VR Dating: More or Less Superficial?

13

October

2022

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Bored of swiping and wanting more interesting dates? Perhaps a virtual reality (VR) dating experience in the Metaverse might be for you! 

One of the dating applications available on this platform is called “Nevermet” where users can have a dating experience entirely in the Metaverse. Nevermet’s CEO claims to want to change the online dating market, where physical attraction is not the only factor that matters (Harrison, 2022). With this, Nevermet users can only use a virtual image of them (with any customization such as tattoos, piercing, skin colour etc.) for their profile. After a user is matched with their partner, they can decide to go on dates at an imaginary location on Metaverse’s VR world. These imaginary locations are facilitated by the Planet Theta platform, which operates as a social virtual reality where Nevermet users in matches can pick and visit any location on their date (Tolcheva, 2022), such as an apocalyptic wasteland or a restaurant underneath the sea. 

The CEO also believes that more online relationships will be created and become successful in the future as VR technology becomes more immersive in the future (Harrison, 2022). It is also interesting to point out that a lot of things we do nowadays are becoming more and more immersive in the online world. Among the developments and growing popularity in Web 3.0, some of our possessions such as NFTs and Cryptocurrency, or our online persona that we spent time and effort to craft only exist on the internet. Some new dating apps on Metaverse even focuses on these digital possessions, such as “MetaMatch”, where under a similar objective of making online dating less superficial, users with similar psychographs based on their NFT possessions would be matched up (Buckler, 2022). 

Some may see this as allowing users to connect beyond physical attractions, but we could also see this as a move from one superficial focus in dating to another. For example, would a date matching based on the type of cars users own or the shirts that users like sound as equally superficial as common NFT possessions? Also, looking at Nevermet, would not the virtual profile images still allow users to superficially judge each other based on how attractive they are online?

Afterall, we are still at an early stage of Metaverse development, some of these applications are not fully available yet. If the VR world truly becomes more immersive, a lot more aspects of our personality could be integrated online, and superficiality could be combatted in the future. Only time will tell, and the choice to either match up with someone by natural circumstances in the physical world, or by our online persona, is up to us.

References:

Buckler, N., 2022. Metaverse Dating: Can You Find Love Based on What NFTs You Hold?. [online]         BeInCrypto. Available at: <https://beincrypto.com/metaverse-dating-find-love-based-nfts-you-        hold/> [Accessed 13 October 2022].

Harrison, M., 2022. People Are Going on Dates in the Metaverse and It Sounds Very Strange. [online]      Futurism. Available at: <https://futurism.com/the-byte/dating-metaverse> [Accessed 13 October 2022].

Tolcheva, S., 2022. Metaverse Dating: What Is It and How Does It Work?. [online] MUO. Available at:    <https://www.makeuseof.com/metaverse-dating-explained/> [Accessed 13 October 2022].

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Living in an algorithmic bubble

4

October

2021

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Online, many of us are surrounded by views and opinions we agree with. Websites use algorithms that look at things like browsing history and age to offer personalized content and ensure the content shown supports the visitor’s views. These algorithms decide what we view and read online and often exclude opposing perspectives. Because of this, we live in so called ‘filter bubbles’.

Initially, an algorithm that ensures we see content we like and agree with does not sound that bad. However, when we do not see opposing views or opinions we disagree with online, these filter bubbles create echo chambers and we forget that what we see is actually being filtered. In my opinion this is a huge flaw to these otherwise valuable algorithms, because the filter bubbles that arise are distorting our ideas of the world. People are using Facebook as their main news source for example and a significant portion of those people is probably not mindful about what Facebook’s algorithms do. This lack of awareness increases the negative impact of filter bubbles, because the people who are consuming the news do not know that what they see is constantly being filtered to match their opinions and perspectives (FS, 2017; Pariser, 2011). Furthermore, we limit our own experiences and learning possibilities by only viewing filtered content. In my opinion, this extreme content filtering problem is perfectly summed up by Pariser (2011): “A world constructed from the familiar is the world in which there’s nothing to learn.”

Social media platform Tiktok is trying to combat this problem by sporadically adding videos to your feed that are not relevant to your expressed interests. They do this to let their users experience new perspectives or ideas and to increase the diversity of content shown to the users. This is something that other platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube could improve on, as their algorithms still keep users in their own echo chambers (Perez, 2020).

Can we, the content consumers, pop the bubble ourselves? There are some ways we can ‘bypass’ the filter or find less filtered content. First of all, visiting websites that offer a wide range of content is a good start. Websites that show you multiple perspectives help you create a more complete view yourself. Other things that content consumers can do are using Incognito mode and deleting cookies. Both methods will de-personalize your content, because you are giving the algorithms less information. If we become more aware and actively try to find unfiltered, completer content, the filter bubble can be popped (FS, 2017; Pariser, 2011).

References:
FS. (2017, July 3). How Filter Bubbles Distort Reality: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved 4 October 2021, from https://fs.blog/2017/07/filter-bubbles/

Pariser, E. (2011). The filter bubble: What the Internet is hiding from you. Penguin UK.

Perez, S. (2020, June 18). TikTok explains how the recommendation system behind its ‘For You’ feed works. Retrieved 4 October 2021, from https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/18/tiktok-explains-how-the-recommendation-system-behind-its-for-you-feed-works/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAG37494luglqH9K2xpIfdbz7eMt1NslKsRggWOCjkDR55sH_D_pgWizSYt0N0ERfhD9dlwTrrv1QQbymNfFwkw8L-10oJ-Gy3WSI-Y3Ag0dodCEyWWgPP-f0j03gMdDGv2vw2wqE4F7V_YCDmUuhkq0hZoRiwbugjPAXgI5wrTzH

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Ehealth The Future?

20

September

2020

No ratings yet. After being neglected for quite some time mental health is now slowly starting the receive the attention it needs. A study conducted in 2013 found that 1.7% of the Dutch population suffers from some kind of severe mental illness (Delespaul & consensusgroep EPA, 2013).  Assuming that this percentage stayed more or less the same, it means that today more than 295,000 people in The Netherlands alone have to deal with these types of issues. The ongoing pandemic of the Coronavirus is not having a positive effect on this number. There are already signs of increased demand for mental healthcare, this in combination with the precaution measurements practitioners have to take, makes it difficult to provide correct care to those who urgently need it (van Tilburg, 2020). Online health treatment can be an option to temper this worrisome development and treat more people. This article examines what ehealth is, the related benefits but also the cons and risks of it.

The term ehealth is a relatively new concept and is already starting to become a buzzword.  Not so strange given the fact that it can be applied in a lot of different health (care) situations. This is precisely what makes it hard to provide one clear definition of ehealth. In the most general form, ehealth is everything where information and communication technologies are being used for health (What is eHealth?, n.d.). Every digital and online interaction a client has and is about something health-related can be considered a form of ehealth.

A big advantage of ehealth is it being digital and online. Especially during the ongoing pandemic, this comes in handy. Some packages allow online interactions between mental healthcare professionals and their clients. Functionalities like video consults or chatboxes make it unnecessary to have physical appointments. Making the use of online treatment time-efficient. Most ehealth packages include modules where a client can go through when it suits them best. Those modules can also be used in addition to “regular” offline treatment. The number of available modules keeps growing. This displays how flexible ehealth can be and how it can be customized for each individual client. For clients themselves, ehealth software can be a tool providing them with additional and better insight into their health situation. It allows them to share important information with those who need it, preventing them from telling every story over and over again. This is also a benefit for the professionals, they can share client information an retrieve information when needed, reducing the time needed for administrative tasks. All above factors together have one important overall benefit, they make it possible for one professional to treat and take care of more patients.

The before mentioned benefits do not come without any risks. Mental health professionals indicated that they have some concerns using online treatment. The most frequently noted concern relates to the confidentiality of client information (Wells, Mitchell, Finkelhor, & Becker-Blease, 2007). This sounds like a valid concern. You do not want this type of personal information accessible to persons not involved in your treatment. Since it is very hard for a professional or a client to judge the safety of their data, it is a good development that more and more laws regarding data protection are being introduced. A good example of such a law is The General Data Protection Regulation, providing guidelines on how to deal with personal data. Companies designing software healthcare or other application using personal information now have to comply with these rules, ensuring some level of data safety.

Another potential risk of using ehealth is that some important aspects cannot, or will not be noticed. In some types of treatments,  situational and environmental signals are important. Think of facial expressions that might disclose information hard to capture with online tools. Ehealth tools allow a client to work on their treatment from home. For some clients, this can be a problem. Maybe their environment does not feel like a safe place, resulting in less honest answers. When vital clues are missed, there is an increased risk of incorrect treatment. It is really up to the professionals to verify for each specific case if online treatment is suitable.

To sum up, ehealh has the potential to become a great partner next to the professionals in treating patients. The diversity of available online treatment modules makes it possible to deliver customized and personal care. The use of online treatment is very time-efficient for both clients and professionals.  This means that the professional can treat more clients.  It even enables options to treat people without physical contact, which is useful for present times. The risks involved with the use of ehealth software is about data security and the possibility of missing important information. But if we are aware of those concerns and keep improving, the future of ehealth looks bright.

References
Delespaul, P., & consensusgroep EPA. (2013). Consensus over de definitie van mensen met een ernstige psychische aandoening (epa) en hun aantal in Nederland. Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie, 55, 6, 427-438.

van Tilburg, A. M. (2020, May 13). Veel mensen met psychische problemen zien klachten toenemen tijdens corona. Retrieved from De Monitor: https://demonitor.kro-ncrv.nl/artikelen/veel-mensen-met-psychische-problemen-zien-klachten-toenemen-tijdens-corona

Wells, M., Mitchell, K. J., Finkelhor, D., & Becker-Blease, K. A. (2007). Online Mental Health Treatment: Concerns and Considerations. Cyberpsychology & behavior, 10, 3, 453-459.

What is eHealth? (n.d.). Retrieved from Innovatemedtec: https://innovatemedtec.com/digital-health/ehealth

 

 

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Swipe Right!

19

October

2018

No ratings yet. A lot of studies show different number on how many people are using dating site. One thing is for sure there are a lot of people using online dating platforms and the numbers keep increasing.

We are the first generation to have approximately 10+ years to be dating. Our grandparents were the first generation to get married to someone whom they loved. Now love alone is not enough if we can get love and compatibility (Tsaih, 2018). Bapna et al., (2016) proved that most married couples have similar characteristics. So it is no surprise that more and more people are using online dating platforms which makes it easier to find a match with similar characteristics. Anufriev (2018) even expects that the effectiveness and speed of the online dating services will improve due to the technological advances. Online dating services might get as important as social networks. I will provide three major trends at significantly change dating as we know it.

  • Genetics

Partners choose each other based on similar characteristics (bapna et al., 2016). Partners with similar DNA profiles are more likely to choose each other (Anufriev, 2018). This finding shows that matching based on DNA will be the future. It will also have implications of ensuring less birth with genetic mutations.

  • Physiology

Before the integrated of genetics, we will asses our partners on a physiological level. For example it is possible to integrate a heart monitor which reveals which partner gets your heart rate up. Also the use of Virtual Reality is also expected in online dating. The possibility to actually feel and experience the partner (Anufriev, 2018)

  • Intelligence

Artificial intelligence will provide intelligent algorithms which track the users’ activity within the application. The user will then be offered profiles of users with the best fit to his of her demand.

What are your insights on online dating and these future trends? Do you think online dating is the new way to go or do stick to the traditional methods of meeting you potential partner? Feel free to comment!

 

Author: 431453mt

sources:

Anufriev, N. (2018). Three major trends of the future of online dating – DateCoin – Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/datecoin/three-major-trends-of-the-future-of-online-dating-45defcedba50

Bapna, R., Ramaprasad, J., Shmueli, G., and Umyarov, A. (2016). One-way mirrors in online dating: A randomized field experiment. Management Science, 62(11), 3100-3122

Safronova, V. (2018). An Inside Look at Your Favorite Dating Sites. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/style/match-shaadi-league-farmersonly-dating-apps.html

 

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The End of Warehouses

17

September

2016

5/5 (2) In the original supply chains products move from supplier to customer meeting a manufacturer, distributor/warehouse and a retailer on the way. Products are produced in places where it can cheaply be produced and are then shipped to a big warehouse. From there it is moved to retailers, which sell it to customers.

Everybody is familiar with this supply chain. Especially when it is about clothing. But, some changes are on their way. The increased IT possibilities are making this a vulnerable market. To become a vulnerable market, the market must become easy to enter due to technological changes (Granados et al. 2008). Where the classic clothing industry was built upon brands which sold their products through retailers (like ‘De Bijenkorf’ or ‘El Corte Inglés’) there are now retailers selling clothes without owning a single B2C retail shop (like ‘Zalando’). This market is attractive to attack, there is a lot of profit to make. And difficult to defend, online shopping is easy and quick. And thus a vulnerable market.

Because of the shift from offline retailers to online retailers already one step in the supply chain is doomed to disappear. However, that is not where it stops. A new IT improvement can change this market again. At this moment the online retailers are struggling to give customers the right product. Lots of products are returned because it cannot be fitted as customers can in the offline shops.

Start-ups are creating solutions to solve this problem. Apps are being developed where customers can identify their exact sizes so this app can give you an advice about which size you should order. Regardless the sizing method. They even make it possible to order tailor made suits without being in a shop.

In my opinion this new development will change the market again. Another step in the supply chain becomes obsolete, the warehouses. Why store a thousand black ‘M’ size shirts in a warehouse when those shirts can be tailor made and send to the customer directly. This development even creates the opportunity for brands to sell their clothes directly to customers and skip the online retailers like Zalando.

What do you think? Is this development the end of warehousing? And can this already mean the end of newly fast-growing online retailers? Is this a vulnerable market again?

 

(1) Granados, N.F., Kauffman, R.J. & King, B., 2008. How Has Electronic Travel Distribution Been Transformed? A Test of the Theory of Newly Vulnerable Markets. Journal of Management Information Systems, 25(2), pp.73–96.

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