This week, our lecture essentially covered the history of Virtual Reality as a concept and the various ways it was implemented as technology progressed. The 4 causes that shape these experiences was also discussed, which included formal, material, efficient, and end causes. In recitation we began to explore the emotional aspect of immersive experience and video games when virtual reality is used as a tool to stretch the capacity of the human mind. Citing examples such as a VR experience in this past Whitney Biennial that used incredibly real violence that forces you to be uncomfortable and create discourse within yourself. People must consent to the experience, and in turn, are pushed into an immersive experience that’s meant to emulate the bystander effect. I left the class with a question: in terms of developing technology, are we in fact making things easier for ourselves? Or simply more distracting?
