The pros and cons of virtual reality

Apple recently released its Vision Pro, a virtual reality (VR) headset designed to mix the real world and the virtual world. The gadget has returned VR to the limelight — so much so a few buffoons have used the Vision Pro while driving. Not safe, bro.

In general, virtual reality has been deemed a mixed blessing. It has the potential to expand access to services and spaces to those who wouldn't normally have access. But VR's interface also raises security, health and environmental concerns. Beyond drivers sporting VR headsets on the open highway.

Pro: Increases exposure to green spaces

Scientists have known that human access to nature and green spaces can positively affect health. Virtual reality is now being studied as a means of bringing nature to people who otherwise would not have easy access. "Research shows some health improvements associated with experiencing nature in virtual reality, although these benefits are smaller than those gained by exposure to real nature," Scientific American said. This can be especially useful for people with conditions preventing them from spending substantial time outdoors. While direct access to nature is irreplaceable, virtual technology can ensure people in less-green cities receive a healthful nature bump. 

Con: Causes cybersickness 

Virtual reality can have a number of side effects, in particular cybersickness. The condition is similar to motion sickness and can cause "new avenues for discomfort, such as disorientation, dizziness, nausea and increased muscle fatigue," said The Conversation. These side effects can be affected by a number of factors including "how complicated the scene is or the way VR reproduces user movements."  It could also "have more to do with the user, such as age or how long they're immersed in the VR simulation." Data found that 80% of VR users have experienced some side effects, and more research is needed to determine whether these instances can have longer-term effects.

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Pro: Increases access to health care services

Virtual reality can revolutionize remote health services that include minor appointments and therapy. "For the average family doctor, minor complaints and regular reviews probably make up the majority of their caseload – and these are exactly the sorts of appointments that can be carried out effectively remotely," said Forbes. VR technology can also provide such health data as heart rate, physical exercise and sleep data to medical experts. Those who live in rural areas without easy access to medical care can visit a metaverse hospital which is, "well suited to mental health treatment and potentially even physiotherapy." 

Con: Raises privacy concerns

Virtual reality can provide a new avenue for hackers. Research from the University of California, Riverside, showed that "spyware can watch and record our every motion and then use artificial intelligence to translate those movements into words with 90% or better accuracy." An application on a VR headset could potentially monitor movements to determine passwords or other confidential information. "Basically, we show that if you run multiple applications, and one of them is malicious, it can spy on the other applications," said Nael Abu-Ghazaleh, who led the research. "It can spy on the environment around you. And it can also expose to the attacker your interactions with the headset."

Pro: Reduces psychological effects of physical illness

A study from Queen's University Belfast found that "VR interventions are acceptable treatments that have the potential to improve physical and psychological consequences of physical illness." The technology has the ability to help people be "connected to a digital world outside of their physical bodies." This can be done through VR interventions designed to "relax the user ahead of medical treatment with a combination of a nature walk and mindfulness meditation." These can help patients cope better with the anxiety and pain associated with physical illnesses like cancer.

Con: Raises sustainability concerns

The expansion of virtual reality would be like the "internet on steroids," Todd Richmond, director of the Tech + Narrative Lab and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, said to TechTarget. While the technology is fairly new, the ultimate goal is to create a metaverse or an expansive virtual reality. For this to come to fruition, a lot more technology will be required.  The potential use of cryptocurrencies, which are known to be taxing on the environment, might be required. In addition, there are "growing concerns about the environmental impact associated with the increasing demands for hardware," because "users will need specialized equipment such as headsets, and cloud computing providers will have to implement more capacity to handle the anticipated spike in demand for compute power."