(1)

I think VR could definitely redefine our reality and may even change reality itself. The reason I think this is because humans are in general adaptive and have evolved both, scientifically and socially, to meet the needs of the future for better or worse. In this context, our needs do not change from what they have been forever, however, the means of accruing such resources, and the resources available for consumption and production change when reality changes, and VR just supplements that activity. What am I pointing at? This class has truly challenged how I think of everyday things such as the internet. In this weeks chapter reading, even, we discuss how integral the ‘World Wide Web” is in our daily lives. I am 25 so, more or less the same age as the internet but I remember when it was more of a tool for adults and a toy for kids, with adults using it for work and children circa 2000-2005 using it for entertainment purposes. Now, the internet is responsible for the creation of jobs, education, runs finances from individual to the stock exchange…nearly the entire world is on the internet or interacts with reality in a way that is affected by the internet. The internet is no longer a niche domain but a very public location in our realities that, if adequately equipped with a smartphone or laptop, is accessible, nearly anywhere, anytime, a truly consistent VR. Alternatives turn to primaries in the 21st century, perhaps because these alternatives are the best fit adaptation in the next step of evolution. The future is a fun place to experience.

(2)

I certainly believe that VR not only can, or may, become a gateway to new realities, or that it may redefine or change what most define as reality, but I believe that it already has or has begun doing so. As our textbook explains, “Experience itself is what is real, “and “Sensory information lends believability to an event.” (p.74) Therefore, there are already a multitudes of ways in which medias that we have already defined as VR are changing and/ or redefining our realities, or are also opening up gateways to new realities. I can think of numerous examples, but I will give just give one for the sake of this discussion.

For example, think about how the “modern day classroom” looks to us and our children now. Many of us right here, in this “classroom” are going to graduate one day soon, having never actually stepped foot in the university we are “attending” and without walking across the stage to receive our degree. Does the fact that we will have attended school completely VIRTUALLY make our degree any less real? Absolutely not. Virtually reality just altered the gateway to how students, worldwide can go to school and receive real degrees. We will all tell people, “I attended UTPB,” yet 99% will have never actually, physically done so “in reality.” In the same way we virtually “go to the doctor,” or “have therapy sessions” without ever leaving home. None of these experiences are any less valid than they would be in person, but we aren’t REALLY going for to these places.

I believe we do so many things virtually now that we do not even realize exactly how much VR is actually our reality. Our TVs, our theatres, our phones, games, tablets, D&D games, and even our books are all ways to “log off” from “the real world” and step into a different reality. I think the line between VR and “Real R” is way more blurred than many believe, or choose to believe already.

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