[spacer height=”100″] Virtual reality (VR) is continuing to grow in popularity, and with that, so are people’s concerns about this new technology. While it is easy to get wrapped up in VR’s capabilities, it is important to know that just like with any technology, there are some downsides. So just what are the positives and negatives of virtual reality that we may encounter? Read on to find out!
POSITIVES:
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GOING TO NEW PLACES
Virtual reality gives people the ability to go places all across the world and outer space, from the South Pole to the Moon. This capability is already being used in school to enrich lesson plans and is taking seniors’ minds to places that their bodies won’t allow them to go anymore. It turns out that adventure is just a VR headset away! [spacer height=”100″][spacer height=”50″]
EXPERIENCING THE WORLD IN A NEW WAY
VR allows people to experience the world like they never have before. You can paint in mid-air, stand on top of a waterfall, travel from Machu Picchu to Venice beach in an instant, and even go to an open house right from your living room. Virtual reality has opened up a new world, full of endless excitement and opportunities. [spacer height=”100″][spacer height=”50″]
REWARDS WITHOUT RISK
As the famous saying goes, “no risk, no reward”, but virtual reality could be changing that. People can ride roller coasters, go skydiving, and even bungee jump, all with VR. Virtual reality takes the risk of possible death due to injury out of the equation, while still providing the user with the adrenaline rush they are seeking. So I guess you can have it both ways, safe and fun! There are definitely many positives to having virtual reality in our lives, but there are also some negatives.
NEGATIVES:
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LESS HUMAN-TO-HUMAN CONTACT
Because virtual reality lets people experience things in ways they’ve never been able to, it can become addictive. It is very easy to start exploring the virtual world and get sucked in for long periods of time. This could lead to a decrease in time spent interacting with people and things in the real world. [spacer height=”100″][spacer height=”50″]
MORE DECEPTION
Virtual reality lets people become who they want to be. While many view this as a great thing, it could also be used for deceptive purposes. Advertisers will be able to create avatars to persuade people into buying products. By modeling the avatars after the specific person they are trying to persuade, advertisers could play off of people’s nature to believe those who are similar to themselves. [spacer height=”100″][spacer height=”50″]
PHYSICAL AILMENTS
While VR takes the risk out of many extreme activities, such as bungee jumping, there are still some side effects associated with the technology. Many users have reported nausea while using VR headsets, as VR plays tricks on many of our senses. Another reported issue has been eyestrain. There is so much visual stimuli in the virtual world that if people use VR for too long, their eyes will become excessively strained. Continual eyestrain could lead to more serious eye problems down the road. Some may say that virtual reality is changing our lives for the better, while others think it is decreasing our quality of life. Either way, it looks like virtual reality is here to stay, so we will have to take the good along with the bad.
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Pointintimestudios.com 800.208.1267 LA•PHX Sources: bbc.com, Quora.com, Virtuallivingproject
