Gibson). If this is how the world is slowly and sadly regressing from acknowledging problems and accepting them, then the future of social interactions may involve more anxiety than one could’ve predicted.

Similar virtual addictions can be found in regular consumers of pornography. Cossette Rae of eStart states that “When VR is released, the receptors in our brain encourage us to seek more”. This, in turn, relates to the effects of watching pornography. Matt Wood adds to this discovery in his article “Virtual Reality Could Transform Pornography”. He informs readers that “views on virtual reality pornography on one website spiked at 900,000 on Christmas Day, 2016, three times what they were a month previously,” (Wood). Matt Wood’s statistics are significant toward the pattern described earlier regarding the effect of introducing new forms of technology to consumers. More consumers will fall down the rabbit hole of new experiences and sensations. Wood argues that the upside to virtual reality pornography involves the immersion “users in more realistic situations where [they] have to negotiate sexual relationships and in doing so learn about nuanced aspects of consent.” Although that is a positive outcome, one can’t help but weigh the negatives alongside it.

Neuroscientist Dr. William Struthers explains that porn is addictive in the same ways that narcotics are (Gilkerson). The chemical norepinephrine alerts the brain when watching porn and thus releases dopamine (the reward and motivation neurotransmitter for the brain) which heavily stimulates the brain during the action taken (Wikipedia). It eventually requires more of the same experience to fulfill that familiar rush of emotions, which can be the origin signs of an impending addiction. What this could potentially say for the future of American society is the negative repercussion it may have on societal intimacy. People would prefer porn instead of real intimacy because of its quick and painless availability. There would be minimal anxiety involved between human and computer interactions. It would also be classified as readily available technology, making it convenient. Heightened virtual reality could even have an effect on the plummeting statistics of future birth rates, which is already at a historic low (Cha). The need for conventional romantic relationships would not completely disappear, but it would decrease with the use of VR pornography because of its immersive nature. Though it is not an organic form of intimacy, it could still be perceived that way by many.

One example of this emotional fulfillment via technology is brilliantly depicted in Spike Jonez’s 2013 film Her. Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) becomes emotionally and sexually involved with an A.I. named Samantha (Scarlett Johannsen). The film follows Theodore’s relationship with Samantha as though they shared an organic relationship, when it’s clear to the audience that it’s artificial, but the cinematography embedded in this film emphasizes the raw emotion that Theodore feels for Samantha regardless of the lack of her physical form (Her). Though this film does little to include the future depictions of virtual reality, it does, however, express the bonding nature between technology and humans in a realistic manner.

Virtual reality devices don’t necessarily have to emulate terrifying futures. There are some cases in which virtual reality devices has been aiding individuals with anxiety in ways of therapeutic exposure. The procedure is a simulation that a patient may endure to practice growing accustomed to a certain experience that would otherwise cause the patient to feel extremely anxious (Parsons & Rizzo 2007). This could reduce cases of anxiety or addiction exponentially in the future, which most would consider a major positive outcome of VR technology.

When discussing the unintentional consequences of technological advancements, Americans of today could look toward Westworld or Black Mirror as a very realistic example of what could be the demise of humanity via Artificial Intelligence or hyper Virtual Reality devices. However, the unknown is what initiates creative outlooks on the future. This uncertainty initiates the brainstorming of possibilities for what is to come.

Going back to the panoramic paintings and forms of VR that could potentially lead to the fall of humanity, there is a sense of psychological bias that one could overlook. To reiterate, you can paint a nice picture of the ocean’s surface and evoke thoughtful emotions from those who view it. In contrast, if you were to paint the mysterious and dark depths of the ocean’s waters, the probability of evoking a powerful response from viewers is more likely than not, and even more so than the hypothetical tranquil painting. Wonder and inspiration can easily be transfixed into fear by introducing the element of the unknown. Fear becomes more relevant when predicting the future, and that’s how a sum of today’s society views the technological future. Just take a look at all of the post apocalyptic movies that were produced since the Hunger Games craze back in 2012.

Consider Spike Jonze’s 2013 film Her and Stanley Kubrick’s 1963 feature 2001: A Space Odyssey. The plots of both films involve the tension and drama between a protagonist and an A.I. character. The difference between the Her’s Samantha and 2001’s HAL is the effect it has on the audience. Samantha is a rogue A.I. but she is also Theodore’s love interest. HAL is also a rogue A.I., however the difference lies in his antagonistic nature towards Dr. Dave and Frank (2001). The eerie sense of danger is emphasized in Kubrick’s cinematography and script. There is no impending sense of doom when regarding the hyper-technology in Her, only emotional distress. That being said, 2001 then becomes a stronger cautionary tale for viewers than Her did. This further emphasizes the significance of bias when regarding the future of the world and what terms spark more of a response.

Social media is major factor pertaining to tech addiction. It is a platform that the user gets to control entirely, in terms of how they are perceived. It’s also another platform for connection. If that were to fall apart, those who clutch onto that connection might endure some form of anxiety until that connection kicks back in. That dependence on immersion is caused by the stimulating sense of forgetting one’s reality. One could only imagine the massive impact heightened VR would have on today’s society of teens and adults who leave too much reliance on technology.

These unintended consequences of technology have developed only from the positives of technology. Since the dawn of innovation, progress has made everyday tasks easier to accomplish. There is no detrimental need for virtual reality devices, but those who’ve benefited from it may think otherwise. That doesn’t account for the majority of people who depend on it out of familiarity. In a non-technological standpoint, one could argue that artificial foods are a relative topic to this argument (in metaphor). Baby formula is not the organic choice of nutrition for newborns, but some greatly benefit from its production. That is not to say that A.I.’s and VR systems are no threat to society. The U.S. Government has even written protocols if the world were ever to fall under issues with artificially intelligent devices (National). From video game addiction to social media, an increase of heightened technological stimulations hint that people would have to submerge into nothingness to achieve something because of its inorganic nature.

References

Baudrillard, Jean. The Precession of Simulacra. 2001.

Cha, Ariana Eunjung. “The U.S. Fertility Rate Just Hit a Historic Low. Why Some Demographers Are Freaking out.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 30 June 2017

Earley, Tony. Somehow Form a Family: Stories That Are Mostly True. Algonquin Books, 2002.

Darzian, David. “Is Virtual Reality the Next Big Thing in Addiction Treatment?” Infinity Malibu, 12 Apr. 2017.

Gibson, Caitlin. “Video Games Are More Addictive than Ever. This Is What Happens When Kids Can’t Turn Them off.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 Dec. 2016.

Gilkerson, Luke. “Why Is Porn Addictive?” Covenant Eyes, 9 Aug. 2017.

Her. Directed by Spike Jonze, Performances by Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Pratt, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde, Warner Bros., 2013.

“History of Virtual Reality.” Virtual Reality Society, Virtual Reality Society, 2017.

“Is Virtual Reality an Addictive Drug?” BBC News, BBC, 5 May 2014.

National Science and Technology Council. “White House Report — Preparing for the Future of AI.pdf.” Google Drive, Google, Oct. 2016,

Parsons, Thomas D, and Albert A Rizzo. “Affective Outcomes of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Anxiety and Specific Phobias: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, Pergamon, 25 July 2007.

Rae, Cosette. “Virtual Reality (VR) American’s New Addiction?” VR Addiction, 2016.

Wikipedia contributors. “Dopamine.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 17 Dec. 2017. Web. 19 Dec. 2017.

Wood, Matt. “Virtual Reality Could Transform Pornography — but There Are Dangers.” The Conversation, The Conversation, 13 Dec. 2017.

List films by their title. Include the name of the director, the film studio or distributor, and the release year. If relevant, list performer names after the director’s name.

2001: A Space Odyssey. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, Performances by Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1968.