A holiday packing list has never been this short:
- VR-Glasses;
- Chair
You might think; What about a passport and sunscreen? Well, during this particular holiday people won’t even need to leave their room.
The virtual reality industry is booming. The vast majority might associate this with entertainment such as video games. However, in the healthcare sector, especially for elderly, this technology has become extremely valuable. VR enables elderly with dementia, for instance, to experience some parts of their old lives. A research led by Dr. Chee Siang (Jim) Ang, a senior lecturer from University of Kent, has shown that the technology provides a richer and more satisfying quality of life than is otherwise available, with many positive outcomes. Better quality of life has been shown to reduce levels of anxiety, depression, and hostility within wards, the study found.
“I’m sorry but you are not able to drive anymore” or “I’m sorry but you can not go outside by yourself anymore” are statements elderly hear often as they grow older. Their quality of life becomes more and more dependent on the few visits of their grandchildren and the weekly walks in the care home gardens. However, through Virtual Reality, they can now go where ever they want without even leaving their seat. The canals of Venice or China’s Great Wall, elderly are able to travel the world. The University of Tokyo started Virtual Reality Travel Project among Japanese elderly. They found that the project works in conjunction with physical rehabilitation in nursing care facilities. The excitement for these seniors is unreal; they feel full of life again “walking around” through an African safari parc, seeing elephants just in front of them. However, where elderly have so much life experience, youngsters don’t, and are gaining more experience every day by exploring the world. Should we be afraid that this will replace real-life experiences, young adults actually still can experience in real-life?
K, Fischer. (2019) How VR Can Help People With Dementia. Retrieved on September 29, 2019 https://www.healthline.com/health-news/heres-how-vr-can-help-people-with-dementia.
J, Sit. (2019) Virtual reality helps Japan’s elderly travel the world. Retrieved on September 29, 2019 https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/japan-vr-elderly-travel
Hi Mayumi,
Interesting topic! An eye-opener to be once again surprised by the functionality of technology and what it can be used for. However, asking the your question ‘Will VR-experience replace real-time travel experiences?’, is basically answering it as both experiences are completely different; they are not substitutes of each other. That’s why I believe that VR-experience will never replace real-time experience.
This is mainly because the experiences are not achieving the same results. Whereas, VR technology is mainly focused on amusement and can indeed show the touristic views and attractions in a very approachable way, travel is not solely about amusement. The two major reasons for people to travel is ‘knowledge’ and ‘socialization’ (Correia, Oom do Valle, & Moco, 2007). Both elements also play a major role (and improve) outside of the touristic attractions. Arguably, ‘socialization’ does not even play a role in a VR experience, as VR is experienced alone.
Besides the fact that people travel mainly because these two fundamental elements, youngster become more and more demanding with the day. Therefore, just the arousal of viewing something via VR will not be enough for the youngsters. In this aspect, there will also be limits to what VR can do, as there is almost nothing as infinite as exploring the world!
Bibliography
Correia, A., Oom do Valle, P., & Moco, C. (2007). Why people travel to exotic places. International Journal Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 45-61.