Virtual reality, as the name suggests, provides users with a new reality of pixels and polygons to experience. As a new and constantly developing technology, VR ushers in yet another form of online communication and redefines socializing. But what does this new, immersive experience mean for socialization deep into the digital age?
Keep reading to learn about how VR redefines socializing!
Development of Virtual Reality
As Virtual Reality Society, a website dedicated to all things VR, suggests, virtual reality has been sought after long before the development of high-tech computers and gaming consoles. The idea of reality being a simulation has been pondered by the French philosopher Rene Descartes, with his famous “cogito, ergo sum,” or “I think, therefore I am.” Though Descartes was concerned with the significance of the human experience, virtual reality inverts this proposal. Instead, it asserts that a different reality is one to strive for and enjoy.
With virtual reality being something to enjoy and appreciate for its continuous development and technological achievement. VR draws people in by offering a new and unique gaming experience. Video games have increasingly been dedicated to providing a completely realistic portrayal of fictional worlds and characters, with remakes of old video games being revamped for better graphics and intuitive gameplay.
Alternatively, VR has also become a tool for relaxation. It can provide therapeutic experiences for those struggling with mental health, simulating serene landscapes alongside positive affirmations. VR’s multi-faceted utility is another step in the direction of a strictly technological society, making old depictions of the future a reality.
How VR Redefines Socializing
VR ushers in a new form of online communication and socializing through a social game called VRChat. While chatting with friends and strangers during gaming sessions is common, VRChat brings this into the meta. VRChat allows others to digitally present themselves with a “physical” body and meet other people online in the same space.
In other words, hanging out with friends and meeting new people no longer requires you to leave the house. In the case of VR, you meet a world of fictional characters. VRChat allows you to hang out with friends and strangers across the globe and interact with them in-game, making it a conduit of human interaction for the “chronically online.”
One way that VR redefines socializing is its affordance of a “physical” digital presence. Body language becomes both cryptic and defined, with gestures from a user’s real body playing along with programmed poses to flash and display. It transforms into an even more elusive language: one fluent in online culture. VRChat movement includes references to video games, anime, or even movies through a digital avatar, including props and special effects.
Though VRChat’s digital representation knows no bounds, its eponymous chat feature still requires the ability to socialize with others. Whether presenting your authentic self to the Internet or putting on a persona, a digital avatar cannot carry a conversation.
However, the barrier between screens and humans has long allowed Internet users a great freedom. This freedom entitles people to say what they want, however, they want. In other words, a digital avatar and the freedom of the Internet can either be an obstacle or an enabler of socializing. It is a double-edged sword; you can show yourself to the digital world or become someone entirely different. Consequently, allowing yourself to become entrenched in a digital space may also be a double-edged sword: you can be outgoing online, but find it difficult to socialize in person.
VRChat encourages social interaction, yet holds the possibility of isolation in the real world. This makes it a fascinating new form of connecting (or not) with others… But what does this trend toward an increasing online presence imply about the future of socializing?
Future Prospects With VR Redefining Socializing
Online communication has undoubtedly revolutionized how we speak to and interact with others online and in person. This is one of the sole reasons VR redefines socializing. Socializing looks different than it did pre-Internet, and it continues to evolve as technology continues to be a pervading presence in human lives. As Pew Research reports, online communication through video games like VRChat has become a steadily growing way for teens to foster friendships with online and IRL (in real life) friends. Pew Research reports, “About 57% of teens have met a new friend online, with social media and online gameplay being the most common digital venues for meeting friends.” These statistics show that online socialization will only continue to grow and become the new norm.
Conclusion
Virtual reality has become the new reality. Its recreational use affords new ways to socialize with others, but it also functions as a tool to relax and heal. However, with its benefits come more significant implications. Technology and the Internet affect norms about socialization and the self. Studies on Internet use as a social tool suggest that this increasing online presence will continue to grow. IRL socialization is affected; however, VR and games like VRChat hold promise for their encouragement of interacting with other people.
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