Since the dawn of virtual reality technology, it has faced skepticism and criticism as an anti-social distraction from "real" life and real human connections. But in many ways, VR is simply the latest evolution of a tradition humans have engaged in for millennia: the creation of simulated realities through technology. Just as the written word allowed our ancestors to construct fictional worlds, convey emotions, and record subjective histories, VR allows us to craft expansive virtual environments, experiences, and interactions that broaden our understanding. When used well, it can enhance learning, creativity, and human bonds.
The Original Virtual Reality: Writing as Simulation
Long before the concept of virtual reality entered the popular lexicon, humans discovered a way to simulate reality through the written word. A poem, though it evokes feelings of love, grief, joy or heartbreak, does not actually create or live those emotions. The poet simulates the essence of human experience and renders it in verse. A nature poet may transport the reader to a forest or seaside, but the reader is of course still sitting in a chair, physically untouched by the natural landscape. Histories, though based in fact, are ultimately subjective narratives told from the historian's perspective rather than an omniscient recreation of events as they actually unfolded. Biographies allow us to imagine walking alongside their subjects, but do not literally resurrect the dead.
Novels are perhaps the most expansive form of simulated reality that writing permits. Skilled fiction authors can construct elaborately realized worlds, people those worlds with complex characters, and breathe life into social and political dramas. But a reader is always aware on some level that none of it is real, no matter how lost they become in the pages. Writing's power is in its ability to evoke the true essence of things, simulate entire universes, and transport our minds beyond the bounds of our physical surroundings and lives.
This simulated reality has served many purposes for humankind. It has allowed knowledge, stories, and histories to be recorded and passed down accurately over centuries in a way that oral tradition alone could not. It has facilitated scientific learning and philosophical ideas to spread. Great works of literature expose us to cultures, places, moral questions, and social problems we would never directly experience. And perhaps most importantly, writing has enabled human connection and empathy across vast distances of time and space. The words of Plato, Shakespeare, Austen, and Morrison speak to us centuries later, binding us in a shared understanding of the human experience.
Pushing Back Against Anti-VR Sentiment
When virtual reality first emerged, many criticized its isolating and reality-avoiding effects. They feared VR would trap users in an addicting simulated world, cutting them off from healthy social connections and avoiding dealing with "real" life. But these are criticisms that have been levied at many technologies over time. In the 18th century "Puritans castigated novels as lurid and immoral, while sober realists scorned them for encouraging flights of fantasy." (Dickstein) Today, the concern is often focused on social media, video games, and smartphones.
While excessive use of any technology can become problematic, fundamentally these technologies are tools with neutral value. Used wisely, they enhance life rather than replace it. After all, what constitutes "real" interaction? If two friends separated by oceans can now connect through VR and feel like they are physically together, exploring a virtual world, is that less real than an in-person encounter? If a homebound elderly person can attend classes, religious services, or a family reunion in VR, does that lack value? Just as novels, histories and poetry have connected and uplifted people for millennia through simulated reality, VR adds new dimension to those experiences.
Rather than condemn VR as a distraction and isolation from real life, we should view it as a complementary tool to enrich human connections, creativity, and understanding. Used in moderation, it can expand the boundaries of our experiences and foster new perspectives.
VR as an Educational Tool
VR has already demonstrated enormous potential as an educational and training tool due to its immersive capabilities. Medical schools now use VR technology to train surgeons in a simulated operating room environment. This allows them to practice procedures that would be far too dangerous to attempt on actual patients as a first try. The ability to repeat operations and learn from mistakes without real-world consequences provides invaluable preparation. VR simulations also give surgeons more exposure to rare conditions they may not encounter frequently in their daily work.
Similar VR simulations have been created to train pilots, NASA astronauts, firefighters, and other high-risk professions. Trainees can confront dangerous situations and emergencies in a safe, controlled virtual environment. No human lives or expensive equipment will be endangered by their mistakes. For example, pilots can simulate engine failures, disorientation in low visibility, and aborted landings - catastrophic scenarios they may only face once or twice in an entire career, if ever. With VR, they can gain experience confronting and managing those situations.
Beyond high-risk fields, VR is also transforming more mainstream education. VR field trips are allowing children to explore far-off places like natural history museums, African wildlife parks, or even outer space without leaving the classroom. In history education, VR apps are recreating detailed scenes from important historical periods like Ancient Rome or colonial America in full 3D. Rather than merely reading descriptions in a textbook, students are immersed in simulations that bring these time periods to life.
VR complements traditional teaching methods by engaging students through a medium that aligns with their digital interests and provides interactive experiences tailored to visual and kinesthetic input. Especially for concepts that are hard to demonstrate practically in a classroom setting, VR is a game-changer.
VR for Human Connection
While VR can transport users to fantastical computer-generated worlds, one of its most promising applications is as a new medium for human connection. Multi-user virtual spaces allow people to come together and interact from anywhere with an internet connection and VR headset. vTime XR, an early pioneer in social VR, connects users in a photorealistic virtual environment where they can play games, watch videos, and attend live events together.
For people who are remote, have limited mobility, or struggle to form in-person relationships, social VR provides a lifeline. It allows them to forge bonds and enjoy shared experiences without the friction of physical distance or mobility constraints. A grandfather living overseas can still attend his granddaughter's wedding and feel present. A child hospitalized long-term can still spend time playing with friends. While it lacks the full fidelity of in-person interaction, social VR delivers emotional connection and collaboration.
Multi-user VR spaces also present new opportunities for teamwork and relationship building. Global companies are beginning to use VR for training, workshops, and remote collaboration in an immersive setting that feels more engaging than a traditional video call. Shared VR experiences can build closeness and empathy between colleagues in ways that other remote work technology has struggled to achieve. While still early in its development, the human potential of social VR is significant.
VR: Furthering the Tradition of Simulated Worlds
As VR technology continues advancing rapidly, we should not dismiss it as a pointless distraction or an escape from reality. In many ways, it carries on the tradition humanity has cherished since the written word: constructing simulated worlds and experiences to learn, create, connect, and expand the mind. VR will no doubt continue advancing to permit even richer environments and interactions. Rather than condemn new technologies like VR as isolating indulgences, we should approach them with open minds and find responsible ways to incorporate them into our lives. VR's possibilities for education, human understanding, and connection are immense. Though not a perfect substitute for "real life," it can complement and expand our reality, bringing us together in wondrous virtual spaces across every physical boundary. Our challenge and responsibility is to integrate these emerging technologies wisely.
Dickstein, Morris. "Moral Fiction." New York Times, 7 Apr. 1996, p. 19
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