The Next Big Thing

Oculus Rift and Virtual Reality
Another article on its potential changes

In class, we recently studied many of the different repercussions that come from introducing new technologies into society. We talked about how technology changes society and how in turn we as a society influence technology. Also, one of the most significant points that we discussed was that, ultimately, there is always a price to be paid when we adopt new technologies. The world has changed drastically since the introduction of the Internet, and many of the changes that came with it are still rippling and evolving in our present time. More recently, smartphones and tablets were introduced into society, and their effects in society are largely noticeable: the way we work, the way we learn, the way interact with friends, family and work, it all has been changed by this new medium (which is driven mostly by the internet). So, I ask myself: what technologies are in the horizon that could once again change drastically the world? My attention turns to the Oculus Rift, a piece of hardware and software that will make virtual reality (VR) a reality in our homes. It is important to notice that the giant Facebook recently purchased this project, and with its introduction slated for 2015, I feel that once again there could a be revolution in the way we interact with people all over the world. Not only has Facebook jumped into this bandwagon, but Sony as well by unveiling earlier this year it's own VR headset, code named Project Morpheus. Also, just a few weeks ago, a partnership between Samsung and Oculus was announced to bring virtual reality to the mobile world. VR will bring with it a tidal wave of changes if the way we interact and perceive the world: video games in which your are inside the game, talking with people as if we where in the same room, shopping while seeing and manipulating an object as if it was in front of us, "surgery simulators are just a few years away, and medical students or even hobbyists (...) could poke and prod to their heart’s desire", just to list a few of its countless applications both in entertainment and in the business world. With this tide of revolutionary changes on the way, I also ask myself: what price will we pay once we adopt this new technology? what does it mean for video game addiction? what does it mean for pornography addiction? what does this mean for human interaction? I even wonder: will VR introduce new issues that we didn't initially anticipate?