The Pros and Cons of Virtual Reality: Welcome to the (New) Real World.

New Communication Technologies
Caitlyn Sheehan
S2679461

The Pros and Cons of Virtual Reality: Welcome to the (New) Real World”

The introduction of virtual realities within our society has indeed shaped the form of communication and technology to date. Within these realities, people can escape the world surrounding them and enter an idealistic world (utopia) as the type of person they see themselves to be. This escape from the ‘real world’ to an idealistic virtual world can have an impact upon the persons psyche, their social skills, self esteem, motor skills and general personality in both positive and negative ways. That being said, it is important to identify the pros and cons of these virtual realities and sum up their values. Are virtual realities problematic within society or do they benefit us in some way? To answer this question an exploration of the kinds of virtual realities most popular within society is needed. Identifying the kinds of people who use these technologies and for what reasons they feel best suit their needs of a virtual world.

In societies where modern conditions of production prevail, all of life presents itself as an immersive accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation. Guy Debord

Virtual Realities (VR) are electronically simulated environments. Through macroscopic and microscopic visualisation, fast and slow time simulation, high levels of interactivity, senses of immersion and inherent flexibility and adaptability, these realities can be entered and used (advisory group of computer graphics 1999). A Mecklers conference in 1993 discussed VR stating “Definitions and technologies vary and often generate debates. Most professionals in the field agree that virtual reality is a way of enabling users to participate directly in real-time, 3D environments generated by computers” (Mecklers 1993).

When discussing the revelation of the new technology known as VR, pioneering steps have been taken to make the technology more accessible to the public in a recreational and business way. Such games as ‘Second Life’, ‘War Craft’, ‘Habbo Hotel’, ‘There’, ‘Entropia Universe’ and ‘IMVU’ are easily accessed VR’s that are used via the internet. Within these realities players can manipulate there 3D visual appearance, communicate with other players, buy and sell virtual goods for hard currency, and live out virtual lives which they can create. Freedom within these worlds is vast, and the only common restriction is the purchasing of virtual goods to get further in the game. Morten Soby (Heiss, 2006) compared VR to ‘Alice in through the looking glass stepped through a mirror, s can we now enter through a computer screen to a virtual world. Even it we find our way back again, the point of departure will never be the same’ (Soby 1993). Soby was pointing out that this escape to a virtual ideal world is extremely appealing and that the way in which the societies operate is vastly changing and improving.

The idea that one can interpret themselves in any way, shape or form within a VR is a part of the attraction to virtual worlds. Once this ideal self is created, VR users may also personalise the environment in which they spend their virtual time, creating a form of ‘utopia’ for the user. It would be ideal if these virtual realities were without complications however this isn’t so. Unfortunately some users of VR and their idea of a ‘utopia’ is not generally excepted by society. Recent issues have arisen with users in second life. Young female avatars have been used as sexual objects for older men and exploitation of child pornography and prostitution is present. This disturbing development is among one of the complications within the VR.

Through use of these virtual images, users of VR can become physiologically the type of person they wish to be. A virtual space gives opportunity to those within to interact with people and situation which they would not normally participate in the real world. VR is vastly becoming a common meeting place for people to discover others like themselves and this form of communication is easily accessed. Communication with between VR users is appealing on the basis of no judgement, and freedom of speech and expression. Social networks can be created and VR can become a much more preferred society than reality. However much like the way avatars are being exploited within second life, VR users can be manipulated, exploited and targeted through harmful slander and inappropriate conversation.

VR’s are now a hot spot for the business world with people making millions from these technologies. Not only in the software, but advertising and the games themselves is using hard currency as a form of trade. It is this issue that has also attracted legal attention towards virtual assets. The question has been asked that if crimes related to currency and theft can be truly considered crimes as they are virtual, and these virtual worlds are generally free from law. Anshe Chung has used virtual real estate and other purchases within Second Life to accumulate a over one million US dollars. The expansion of business within virtual worlds is rapid and recognition of this new form of trade needs to be better recognised within business society.

The question is posed, should it be right to persecute in a virtual world when the act in question is itself virtual? This debate is still ongoing and without conclusion. Not only the manipulation of VR users emotionally or morally but also financially. Greg Lastowka a professor at Rutgers Camden Law School is pioneering to pass laws concerning virtual worlds. He states, “twenty years ago, science fiction writers imagined international community’s forming within simulated online spaces. That future has arrived. Both law and society will need to adapt to this new environment” (Lastowka 2008).

Virtual reality technology is not only being used for recreational, communication and business purposes. Within the past 10 years, there has been pioneering efforts to create virtual simulations of medical procedures. This breakthrough in medical training has been extremely successful compared to the traditional forms of training for medical procedures. One study showed that the “MIST® VR system, which uses abstract representations of laparoscopic skills to train the fundamental psychomotor skills needed to performs the procedures. Their results showed that residents who trained on the simulator were able to perform a gall bladder removal on actual patients in 29% less time and were five times less likely to injure the gall bladder of bur non target tissue that were residents trained according to the traditional method” (Scerbo 2005). Not only has the medical profession been benefiting from these technologies, but also the patients. A new form of non-drug related relief has been found in virtual realities. Young burn victims at the University of Maywood have now been introduced to a new program called ‘SnowWorld’ which is “an interactive virtual reality video game”. Such simulations include snowflakes, igloos, snow men, penguins and frozen lakes. The technology is used to help relieve patients from pain and also anxiety. Similar relief has also been created for paediatric cancer patients. VR may be the future of medical research, cure, and training and has proven itself to be successful so far.

When summing up both the benefits and disadvantages of these virtual realities it is important to understand both sides of the playing field. Whilst these pros and cons are vast and rather unexplored, there is a common equilibrium between the two where it is recognisable that VR like any other form of communication has it downfalls and triumphs. Between pioneering research, communication, artistic expression, personal and social developmental skills, cyber law, misrepresentations, and false identity; either you approve of VR or you don’t. The co-founder of VR Joron Lanier states that “What I envision is not so much a pre-programmed virtual world that you might play as a game, but rather a virtual world that you can change from the inside that people use as a form of expression in which they’re creating things together” (Lanier 2003). VR will only continue to thrive through technological expansion, the choice to accept it is yours.