Virtual Reality
There is a new piece of technology that gives the user a 3D experience that makes them feel like they are actually in whatever game they are playing. Essentially, by moving your head from side to side and depending on the game’s plot, you can see inside a virtual police vehicle as you chase down the perp. Oculus Rift sounds exciting and could become a big thing. Virtual reality has its high points, yet we should be concerned about the effects it has on our mind, behavior and health.
Virtual reality is a form of technology in which a person is immersed into a computer generated worlds or environments where people can explore and in many cases, interact with other humans that they might have never met had they not have been linked by this generated form of “reality.” Virtual reality can be used as a relaxing outlet after a long day at work. One could go home and on the device that allows them to see a big screen movie, meet up with friends from around the world, and not have to deal with reality at the current moment. It can be a relaxing and convenient outlet. Eventually, people may even be able to stay at home instead of going to work; essentially saving on gas and time spent traveling. They can be virtually transported into their office with others using the device and never have to get out of their pajamas. Yet with all the positive uses of the product, people should look at the other side to its use.
The user of Oculus Rift should realize that there are possible negative results from the use of the product. For instance, let us that a person is playing a game and they get their arm bitten off by a shark. Could their brain act like phantom limbs? A phantom limb is basically the sensation that a missing limb is still attached to the person’s body and is moving properly with other body parts. Many individuals with an amputation often experience phantom sensations in their amputated limb, and a bulk of the sensations are painful to some degree. If the brain can be tricked into believing the game is reality, then if a person was to have their arm ripped off in a virtual reality game, could the brain trick the body into believing the arm is gone and possible cause long term damages to the body as a result of the brain?
It could also have a desensitization effect on humans, meaning that a person becomes unaffected by extreme acts of violent behavior and fails to show empathy or compassion as a result. Another concern is that with social outlets, in general people can use these outlets, like Oculus Rift as a hiding place from actual reality. It can stump their socialization skills and cause them to be indifferent or removed from the physical people around them. Finally, a person’s addiction to virtual reality games can cause the individual start to blur the boundary between physical real and virtual life. Though Oculus Rift and other virtual reality devices can be beneficial for both relaxation and time management, people thinking of using the device should be aware of the possible ramifications of its use on their social skills, brain, and health. Hopefully with research, the full potential or other outcomes for the device can be made aware to the public, before fully buying in on the product of the future.
