Seeing The Impact On Young Minds, How Do We Prepare Ourselves?

This video, featuring the Secret Energy organization is an inspiring example of a company using VR and emerging art generation software ethically, painting a brighter reality in the AI Boom. It's important to see cases like this given the potential impact and implications of rapidly advancing technology in the world we create. What do YOU think?

Is This Going To Be Our Screen Addicted Future?

Have you seen WALL-E? That Pixar movie where humans lounge around on spaceships, their eyes glued to screens and bodies stuck in floating chairs?

That could be us, if we keep fuckin around lbs.

It goes without saying at this point. Stroll through an airport and you'll struggle to find someone looking up. They even got the movie 'Don't Look Up' now, starring Leonardo mf Decaprio. (Another one to add to the list) It's as if chemtrails didn't even exist and everything was the Truman show sometimes.

We're living in a screen age. Addicted to pixels and touch gestures. Swiping, scrolling, zooming through life. Eyes down, necks bent, backs hunched.

If I didn't find ways to laugh about it, it'd be heavily concerning. Sometimes I wonder if we're heading towards a real-life Matrix. Screens envelop our entire field of vision, our bodies plugged into an alternate reality while robots take over the "real" world.

Alright, maybe I'm being a touch dramatic. But as a designer, (especially one who recently made it through the last few seasons of Black Mirror) the evolution of screens does excite and worry me. It's no longer just about desktops and smartphones. From VR headsets to smartwatches, screens are shaping the future of how we experience the world.

The Possibilities of VR

Take mobile for example. With touch screens, it's all about your fingers. We can make almost anything happen with a few swipes, let's throw in a handy new GPT keyboard, and voila who needs to think thoughts anymore? Sure, typing is a little easier, welcome to the future right? Then we've got everyone and their mama pushing wearables, where do we draw the line with data privacy? Screens the size of a dime expecting meaningful interactions on those teeny-tiny buttons its hell if you got big hands, or like a few thick-ass fingers. And if your phone or screen protector is cracked, you could be in tatters with first-world problems, its honestly devastating truly it is deeply, goddamn wow.

And so what about VR? It's lowkey like the beginning of the end, so I'm curious about the potential, but I think of people like my old roommate who would probably turn into a vegetable with it if left unchecked for too long. VR is a whole new ball game when you enter an immersive 3D environment. I'm thinking from a creator standpoint. You can't just design a pretty picture and call it a day. Spatial awareness is everything in VR. Where someone looks, how they move, where their hands are - it impacts the entire experience. Total immersion. VR literally transports you into an alternate reality.

I'll admit, I'm most excited about VR for music. Imagine attending a virtual concert where the stage wraps around you in 360 degrees. The band plays right in front of your face, then teleports behind you and jams on your shoulder. Mind-blowing visuals and colors dance in sync to the music. You look down and see the crowd pulsing to the beat. Look up and lasers pierce the sky as fireworks explode around you.

VR allows us to create concert experiences that transcend reality. To connect with fans across the globe. To design immersive worlds tailored to the music. Album listening parties in zero-gravity. Underwater EDM raves with glowing jellyfish pulsing to the bass. The creative possibilities for connecting fans to music are endless.

Of course, VR technology still has a long way to go. The headsets need to get smaller and lighter. Hand tracking and haptics need major improvements to increase that sense of presence. And content creation tools are still clunky and designed for tech gurus. But the core foundations are there. And I firmly believe VR will transform how we experience concerts, theater, theme parks, travel and more.

The Dangers of Hyper-Immersion

Now here's the scary part. As VR technology improves, it has the potential to become dangerously immersive. Tech giants are racing to create the most realistic virtual worlds possible. But should they? Hyper-realistic VR could have unintended psychological consequences. Just look at Facebook - 2D newsfeeds are already negatively impacting mental health and destroying attention spans.

Now imagine total immersion. VR artificial worlds that some may prefer over their real life. Horror movies and violent games that emotionally traumatize people. Apps designed intentionally to be addictive escapism. As VR progresses, we need to consider the implications. Especially with augmented and mixed reality on the horizon. Entirely new psychological challenges emerge when virtual elements are seamlessly blended into our real world.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater here. VR has amazing potential to profoundly improve life. To connect us, educate us and inspire us in innovative ways. But technology is not inherently good nor evil. It simply amplifies our human capabilities - both the good and the bad.

So as creators, we carry a great responsibility. We can either design VR experiences that enrich lives and connections... or destroy them. To me, the path is clear - we must embrace VR with childlike wonder and excitement, but also wisdom and mindful design. Technology should not manipulate or control us. We must remain sovereign over our creations.

Retaining Our Humanity

The key is retaining our humanity no matter how advanced technology gets. Choosing community over isolation. Truth over deception. Freedom rather than control. If we make these choices as designers, technologists and users, we can harness the good that emerges from innovations like VR, while minimizing the pitfalls.

I don't know exactly what the future will look like as screens and VR evolve. But I hope we retain the choice to look up from our devices. To see the real world that exists outside of any simulation. To experience life directly through our senses, not just digitally mediated representations.

VR expands our experiences, but we must not lose sight of what is real. Every technological breakthrough across history has disrupted norms and forced adaptation. But the human spirit has persevered. As the virtual becomes more "real", we must cultivate presence. Savor the moments. Connect on a deeper level. In the face of rapid technological change, we have a choice - to embrace our shared humanity.

So what do you think? How can we harness the power of VR while retaining our sovereignty over the technology? I'd love to hear your thoughts! The screens are only getting smarter, and the headsets more immersive. But if we stay grounded in human values, I believe we can create an inspiring future augmented by technology, not enslaved by it.

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