Virtual reality, as the name suggests, provides users with an immersive experience into the digital world, a new reality to live in. From gaming to relaxation, many people look at VR as a tool to unwind and dive into the world of pixels and polygons. As a new and constantly developing technology, VR ushers in yet another form of online communication. But what does this new, immersive experience mean for socialization deep into the digital age?
Keep reading to learn about how VR is redefining socializing.
Development of Virtual Reality
As Virtual Reality Society, a website dedicated to all things VR, suggests, virtual reality has been sought after long before the development of high-tech computers and gaming consoles. The idea of reality being a simulation has also been pondered by the French philosopher Rene Descartes, with his famous “cogito, ergo sum,” or “I think, therefore I am.” Though Descartes was concerned with the significance of the human experience, virtual reality inverts this proposal and, instead, asserts that a different reality is one to strive for and enjoy.
With virtual reality being something to enjoy and appreciate for its continuous development and technological achievement, one of VR’s drawing factors is its offering of an entirely new and unique gaming experience. Video games have increasingly been dedicated to providing a completely realistic portrayal of fictional worlds and characters, with remakes of old video games being revamped for better graphics and intuitive gameplay.
Alternatively, VR has also become a tool for relaxation. It can provide therapeutic experiences for those struggling with mental health, simulating serene landscapes alongside positive affirmations. VR’s multi-faceted utility is another step in the direction of a strictly technological society, making old depictions of the future a reality.
VRChat: Redefining Socializing
VR as a tool for both relaxation and productivity doesn’t end there. Like artificial intelligence’s rise for carrying out tasks or thinking, VR ushers in a new form of online communication and socializing with a game like VRChat. While chatting with friends and strangers during gaming sessions is a common practice among gamers, VRChat brings meeting people to a meta state, allowing users to digitally present themselves with a “physical” body and meet other people online in the same space.
In other words, hanging out with friends and literally meeting other people no longer requires you to leave the house to “see” other people–or in the case of VR, a world of fictional characters. VRChat allows you to hang out with both friends and strangers alike across the globe and interact with them in the game, making it a conduit for human interaction for the “chronically online.”
VRChat’s affordance of a “physical,” digital presence makes body language both more cryptic and defined, with gestures from a user’s real body playing along with programmed poses to flash and display. In a way, body language becomes even more of a language, one fluent in online and pop culture, with references to video games, anime, or even movies possible through a digital avatar, including props and special effects.
Though VRChat’s digital representation knows no bounds, its eponymous chat feature still requires one’s own ability to socialize and talk with others. Whether you’re presenting your true, authentic self to the Internet or putting on a persona, a digital avatar cannot solely carry a conversation. However, the barrier between screen and human has long allowed Internet users the freedom to say what they want, however they want. In other words, a digital avatar and the freedom of the Internet can either be an obstacle or an enabler of social interaction. It is a double-edged sword; you can show yourself to the digital world, or become someone entirely different. Consequently, allowing yourself to become entrenched in a digital space may also be a double-edged sword: you can be outgoing with your online friends, but find it difficult to socialize in person.
VRChat’s ability to encourage social interaction while also holding the possibility of isolation in the real world makes it a fascinating new form of connecting (or not connecting) with others. But what does this trend toward an increasing online presence imply about the future of socializing?
What Does This Hold For the Future?
Online communication has undoubtedly revolutionized how we speak to and interact with others, both online and in person. Socialization looks very different than it did pre-Internet, and it continues to evolve as technology continues to be a pervading presence in human lives. As Pew Research reports, online communication through video games like VRChat has become a steadily growing way for teens to foster friendships with both online friends and IRL friends. Pew Research reports, “about 57% of teens have met a new friend online, with social media and online gameplay being the most common digital venues for meeting friends.” Based on these statistics, it seems that online socialization will only continue to grow and become the new norm.
Conclusion
Virtual reality has become the new reality. Its recreational use affords new ways to socialize with others, but it also functions as a tool to relax and heal. But with its benefits come greater implications about how technology and the Internet affect norms about socialization and the self. Studies on Internet use and as a social tool suggest that this increasing online presence will continue to grow, which may have an impact on IRL socialization; however, VR and games like VRChat hold promise for its encouragement of interacting with other people.
This article was written for Ferry Godmother Productions, Inc.
Erica Rigoroso 