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| Photo Credit: Pixabay.com |
There are so many forms of imaginary escapism from boring everyday reality. Some people escape via drug trips (which I don’t recommend), others through gaming of all sorts--video games, board games, trading card games, RPG, etc. Others watch movies or TV or they read. But what if you could escape to a world of adventure and fantasy that looks and feels perfectly real yet you don’t have to worry about getting killed or hurt in actuality? What if you can have a “Disneyland” in your own home, or better yet, anywhere you go? Well, it may not be long before you can. The Oculus Rift headset releases next month and before we know it, virtual reality devices will be as common as video game consoles are today. But virtual reality (VR) may also be as common as communicating through social media is today. Like it will probably be the next step up in video gaming, it will probably also be the next step up in digital communication between friends and relatives.
It was just last week when the founder of the Oculus Rift, Palmer Luckey, discussed where he thought the future of virtual reality lay. Oddly enough, it wasn’t with Facebook even though Facebook owns the Oculus franchise. Yet, Luckey says VR will play a big role in social media. So, if he says this then how the hell can its future not lie with the biggest social media empire in the world? The answer to this question lies in my article on the subject at Examiner.com. In that article, I discuss one of the trippiest things Luckey and Facebook founder/CEO Mark Zuckerberg share: their vision for VR. That vision is that VR will become a regular means of communication like social media is today. In fact, they believe it will become a form of social media itself.
Virtual reality definitely has its place: escapist entertainment, education (your grandkids may be exploring the ocean floor without having to go there), job training, and even an artistic place such as what 2-demensional film has had throughout the decades. But as a place in everyday communication? I mean, VR can simulate the world in precise detail--not just in sound and sight but in touch as well! What will our perception of reality be if we use it as a regular means of communication? Will we all be on one big digital acid trip and not even realise it? To put it another way, will we be living and lost in the damn Matrix? When we play a game or watch a movie, at least we know they are fantasies regardless of how much they reflect reality. Think about these things when you read the article and then let me know what you think either in the comments box below or the one at Examiner.com.
Until next time . . .
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