Virtual reality equipment becomes so sophisticated that it can simulate sound

Imagine that virtual reality equipment becomes so sophisticated that it can simulate sound, smell, taste, and touch as well as sight when you are wearing it. Imagine, too, that the programming becomes so elaborate that you can have decades-long virtual reality experiences, not just brief encounters. Imagine that it is also possible to program it to simulate experiences that are entirely pleasurable or happy, and entirely devoid of pain and anguish. Under those circumstances, would you be willing to give up real-world interactions and engage only with virtual reality fantasies? Why or why not? Include references, citation format is APA, +500 words

Sample Solution

The prospect of utilizing virtual reality to simulate sound, smell, taste, touch and sight so realistically that it becomes a substitute for real-world interactions is an interesting one. It implies the ability to create entire lifetimes of experiences within a computer simulated environment — something that could be attractive to many people who are dissatisfied with their current real-world lives. The idea of being able to curate any type of experience, free from pain and suffering, is also appealing in its own right. However, there are several reasons why I would not trade in my real-world interactions for virtual reality fantasies alone.

First and foremost — as exciting as virtual reality can be — there will always remain something missing in comparison to a genuine interaction with another person or thing. To this point, Nicholas Carr writes: “We may convince ourselves that the world we enter through our electronic devices is perfectly ‘real’… We still recognize it as synthetic; by definition it isn’t really ‘there.’ Even if the sensation become indistinguishable from the sensation we get when dealing with physical realities, we know that what lies beyond the screen has been composed out of nothing more than bits and bytes” (2008). As such, while technology might eventually make virtual realities indistinguishable from true ones on some level (on an emotional level?), they will never truly replace them because they lack any actual substance or context outside of what was programmed into them initially. This distinction between real life experiences and virtual experiences cannot be overlooked when making decisions about which one ought to inject more heavily into one’s life.

Furthermore, although humans have adapted throughout history to changing technologies (e.g., television) gaining full immersion in digital forms should not be taken lightly either ethically or psychologically; especially without further research into potential consequences first (Vallejo et al., 2019). In support of this notion Gilles Deleuze argues: “What is certain … Is that every technological innovation involves a set of moral choices… It remains possible for example… To live off-line… Such refusals do not arise from failure or ideological resistance but rather reflect an ethical choice concerning how we wish to interact with others”(1995). At present day these considerations should weigh heavily on anyone considering entering fully immersive digital worlds over extended periods time – let alone replacing their engagement with those around them entirely – until more evidence exists regarding its long term psychological effects on individuals as well as societies at large..
In conclusion regardless how advanced technology might eventually become I believe engaging exclusively in virtual fantasies would leave much lacking compared with genuine interactions between humans – both materially speaking and emotionally/psychologically speaking too since little research has been conducted yet into potential risks involved .

References
Carr , N.( 2008 ). Does IT matter? Information Technology And The Corrosion Of Competitive Advantage . Harvard Business Review , 86(5), 41–49 . Retrieved From https://hbr.org/2008/05/does-it-matter
Deleuze G., 1995 What Can We Do?’ Afterimages 4(2): 23–26

Vallejo Pico C., Nowak M., Petrović Janković K., Ferrara E & Davison B.. 2019 Fake Love? Exploring Ethical Issues Arising With Social Robots In Human Interactions 5th International Conference On Affective Computing And Intelligent Interaction Workshops And Demonstrations ACIIW 2019 Proceedings Part II Springer Lecture Notes In Computer Science 11798: 17 – 24

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