I get that this discussion is a simplified presentation of arguments, but to add nuance and depth:
• I personally text to send quick updates that don't need an immediate response, exchange funny GIFs, share links, and forward small documents. I can also clarify my communication with emojis or reacts (done well, this is the "tone of voice"/"facial expression"/non-verbal communication of medium of texting).
• But I wouldn't spend a half-hour to hour-long session just texting someone to catch up with their life, nor would I use text for an important, complex conversation. Then again, I typically wouldn't video chat someone to receive a very quick update about something.
Similarly, in VR, perhaps the medium can provide a method communication that is more rich than both texting and video calls, which adds something instead of acting as a substitute for something else. Maybe VR will make it easier for people to share and compare multiple screens at once (to compare a document or code). VR is already great at presenting certain types of artwork in museums (e.g. an immersive 3-D sculpture with music and a beautiful background, which nicely complemented a physical display of artwork).
Perhaps in certain fields (maybe architecture, design, film production, or video game development?) VR can become the preferred way to communicate, where people can prefer to use VR instead of video calls or text updates—especially if VR becomes commonplace.
• I personally text to send quick updates that don't need an immediate response, exchange funny GIFs, share links, and forward small documents. I can also clarify my communication with emojis or reacts (done well, this is the "tone of voice"/"facial expression"/non-verbal communication of medium of texting).
• But I wouldn't spend a half-hour to hour-long session just texting someone to catch up with their life, nor would I use text for an important, complex conversation. Then again, I typically wouldn't video chat someone to receive a very quick update about something.
Similarly, in VR, perhaps the medium can provide a method communication that is more rich than both texting and video calls, which adds something instead of acting as a substitute for something else. Maybe VR will make it easier for people to share and compare multiple screens at once (to compare a document or code). VR is already great at presenting certain types of artwork in museums (e.g. an immersive 3-D sculpture with music and a beautiful background, which nicely complemented a physical display of artwork).
Perhaps in certain fields (maybe architecture, design, film production, or video game development?) VR can become the preferred way to communicate, where people can prefer to use VR instead of video calls or text updates—especially if VR becomes commonplace.