March 31, 2022
By Mirka Cuadros
Editor
Virtual reality seems like magic to many of us. In mere seconds, a special pair of goggles transports us from our mundane lives to a place of fantasy where we enjoy illusions of power, skill or simply raw entertainment. However, despite all the fun it may bring its users, there are still many concerns when it comes to this immersive technology.
A considerable number of experts have emphasized the rising potential of VR and augmented reality. Though they celebrate that the prospects will come with the advent of new assistive and immersive technologies, they are concerned they will be abused in ways that are yet to be discovered.
In February, Sodalis Assisted Living in Tampa, Florida adopted VR to help curb social isolation among its senior citizens. During the Covid-19 pandemic, social isolation was a major issue across the United States. The consequences were terrible for seniors, particularly those in nursing homes and assisted living institutions who were forced to isolate themselves for their own safety. Therefore, it adopted virtual reality to meet its residents’ personal and social needs.
Researchers believe this new technology could aid people who are socially isolated. However, many also expect it to create a new form of escapism. Love and belonging are third on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which the rise of virtual reality may fulfill to the point that people will withdraw from society like hikkomoris.
Though they celebrate that the prospects will come with the advent of new assistive and immersive technologies, they are concerned they will be abused in ways that are yet to be discovered.
Hikkomori is a term used in Japan to describe people who refuse to leave their homes and display depression or obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The traditional hikkomori is addicted to the internet, and experts fear that as VR becomes more popular, they may abuse it as well. People who report far more fulfillment from virtual scenarios frequently have underlying issues, such as untreated social anxiety, which may lead to more severe cases of social isolation.
Addiction to VR has been proved to have detrimental consequences. A 13-year-old Chinese boy is said to have committed suicide in 2004 after playing World of War Craft for 36 hours straight in order to “join the heroes of the game he worshipped.” In 2009, a three-year-old daughter from New Mexico died of starvation and dehydration after her mother allegedly spent 15 hours the day before playing the game.
VR can be taken to unhealthy extremes, which is why people should be tentative about including it in their daily lives. Of course, VR can connect people in an alternate world, but it can also cause a person to totally separate from reality, and that can come with major ramifications.
