Virtual Reality Part 2

 

Last month I talked about how fear is really a virtual reality.  If you missed it or want to check it out again you can click HERE  This month I want to talk more about virtual reality and how VR is stealing parts of life away from us.  

Let me start by saying, I am not here to hate on VR or other technology.  I am a gadget geek and love having the latest and greatest technology.  In fact, Meta, if you want to send me a headset to review, I will write a post about my experience.  

The part of life that VR and other technology are stealing from us is experience.  They are trying to sell us convenience at the cost of experience.  I remember when they tried to convince us that the microwave would completely replace the ranges and ovens in our homes.  Almost fifty years later and we still have ranges in our home.  Even InstantPot has yet to be able to do that.  Don't get me wrong, I love my 12 in 1 ProCrisp.  However, I still prefer the experience of cooking with my old cast iron on my gas range.  Look at the resurgence of vinyl over the last few years.  With all of the streaming music available people are reverting back to (or discovering for the first time) vinyl records.  

The one thing that VR and AI have been unable to replace is the experience that comes with reality.  I see all these commercials for VR, and yes, I can go see virtual mammoths but I can not smell them, taste them, fear them, or understand them from the perspective of the people who roamed the earth during that age.  The experience is lacking.  You can put on a headset and see Weeping Rock in Zion National Park, but you will miss the experiences of the mist, the smells, and the journey that I had going there. 

Yes, Chat GPT can write the paper for you, but it can not replace the experience of creating and crafting with words.  It does not replace all the learning that happens during the research process that does not make it to the final paper.  What I write or share while speaking is a small fraction of the information that I learned in the process of creating.  Then there is what I learn about myself during the creative process that goes way beyond information.  

I could give example after example of how technology attempts to trade us convenience for experience.  There is one more that I want to address.  That is relationships.  A computer can not give you a human touch.  A computer can not replicate the experience of sharing a meal with another person.  I work in a situation where the majority of my meetings are virtual.  It is funny that none of us want to eat while we are on camera.  None of us would think anything of eating in front of each other if we were sitting around a table together.  Human connection and intimacy can not be coded.  Even the one dating app admits it when it says "We are the dating app intended to be deleted."  Notice all the dating app commercials show people together.  The relationship is not intended to stay online. 

The virtual and online world is great for meeting people, but for a relationship to develop, human connection is needed.  We see it on dating apps, gaming platforms, and online church.  There is always a draw to being together.  We all experienced this truth during 2020 and 2021.  Technology can not replace human connection.  

Don't let the convenience of virtual reality replace the experience of reality.

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Take Control of Your Program

My brother has always been really good with computers.  When we were kids I remember he would get these magazines that had basic computer programs in them.  He would read them to me and I would type them into the computer.  I remember one time we were creating a card game and I turned around and there was no magazine.  He was making the stuff up in his head.  I remember the majority of things I typed being if statements.  "If X < Y  Then Insert 2"  Maybe you have used the If Functions on Microsoft Excel and are familiar with those types of statements.  

These types of statements are great when creating a computer program.  The problem is when you try to create a life with them.  Let me explain.  Have you ever said something like this; "If I get this much money in the bank then I will have enough", "If I get this job then I will be happy",  "If my spouse would just do this or be like this then our marriage would work"  When you program your life to rely on an external circumstance to define success or happiness you are relinquishing control of your life.  

There is another statement used in computer programming.  It is called a control statement.  This is a statement that determines whether the other statements will be executed or not.  I have no idea what that means when it comes to computer programming.  Remember, I am the typing brother.  I do know what this looks like in life.  A control statement in life might be; "No matter how much money I have I will be a good manager of those resources", "I will work hard at my job regardless if I am recognized for it", "I will be loving and respectful to my spouse regardless if it is reciprocated".  These are all statements that leave the control in your possession.  You are not waiting on some external circumstance to choose your action and your attitude.  

Which type of statement do you want to program your life with?  I know I would rather use control statements.  

Let me end with this if statement.  If you like what you are reading then subscribe, like, and share this post.