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by hershel 4571 days ago
What about potential negative side effects[1] of VR ? Some of them are quite serious(depersonalization and derealization which are pretty serious mental illnesses). Combining those side effects with the probably addictive nature of VR should be done with caution. Is there any thought given to this issue before massively marketing this technology to the public ?

[1]http://www.quora.com/Oculus-Rift/Virtual-Reality-Oculus-Rift...
4 comments
coffeemug 4571 days ago
Asking innovators to exercise caution because they might exacerbate the hikikomori phenomenon is like asking defense attorneys to exercise caution because they might exacerbate the rates of criminal activity. In both cases, that's not what these people do. There are obvious ethical lines, but it's not like these guys are building viruses in a petri dish.
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hershel 4571 days ago
>> but it's not like these guys are building viruses in a petri dish.

Why compare them to one of the most extreme things humans can do ? Why not compare them to the food industry(under some regulation , and there's a debate if should have more) And Doctors (a single doctor can harm dozens/hundreds of people max , while an innovator can hurt million)?

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Cthulhu_ 4571 days ago
Erm, addictive nature of VR? What about the addictive nature of video games themselves? The Quora article there describes a kind of escapism; perhaps more immersive than video games already are, but tbh I don't think there will be that big of a difference in the end.
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hershel 4571 days ago
I edited my question : the addictive nature of VR combined with potential mental illnesses.
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ctdonath 4570 days ago
This has been a continuous refrain from neo-Luddites regarding information technology well before I started noticing it near 40 years ago.

Yes, VR is more immersive, depersonalizing, and derealizing ... but I don't think it will prove much worse than large-screen high-res video games, or even textual social media, are now. Those prone to the implied problems are already getting their "fix". Heck, TV sucks up near 40 hours each week from the majority - and that was reached with grainy 720x400 resolution media with few options for interaction. VR provides diminishing returns for information addiction.

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widdershins 4571 days ago
Ha ha ha ha, of course not! This is venture capital, not freaking moral philosophy. If it's addictive, good, we'll make more money.
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