Moore’s law states that every 18 months that the amount of transistors that can fit on a computer chip will double. The law coined by the co-founder of Intel, Gordon Moore, has amazingly held true since it’s inception in the 1960s. During that time computing has went from large transistor mainframes that take up entire buildings to tiny smart phones in one’s pocket. There is no doubt that many new media platforms have been birthed due to new computational power and it’s always exciting to see what is going to be the next.

Virtual reality, it’s all the craze nowadays. It seems like every tech giant has their own iteration of it either deployed or in development. These new versions of virtual reality even vary greatly in price, as well. From Facebook’s Oculus Rift and HTC’s Vive coming in at around $500 and with Google Cardboard coming it at around $20. There is absolutely no denying that the tech industry believes that virtual reality is the next big medium.

Many people are overly excited about virtual reality and what it can bring to humanity, and I have to admit that I’m excited too. Just look at how smart phones have innovated the way we live since their adoption within the past ten years. I admittedly, would feel really strange if I were to go, at most, thirty minutes without checking my phone. I use it to communicate with friends, keep schedules, avoid traffic and all the works. The point is that with new mediums comes drastic changes to the way we live our lives.

There is so much good that virtual reality could bring with it. Just imagine being able to use virtual reality in order to experience online classes or virtual worlds and have them actually feel real. One could simply attend class and actually see fellow classmates and the instructor. One could interact with others in a Second Life type world and it would feel real. There is so much potential just look how awesome this graffiti software looks.

However with the potential it brings, it also brings many questions. I feel that it’s something that people really need to discuss because there isn’t really a whole lot being said about it. At what point does virtual reality become our own reality? Could you imagine a life without any face to face human interaction, because virtual reality could potentially threaten such basic thing our society takes for granted. People really do conform to technology, there is no choice but to. It is nearly impossible to apply to a job nowadays without internet access for an example.

Could you imagine living a life where you wake up, throw on your XYZ brand virtual reality goggles, and enter your work environment. After work you enter a virtual world where you can socialize with friends that you have never met in real life. Then to wrap up your day you can sit down with your family, strap on the virtual reality googles and watch the newest iteration of Taken because Liam Neeson for some reason cannot stop losing those he holds dear to him.

I am very excited to see what virtual reality can bring to the table. It is extremely exciting, but these things need to be taken with caution. Just look how anti-social smart phones and “social media” have made us. I feel like these topics need to be discussed a bit more. I love technology but we as humanity need social interaction. Ask any psychologist, we are social creatures.

Feel free to share any of your thought on virtual reality in the comment section.