The online world: The next great frontier for humanity

The expansion of the digital world has transformed how we as individuals express our identities. Virtual Reality has now blurred the line between the real world and the digital space.

Photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash

The expansion of the digital world has definitively altered how we as individuals present and understand our identities, and the lines of what has become known as our reality have become blurred, reshaped, and expanded. Individuals now have access to a variety of different identities online, which has eroded the lines between our digital and tangible selves. However, with the incorporation of technology into our everyday lives it has become more important than ever to retain what makes ourselves, ourselves.

As users lose themselves in digital environments, they have started adopting different personas and behaviours appropriate for those environments, which are dislocated from their real-life identity. This leads to conflicts about authenticity, self-awareness, and the influence of virtual experiences on one’s sense of self. Additionally, the ability to manufacture avatars and interact with other users in virtual spaces, influences how individuals present themselves in this space and consequently how they perceive others, formulating their identity in unfamiliar and unexpected ways.

In a report from Nielsen, prospective VR users are often male, 69%, and younger, as 44% of potential customers interested are millennials. These users claim to be driven by and drawn to new technology. VR technology is currently primarily used by a more adolescent demographic.

Applications and uses of the technology:

With virtual reality devices becoming increasingly advanced and capable of providing more authentic and visually stunning experiences, there are external uses for the technology other than primarily being utilised for gaming and entertainment. 

This technology has beneficial purposes which are present in applications to facilities like healthcare (allows medical personnel to practice complicated surgeries), educational environments (historical experiences are made more authentic, the pupils can undertake a lesson in a Roman Colosseum), engineering and design applications (accurate models and blueprints of certain prototypes can be constructed and tested in a safe environment). 

From a previous user, they see real-world benefits from this technology as “my experiences with VR headsets have been varied. This was on some of the early versions, where the interaction and quality of the images were limited … more up-to-date versions with things like museums and the experiences were much improved and both entertaining, educational, and enjoyable”. This immersive technology is enhancing traditional experiences and incorporating a technologically contemporary component.

Advantages of the technology: 

A past user of the technology offered what they understand as benefits of using these devices: “Definitely, I work in the NHS and there is an increased use of VR to assist in many aspects of training, such as preparing for complex surgical procedures, I can also see that it would be suitable for applications in engineering, car design, furniture design, etc.”

Artificial intelligence is now increasingly interconnected with Virtual Reality software and devices, allowing for a greater intuitive user experience. AI-backed VR experiences analyse user behaviour and decisions, subsequently adapting the virtual environment to individual needs, shaping everything they see to align with everything the user wants. 

The evolution of virtual reality has now granted the possibility of visiting iconic landmarks, exciting and complicated cities, and breath-taking natural environments. Through advanced immersive 360-degree videos and guided virtual tours, the user is able to step and submerge themselves in these locations and experience them as if the user was physically there. This opens up a world of possibilities for individuals who are unable to travel due to physical or financial restraints. 

Perhaps the most identifiable and notable example of reality and digital spaces becoming intertwined is 2021’s Metaverse. A solely virtual hub where users can interact freely with one another, recreating aspects of their everyday lives, cooking and driving, learning, and listening to the most popular music. 

Photo taken by Niall Summers

Disadvantages of the technology:

Another user familiar with virtual reality devices believes that “the disadvantages of VR headsets mean there is a wider range of technology now available to be bought and sold”. There is an abundance of competitors within the market each claiming to be the superior choice, the volume of competition results in manufacturers increasing the expense of the products, so their supply aligns with the demand. 

With the development and widespread of social VR technologies and applications, threats to users’ privacy and identity have also emerged, with some users falling victim to virtually-based crimes like identity theft and cyberbullying.

Where could the technology go next?

The latest and supposedly greatest entry in the Virtual Reality market is the upcoming Apple Vision Pro from the monolithic brand. This device develops successful immersive features and elevates them, for example, higher quality imagery, and superior motion sensors. The user who has worked with Virtual Reality in a professional capacity forecasts where they think Virtual Reality is headed. “I think in the near future, VR devices will be cable-free, smaller, lighter and less expensive, HD will be incorporated… one thing that has been tried in the cinema with limited success is the multi sensation approach, the potential to be more successful with VR… AI could contribute to reality, enhancing and adapting the VR world to become even more immersive”

With the virtual reality market anticipated to double to a massive £17,6 trillion GBP by 2025, it is possible that virtual reality will be widely publicly adopted, which may also call many of the negative effects of such immersive products into question. 

 The rise of virtual hubs like The Metaverse is the embodiment of the forecast of virtual reality, and as the technology continues moving forward, we can only adapt to the new ways in which the digital landscape will evolve our understanding of what's possible in the virtual and real world.