I agree with this. We can't ignore it no matter how much we try. The impacts and implications can always be discussed and challenges mitigated but to say that technology is bad for us is extreme. Especially in an age when we use technology to voice our opinions. I think we should stop characterizing it and start understanding how to face it.

It's easy to ignore hype. If the masses want this narcotic then good for them but somebody has to keep the lights on.

https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/13/health/virtual-reality-vr-dangers-safety/index.html

 

If VR can help with this problem then it will be a great help to students but I don't see it happening.
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-i-rewired-my-brain-to-become-fluent-in-math-1414264322

The problem with focusing relentlessly on understanding is that math and science students can often grasp essentials of an important idea, but this understanding can quickly slip away without consolidation through practice and repetition. Worse, students often believe they understand something when, in fact, they don’t. By championing the importance of understanding, teachers can inadvertently set their students up for failure as those students blunder in illusions of competence. As one (failing) engineering student recently told me: “I just don’t see how I could have done so poorly. I understood it when you taught it in class.” My student may have thought he’d understood it at the time, and perhaps he did, but he’d never practiced using the concept to truly internalize it. He had not developed any kind of procedural fluency or ability to apply what he thought he understood.
...
This approach—which focused on fluency instead of simple understanding—put me at the top of the class. And I didn’t realize it then, but this approach to learning language had given me an intuitive understanding of a fundamental core of learning and the development of expertise—chunking.

Chunking was originally conceptualized in the groundbreaking work of Herbert Simon in his analysis of chess—chunks were envisioned as the varying neural counterparts of different chess patterns. Gradually, neuroscientists came to realize that experts such as chess grand masters are experts because they have stored thousands of chunks of knowledge about their area of expertise in their long-term memory. Chess masters, for example, can recall tens of thousands of different chess patterns. Whatever the discipline, experts can call up to consciousness one or several of these well-knit-together, chunked neural subroutines to analyze and react to a new learning situation. This level of true understanding, and ability to use that understanding in new situations, comes only with the kind of rigor and familiarity that repetition, memorization, and practice can foster.

 

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...atents-motorized-omnidirectional-vr-sneakers/

Now I can tap like Bill Bailey.

 

I do believe that VR has a future and has potential, but the quality and price of it needs to be adjusted before it becomes mainstream. In saying this, the potential benefits it offers across so many areas likely means that these adjustments will be made in time. It will still offer gaming/entertainment value but VR will likely expand out from that I imagine

 

I believe VR has merit in many areas, including education and the medical industry, but I don't know if the funding is sufficient to have it become mainstream for the time being. I hope it does though, it could be greatly beneficial to so many people

 

VR has so many amazing possibilities and I think it is going to incredibly beneficial in the future - within the next 5 years I believe it will be offering a new lease of life to so many people and assisting various industries to be efficient, effective and life-changing. Sounds pretty good to me!

 

It's easy to ignore hype. If the masses want this narcotic then good for them but somebody has to keep the lights on.

Maybe more meaningful uses other than gaming will change our perspective?
https://www.heraldcourier.com/news/...cle_a5a39a66-6475-59a4-8087-a2f4aa7bb6fd.html

 

Maybe more meaningful uses other than gaming will change our perspective?
https://www.heraldcourier.com/news/...cle_a5a39a66-6475-59a4-8087-a2f4aa7bb6fd.html

A cheap ViewMaster using a cellphone looks like it's just as effective for the kids.

 

https://medium.com/samsung-internet...-unusual-uses-of-virtual-reality-4ff5787a58eb

This is a pretty good write up on some potentials. However, this will forever remain a simulation. If the line gets progressively blurred beteween what is real and what is virtual, we are in for a rough ride.

We should be exploring how to tap more into our own brain power.

Eventually, all of this will be great for people who dont know what real is anymore. It is like this - I really like quality leather shoes and real wool sweaters, but majority of the people are happy with synthetics and acrylic and do not even recognize the difference...

The struggle is real.

p.s. PTSD and other disorders can be treated through meditation and other techniques, but it requires a lot of effort.

 

I wonder if people downplaying VR have actually tried it. Several years ago I bought the Oculus Rift DK2 and was simply blown away by it. I downloaded every demo I could find and, while some were lame, others were spectacular. I've thought about investing in a newer version but haven't pulled the trigger yet. It's not cheap. Yet...?

 

I wonder if people downplaying VR have actually tried it. Several years ago I bought the Oculus Rift DK2 and was simply blown away by it. I downloaded every demo I could find and, while some were lame, others were spectacular. I've thought about investing in a newer version but haven't pulled the trigger yet. It's not cheap. Yet...?

You kids can have it. Zero interest in VR games or experiences.

 

Falling for something that isn't real? Perfect tool for the times.

 

I wonder if people downplaying VR have actually tried it. Several years ago I bought the Oculus Rift DK2 and was simply blown away by it. I downloaded every demo I could find and, while some were lame, others were spectacular. I've thought about investing in a newer version but haven't pulled the trigger yet. It's not cheap. Yet...?

Yes. My ex fell hard for it. So hard he is my ex now... I did enjoy watching him experience VR on his own. He looked like an idiot.

I have epilepsy, migranes and some other issues. I have very vivid imagination. All it did for me is made me dizzy and gave me a headache.

Enjoy.

I will always have this...

 

Actually experience it? To me, that's a unlikely possibility with anything close to modern technology.

Books are more than an escape but as an escape they can provide the rich environment of an almost pure mental state. I can read technical books and build in my head complex systems from the concepts presented. Why should I let another provide their unique imagination of what I should see as a excuse for not using my mental capabilities developed from a lifetime of actual experience and engagement? While I see it as very useful in the context of mind/body training and exercise to gain expertise in subjects I can easily see it becoming a shallow mental substitute for actual knowledge much like 'Google' search results from those without expertise on the searched subjects.

Perhaps it’s a matter of choice if one wants to escape via books and achieve that “pure mental state” as you mentioned, or immerse oneself into the experience. If someone for example is into porn, would he/she pick choose a magazine or erotic book over VR porn? (especially with gloves, suits and shoes being developed now to improve haptics)

Even libraries are adding VR as resources now.

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/03/01/virtual-world-virtual-reality-libraries/

And based on studies, information is better retained via VR –so I’m not sure it can be considered as a shallow mental substitute.

https://cmns.umd.edu/news-events/features/4155

 

Perhaps it’s a matter of choice if one wants to escape via books and achieve that “pure mental state” as you mentioned, or immerse oneself into the experience. If someone for example is into porn, would he/she pick choose a magazine or erotic book over VR porn? (especially with gloves, suits and shoes being developed now to improve haptics)

Even libraries are adding VR as resources now.

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2018/03/01/virtual-world-virtual-reality-libraries/

And based on studies, information is better retained via VR –so I’m not sure it can be considered as a shallow mental substitute.

https://cmns.umd.edu/news-events/features/4155

That is a BS study. Why did they not try to replicate something useful, like geography for example?

It is well known that traditonal study is textbook, pen and paper. Taking physical notes is key to retaininh information. Laptop and tablet are not good for absorbing information. I would want to see VR compared to a real life study method that is actually useful.

 

Can we play a game?

 

That is a BS study. Why did they not try to replicate something useful, like geography for example?

It is well known that traditonal study is textbook, pen and paper. Taking physical notes is key to retaininh information. Laptop and tablet are not good for absorbing information. I would want to see VR compared to a real life study method that is actually useful.

Valid points but VR is mostly in its infancy and the possibilities are still mostly under blueprint or trials.
However, VR is turning out the to be really effective in many areas such as history (Japan used VR to create Hiroshima attack to let kids and users understand the impact and closely relate to it). There are efforts to bring it into other streams as well.
You may find this interesting:
https://www.researchgate.net/public...tion_of_Virtual_Reality_in_Geography_Teaching

Nobody is against the traditional study but we must understand that it needs to transform and adopt new technologies. We always talk about awareness and responsible use of technology. But bringing it to the kids can be one way to make them understand this.

https://medium.com/@looxid.labs/mea...-eeg-and-eye-tracking-technology-6171e220986f

I won't say we must blindly follow the tech and get addicted to it but we must be open to change and let it help us grow.
I hope you would agree.

 

https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/we-are-all-in-the-happy-place#comments-area

While not about VR, this addresses general direction of where we are going as a society. To me this is extremely sad. Why sad? Take travel for example, how would visiting BC compare after you had experienced a 360 VR presentation of the mountains edited from drone and helicopter footage? Now you are standing at a foot of the mountain in pissing rain and have a 4 hour trek ahead of you to possibly see the view, or not, because there may be fog? Welcome to real world. I like it. Many will say this sucks... and fold.

Medical applications need to be looked at carefully as well. To me, technology should be last resort. Our mind is very powerful and we should use it first not make it a slave to a machine subject to even more manipulaton than naturally possible.

Question for you - what is the most common use for internet and smart phones?

 

https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/we-are-all-in-the-happy-place#comments-area

While not about VR, this addresses general direction of where we are going as a society. To me this is extremely sad. Why sad? Take travel for example, how would visiting BC compare after you had experienced a 360 VR presentation of the mountains edited from drone and helicopter footage? Now you are standing at a foot of the mountain in pissing rain and have a 4 hour trek ahead of you to possibly see the view, or not, because there may be fog? Welcome to real world. I like it. Many will say this sucks... and fold.

Medical applications need to be looked at carefully as well. To me, technology should be last resort. Our mind is very powerful and we should use it first not make it a slave to a machine subject to even more manipulaton than naturally possible.

Question for you - what is the most common use for internet and smart phones?

I won't say I don't agree with you, because the points are valid. But my question is, what's wrong with having choices?
What if a quadriplegic wants to visit this place but is unable to do so because of his physical state? Isn't it only fair to let him experience it through VR (how may ever it may be edited)?
Technology needs responsibility, we can keep arguing about how bad it is, but how fair is it to not acknowledge the good parts?

Question for you - what is the most common use for internet and smart phones?
To me its a means to stay updated, keep information at hand and be able to communicate. Hope that's what you asked.

 

I wonder if people downplaying VR have actually tried it. Several years ago I bought the Oculus Rift DK2 and was simply blown away by it. I downloaded every demo I could find and, while some were lame, others were spectacular. I've thought about investing in a newer version but haven't pulled the trigger yet. It's not cheap. Yet...?

My thoughts exactly. I own a Rift too and I greatly appreciate the tech. Playing games in VR is incomparable to flat screen gaming.

But I get it. It’s easy to be skeptical about a tech from a spectator’s point of view. And besides, hardware could be pretty expensive. I think this is one of the main reasons why it hasn’t become mainstream yet, and why people still have negative views about it.