Transition to Virtuality

ELIZABETH JOSEPH
Leva Amadhila



It is natural for growth to take place, but the growth that has taken place in the technological aspect of life has left many of us shocked. Technological advancement has proven that there are no limits or restrictions to achieving greatness, especially after the invention of Virtual Reality (VR).

Virtual reality is one of the few advancements in technology that is slowly on the rise. A few years ago, virtual reality was thought to be a thing of the future and only seen in movies, however since the release of The Project Morpheus by Sony’s Play Station, virtual reality has become our current reality and many have been exposed to it.

Common users of the VR systems created by Sony’s Play Station are teenagers who seek to experience a world like any other, to experience life through other perspectives, to experience different situations and scenarios and to travel to surreal places. According Yanique Zimmer when asked about he’s thoughts on the concept of virtual reality, “Firstly, the concept as a whole is absolutely brilliant. It just proves how far we’ve come as a species in terms of technological advancement. VR has done so much, it has offered experiences to people who are less capable of having them on their own, like disabled people and so forth. Irrespective of what you’re doing whether it be watching something or playing games, I find it beautiful that the VR is able to provide these opportunities.” Yanique clearly enjoys indulging some of he’s free time in playing games via virtual reality, ‘’In my case, I watched horror videos and screamed like a little girl, but it was absolutely wonderful. It’s based on the quality of it all because quality obviously plays a huge role in any experience and that goes for life in general. My experience was filled with quality. I remember watching a video of a man climbing mountains and the view was breath-taking. VR honestly just brings something into your life that you thought you’d never get to see and that’s honestly amazing.” Virtual reality has made it possible for users to experience different things in life from the comforts of their own homes.

Virtual reality however, is not only used for recreational purposes, it can also be deemed as therapeutic. Psychologists use virtual reality as an aid to help people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This alternative form of therapy works effectively because patients are exposed to interactions with harmless virtual representations that are possible triggers to relapses. The incorporation of VR into therapy makes life easier for the patient because it enables them to face their fears virtually before physically tackling them head on. Virtual reality is also used in many different fields of medicine, other than VR therapy, the VR system also assists the upcoming doctors. The VR system has many simulations where doctors, nurses and paramedics alike can receive training and do practical work before having to do it and running the risk of failing. These are some of the surprisingly beneficial factors that are associated with VR and off course the VR system comes with its baggage which mainly cause risks to a person’s health such as dizziness, seizures, nausea and eye soreness. However, the benefits of VR ultimately outweigh the negative factors that are associated with VR, and seems to have a major impact on different aspects of life from simply just gaming and passing off time to actually saving lives.

Virtual reality is a clear illustration that the future is now. A small step into the exciting future could ultimately mean that we as the human race are successfully moving forward in the right direction.