Virtual Reality has become very popular in recent years due to the immersive experience they provide especially for most of the gamers out there.
However, even with the immersive experience, virtual reality has its share of benefits and drawbacks such as social issues.
Therefore, let us take a look at these issues in detail.
Quick Summary
By the end of this article, we will take a look at:
- Social issues of virtual reality
- Some other drawbacks of virtual reality
- Some benefits of virtual reality
Let’s go through it.
Social Issues of Virtual Reality
There is no doubt that Virtual Reality has impacted social interaction and relationships between people both positively and negatively, especially in current times.
Where virtual reality has opened up new paths and possibilities for what can be achieved or seen, there are also some unwanted effects it has had on the society. Let us take a look.
Obsession and Addiction
People have become increasingly obsessed with the virtual world and cannot spend time without it. They get lost in that reality and forget to function properly in the actual reality.
As is the case with any sort of addiction, all the imagery presented through the virtual experience is strong and vivid due to which people can become addicted, especially youngsters.
Loss of Social Skills
Excessive substitution of the real world with the virtual world can lead to some negative effects on the minds of the user, most importantly teenagers as they lose most of their social skills.
Many users may distort their perceptions of the reality as they become obsessed with the social life presented in the virtual reality and they escape the real world for that virtual world.
Due to this, they have little social interaction in the real world. They repeatedly isolate themselves which can make them anti-social and create autistic tendencies in them.
Effect on Minors
Virtual reality also acts as a medium for the spread of inappropriate content. The internet already aids the spread of pornographic material and VR aids it.
As VR has a strong visual impact on the mind of its user, such inappropriate content might seem attractive. This can have a negative impact on the minds of the minors if not checked.
Abuse of Control
VR is very powerful when it comes to control and influence. It has the ability to shape what we think, how we think and anything we perceive. Users can be easily brainwashed and misled by false propagandas.
Some Other Drawbacks of Virtual Reality
Not only does virtual reality have social issues, but there are other implications that it has as well. Let us look at the other drawbacks of VR.
Intransigence
Unlike the real world, virtual reality offers little flexibility and the ability to change the program sequence as it is already set. If, for example, a student raises a question or makes a suggestion, change won’t be feasible.
Expensive
Regardless of whether or not the immersive experience is fun to use, the problem is that not everyone can afford it as the technology does not come cheap. Most people are unable to purchase it.
Impact on the body
Continuous use of virtual reality has impacted the human body negatively in a number of ways. Much of the long-term usage causes injuries and problems to humans.
Many people have reported physical problems due to the use of VR, such as sore eyes, strain, dizziness, and nausea. This is because of the virtual environment and setting.
Some Advantages of Virtual Reality
Even though virtual reality has drawbacks to its usage and can cause some harm to society, this does not make it entirely bad. Let us take a look at some of its advantages.
Ability to Explore
Through the use of virtual reality, you are able to explore other environments and places without the need of actually being there. The imaginary environment lets you experience places you’ve never visited or might not be able to visit.
Advanced Learning
The traditional method of teaching through textbooks and pages has been replaced with virtual study. Through the virtual environment, the experience can be manipulated to visually explain a topic.
Increase Interest Towards a Subject
As virtual environments allow you to showcase ideas and convey messages visually, it is likely you would feel more interested in a subject after going through the immersive experience.
Practical knowledge is more important as well as enjoyable than textbook knowledge as it shows you how to do something. Thus, virtual reality offers a greater level of engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Why is virtual reality becoming popular?
There are several reasons for the popularity of virtual reality. VR is a an immersive and unqiue tool that can be used to interact with each other. It is also a very helpful tool for training and has become much more affordable than it was initially.
How will virtual reality impact the future?
Virtual reality has a lot of potential to change the future. It is one of the technologies that has been projected to have the highest potential growth in the future.
How will virtual technology change us?
Virtual reality has already started to change us. Technology has advanced a lot and has been applied in many fields already. If we talk about education, for example, the use of virtual tech will change how education works over the years.
The children will be able to explore new dimensions through the use of interactive methods such as audio and visual devices.
What problem does virtual reality solve?
In order to learn from their mistakes and grow as a people, VR provides people with a safe environment for their training and growth. The training in this way is also quite cost-effective as no large amounts of money has to be spent on training programs and schemes.
Moreover, virtual reality can be used to remove the differences between people of different genders, races and backgrounds as they connect with each other and understand each other.
Wrapping It Up…
Overall, it can be seen that virtual reality has its share of benefits and drawbacks. More importantly it has contributed to many social issues around us.
Problems such as negative influence on the minds of youngsters, loss of socializing skills and behaviours, isolation and obsession with the virtual world have been caused by VR.
VR has also contributed to other issues that arise in society. However, it does have its share of benefits that may help overcome the problems or to pave the way for a better future.
We recommend that you use virtual reality but in a controlled amount and keep a check on the issues. If used properly and kept under check, the social issues may not arise.