Is Virtual Reality Safe?
Technology Today
There have undoubtedly been many fascinating breakthroughs in technology within the twenty first century. In my short sixteen years of life, even I've seen modern computers go from giant boxes to touchscreen and paper thin super machines. Not to mention the evolution of cell phones, who remembers the flip phone? When we used to have to hit buttons to call a friend instead of tapping our screen?
The smart phone took over the technology world in the early 2010s. But as the popularity of smart phones spread like wildfire, so did questions from the general public. Will my brain be affected if I spend too much time looking at my phone? Will a child's developing brain be altered by screen usage? The answer to these questions is still heavily debated by researchers, but we all know from experience that looking at your device for too long can give you a headache.
According to a social science research professor at the University of Melbourne, constant screen time can cause a change in our memory, attention span and sleep cycles. Some people have a harder time sleeping as thoughts of the online world surf through a persons mind as they attempt slumber. Our attention span's are interrupted more often as we day dream of our need for phone usage. This is something that applies to most people.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is something we could've only imagined in our own brains twenty years ago, but now it's here and more popular than ever. A user of virtual reality can perceive a world unlike our own through what seems to be night vision goggles of some sort.
In most cases, the user sees vibrant imaging through the device, almost as if they were watching a video game in person. With more advanced mechanisms, you can even play a video game using your set. A question many researchers face is what is the good and the bad of this product? It seems undeniable that looking directly at a video right in your face is going to put some sort of strain on your eyesight.
The one time I operated a VR headset I ventured on a virtual roller coaster ride. Upon removing the device after a short five minutes of use, I felt my eyes were sore and I felt dizzy from close contact to vivid imagery displayed on the screen. My first impression of the product obviously wasn't very good. So what is the good and bad of the product?
The Good of VR
Although virtual reality isn't for everyone, it still has good qualities to it that make it a mediocre product. Virtual reality can take us places we've never even imagined going. Want to go explore the moon for one day? Unimaginable right? Not with virtual reality. You also have the opportunity to see landmarks and cities throughout the world. Although you don't get the actual experience of actually being in one of these places, you still are able to gain knowledge of the world outside your home and the place you "visited."
According to Variety Magazine, certain parents and schools have also used this innovation to help children with learning and social disabilities to interact with virtual people in order to learn certain social skills they may not have developed.
The Bad of VR
Like I had mentioned before in my own experience, virtual reality can give you a slight migraine. But how exactly does it affect your brain? Well for starters we know about online addictions and how some people can't stop gaming. This has already started to happen to certain virtual reality users. According to Point in Time Studios, different businesses are using virtual reality simulations as a way to market their own products. Imagine playing on your headset and you see an advertisement for a well known product in the background. Chances are the creator of the game was paid by the company to discretely place advertising strategies, pretty sneaky.
These reasons are not the only cons of the product. CNN Health says that usage may cause lightheadedness, nausea or vomiting in some users that include myself. Technology in general has been proven to cause bad eye site as CNN reports that the amount of people with bad eye site had increased fifteen percent between 1970 and 2000. Since virtual reality only hit the market a few years ago, it is still unknown what the long term effects can have on your brain. But our many questions can only be answered over time as we are the test dummies for the innovations of the future.
Work Cited
Gera, Emily. "How VR Is Being Used to Help Children with Learning Disabilities,
Autism." Variety, 11 Dec. 2018. Accessed 21 Nov. 2019.
Hill, Simon. Kids on Phones. Digital Trends, 26 July 2019. Accessed 15 Nov.
2019.
"How Does Technology Affect Our Brains?" University of Melbourne, 3 Aug. 2015.
Accessed 15 Nov. 2019.
LaMotte, Sandee. "The Very Real Health Dangers of Virtual Reality." CNN Health,
CNN, 13 Dec. 2017. Accessed 22 Nov. 2019.
There have undoubtedly been many fascinating breakthroughs in technology within the twenty first century. In my short sixteen years of life, even I've seen modern computers go from giant boxes to touchscreen and paper thin super machines. Not to mention the evolution of cell phones, who remembers the flip phone? When we used to have to hit buttons to call a friend instead of tapping our screen?
The smart phone took over the technology world in the early 2010s. But as the popularity of smart phones spread like wildfire, so did questions from the general public. Will my brain be affected if I spend too much time looking at my phone? Will a child's developing brain be altered by screen usage? The answer to these questions is still heavily debated by researchers, but we all know from experience that looking at your device for too long can give you a headache.
According to a social science research professor at the University of Melbourne, constant screen time can cause a change in our memory, attention span and sleep cycles. Some people have a harder time sleeping as thoughts of the online world surf through a persons mind as they attempt slumber. Our attention span's are interrupted more often as we day dream of our need for phone usage. This is something that applies to most people.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is something we could've only imagined in our own brains twenty years ago, but now it's here and more popular than ever. A user of virtual reality can perceive a world unlike our own through what seems to be night vision goggles of some sort.
In most cases, the user sees vibrant imaging through the device, almost as if they were watching a video game in person. With more advanced mechanisms, you can even play a video game using your set. A question many researchers face is what is the good and the bad of this product? It seems undeniable that looking directly at a video right in your face is going to put some sort of strain on your eyesight.
The one time I operated a VR headset I ventured on a virtual roller coaster ride. Upon removing the device after a short five minutes of use, I felt my eyes were sore and I felt dizzy from close contact to vivid imagery displayed on the screen. My first impression of the product obviously wasn't very good. So what is the good and bad of the product?
The Good of VR
Although virtual reality isn't for everyone, it still has good qualities to it that make it a mediocre product. Virtual reality can take us places we've never even imagined going. Want to go explore the moon for one day? Unimaginable right? Not with virtual reality. You also have the opportunity to see landmarks and cities throughout the world. Although you don't get the actual experience of actually being in one of these places, you still are able to gain knowledge of the world outside your home and the place you "visited."
According to Variety Magazine, certain parents and schools have also used this innovation to help children with learning and social disabilities to interact with virtual people in order to learn certain social skills they may not have developed.
The Bad of VR
Like I had mentioned before in my own experience, virtual reality can give you a slight migraine. But how exactly does it affect your brain? Well for starters we know about online addictions and how some people can't stop gaming. This has already started to happen to certain virtual reality users. According to Point in Time Studios, different businesses are using virtual reality simulations as a way to market their own products. Imagine playing on your headset and you see an advertisement for a well known product in the background. Chances are the creator of the game was paid by the company to discretely place advertising strategies, pretty sneaky.
These reasons are not the only cons of the product. CNN Health says that usage may cause lightheadedness, nausea or vomiting in some users that include myself. Technology in general has been proven to cause bad eye site as CNN reports that the amount of people with bad eye site had increased fifteen percent between 1970 and 2000. Since virtual reality only hit the market a few years ago, it is still unknown what the long term effects can have on your brain. But our many questions can only be answered over time as we are the test dummies for the innovations of the future.
Work Cited
Gera, Emily. "How VR Is Being Used to Help Children with Learning Disabilities,
Autism." Variety, 11 Dec. 2018. Accessed 21 Nov. 2019.
Hill, Simon. Kids on Phones. Digital Trends, 26 July 2019. Accessed 15 Nov.
2019.
"How Does Technology Affect Our Brains?" University of Melbourne, 3 Aug. 2015.
Accessed 15 Nov. 2019.
LaMotte, Sandee. "The Very Real Health Dangers of Virtual Reality." CNN Health,
CNN, 13 Dec. 2017. Accessed 22 Nov. 2019.
Man Playing a Virtual Reality Game. neoffers.co.uk. Accessed 21 Nov. 2019.
Small Child Using Virtual Reality. Dell Children's, Ascension. Accessed 21 Nov.
2019.
2019.
"What Are the Positive and Negatives of Virtual Reality." Point in Time
Studios, 29 Sept. 2018. Accessed 21 Nov. 2019.
Studios, 29 Sept. 2018. Accessed 21 Nov. 2019.
The symptoms of using a VR are very similar to that of motion sickness so maybe it could just be that?
ReplyDeleteMost likely, but I'd assume it depends on how you're using the device.
DeleteGood balanced view of these issues, with a specific focus on VR. Do you think VR would be more addictive than regular kinds of games or technology?
ReplyDelete