CyberSightings

In the Spotlight

As many analysts predict, next generation virtual reality (VR) technology promises to change our lives. From manufacturing to medicine, from entertainment to learning, there is no economic or cultural sector that is immune from the VR revolution. According to a recent report from Digi-Capital, the augmented/VR market could hit $150 billion in revenue by 2020, with augmented reality projected to reach $120 billion and VR $30 billion (www.digi-capital.com/news/2015/04). Still, there are a lot of unanswered questions concerning the potential negative effects of VR on the human brain. For example, we know very little about the consequences of prolonged immersion in a virtual world. Most scientific VR experiments carried out so far have lasted for short time intervals (typically less than an hour). However, we don't know what the potential side effects are of being “immersed” for a 12-hour virtual marathon. Looking at today's headsets, it might seem unlikely that people would spend so much time wearing them because they are still ergonomically poor. Furthermore, most VR contents available on the market are not exploiting the full narrative potential of the medium, which can go well beyond a “virtual Manhattan skyride.” But as soon as usability problems are fixed, and 3D contents are compelling and engaging enough, the risk of “3D addiction” might be just around the corner. Most importantly, risks of VR exposure are not limited to adults, but especially endanger adolescents' and children's health. Given the widespread use of smartphones among kids, it is likely that VR games will become very popular within this segment.

Recently Facebook's co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced his intention to donate 99% of his Facebook shares (representing roughly $45 billion at Facebook's current valuation) to charitable purposes. Given that Zuckerberg regards VR as the next big thing after video for Facebook (in March 2014 his corporation bought Oculus VR in a deal worth $2 billion), perhaps he might also consider investing some of these resources for supporting research on the health risks that are potentially associated with this amazing and life-changing technology.

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