VR Technology Kills Anxiety and Cures Depression

Image Credit: TechFrag

In our overly-technologized society which has made everything so simple that you don’t really have to leave your house anymore and human contact is limited to the bare minimum, it’s very easy to feel alienated, anxious, and suffer recurring episodes of clinical depression.

The innovations of the 20th century, from telephone to television, have increasingly turned humankind into a household animal. There is even a study written by a social scientist named Robert D. Putnam, entitled “Bowling Alone“, which tackles the issue of the American communities and how they declined. People used to go to the church on Sunday even if they were atheists, just because all the members of their community were there and they had the occasion to interact with one another. Everything seemed fine, and the American citizen was a true zoon politikon up to the point television sets took over every household in the country: it was then that people started to spend less time outside, and have developed habits and schedules which allowed them to see their favorite TV show rather than meet their friends.

Anxiety and depression are burdens of our modern lives. Technology usually helps widen the gap between us and our friends and family, but can virtual reality bring satisfying benefits that help us feel better and more satisfied? Image Source: Youtube.com – “What is Depression?” by Hellen M. Farrell.

The internet hasn’t made the situation any better, as we now have access to the world’s sum of knowledge and it can all be accessed within seconds. Furthermore, we can interact through social networks in a similarly-alienated way, and sending out thoughts via text isn’t as rewarding as having a meeting, a date, or any kind of organic human contact.

But let’s not depressed or anxious just yet, as the VR technology is here to offer us a helping hand!

First of all, here’s the disclaimer: teleportation wasn’t yet invented, so there is no way you can have a real organic touch via VR headsets. Yes, there are plenty of touch technology developments that allow transmitting tactile data in order to simulate real touches. The HTC Vive and The Oculus Rift are the biggest players in the field and they are engaged in a competitive race of releasing the best touch controllers ever made. Similarly, in the field of VR porn, there are companies like Teledildonics that are committed towards creating tactile real-time and realistic reproductions and representations of the digitally-transmitted events that can be seen through the lenses of your VR headset. In a nutshell, they want you to feel what you see through the eyes of a protagonist you’re supposed to identify with.

The PlayStation VR is the middle ground between the Oculus and the Vive, and it’s a really good deal for experiencing the magical world of virtual reality: Image Credit: Blog.US.Playstation

But the point is that virtual reality won’t replace real human touch, even though it will replicate it to the point that you will believe it’s just as real. While this can be a subject for philosophical questioning and ethical inquiry, I shall present the main argument: if you aren’t willing to step out of the house for various personal or medical reasons, then this is the best solution you have. Period.

Holograms enabled by augmented reality developments might be considered an alternative, but they just can’t match the clarity and quality of something that projects the images in front of your eyes at the highest resolution possible. The former require proper lighting and certain favorable angles, while the latter is viewed and experienced the same regardless of the physical surroundings. Additionally, teleportation (as in the only kind of technology that could really revolutionize the way we interact with each other) seems quite unlikely to happen in our lifetimes. Accordingly, VR headsets are the best pieces of technology we can have at this point in our technological development, and we can use them for both long-distance communication with real people, as well as virtual interactions with pre-determined or interactive simulated media.

And now that we established the superiority and supremacy of the VR technology, it’s time to focus on the two subjects of VR communication and interaction: real people, and digital creations.

First of all, we should discuss about the messaging capabilities of advanced headsets like the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, and the PlayStation VR. When Mark Zuckerberg presented the Oculus VR Chat in the fall of 2016, it looked like a POV version of The Sims: cute digitized avatars could be seen inside a large digital environment, and a number of interactions could be performed. In a way, it was just like in the old days of MSN messaging or the more contemporary Skype experience, when you can have lengthy chats or even play interactive games.

In the case of this particular platform, you can create your own world, invite your friends to explore it, start exploration quests in the worlds your friends have created, start video calls, and make your avatar show expressions. For now, the capabilities are limited and controllers have to be used for most functions, but it is planned for the hardware and software to learn how to read facial gestures in order to express through your avatar. The tone of your voice will also be a factor that influences your avatar’s expressions, so the news about this are really exciting. Oh, and have I mentioned that the application is also available for the HTC Vive and Gear VR?

An image from Mark Zuckerberg’s presentation of the VR Chat. If this kind of advanced social interaction doesn’t kill depression and anxiety, then no piece of technology ever will. Image Credit: Bandwidthblog

This is very relevant in the case of curing depression, as it takes real people and helps them express in real-time through virtual representations, thus creating a more cartoony representation of real thoughts, gestures, and feelings. Maybe that the chats you have through the Facebook or Skype computer apps are alienating and they remove some of the fun involved in conversations. Text is inexpressive and sometimes either void of meaning or subject of countless interpretation. For the simple reason that our languages are limited to words with multiple meanings, it’s nearly impossible to replace lawyers with robots, and you can’t have philosophy with artificial intelligence.

But the VR technology helps us rediscover our human side when we interact with other people, and enables more advanced learning when we are getting immersed in digital art. It’s that simple: maybe that we miss our significant other who is studying through an exchange program on the other side of the world; sending instant messages and e-mails just won’t do the trick, and Skype video conferences can get dull. But if you are wearing a VR headset and you’re using real-time communication, the experience is much more expressive, human, and satisfying for our minds. It’s not a complete replacement, but it’s the best we can have – just like democracy.

Conversely, when you just want to have that kind of experience you otherwise wouldn’t get in your boring life, strapping the headset on can transport you to exotic places and digital environments a lot better than television ever will. There is a deep satisfaction in learning and knowing, and it’s a virtue of human nature. We want to explore, know much more, and feel happier about our lives – which we can’t always do if we’re bound to a routine job and have to wait a whole year before we can get a few days off to enjoy a vacation, but nothing can stop us from using VR apps for purposes our ancestors could barely imagine.

Physical labor and mathematics can be done a lot better by machines, and this might create some alienation, depression, and anxiety in the lives of millions. However, it’s time for us to return to what makes us human.

And this is exactly where the VR technology steps in. We might feel depressed about how the world changes and we can’t keep up. Futurologist Alvin Toffler has been among the first authors to express his concerns about the way our world changes and how we’re only struggling to keep up. Our inability to assimilate all the information and knowledge that flows and takes place in front of our eyes is a valid reason for anxiety and depression. But how about having the most advanced piece of technology and truly enjoying its capabilities to maximize our enjoyment of life, as well as satisfy our curiosities?

Consider Oculus Rift’s “The Climb”: one of the craziest apps VR can offer, but also a very satisfying experience that enhances your ability to perceive the world positively. After all, you discover something you otherwise wouldn’t, and do it safely! Image Credit: Polygon.com

However, VR applications can help us compensate for the scarcities in our real-life environments. If we live in a place where nothing exciting or notable ever happens and want to try something crazy and extreme like mountain climbing, sky diving, or even roller-coaster riding, we don’t have to travel and enjoy these experiences with financial and time limits. Also, we don’t have to take the risks associated with such undertakings. Seeing is believing, and with VR headsets you don’t have to worry about falling off a cliff, having a malfunctioning parachute, or not being able to take all the velocity. Furthermore, unlike these situations where there is no turning back, you can remove the VR headset at any time and rejoice as soon as you rediscover safety and predictability.

If you use pre-determined virtual apps for learning purposes, then it’s very likely that you will find this experience stimulating, enriching, and sometimes plain crazy. There are so many fears that an individual has and they can all be faced in a safe environment – furthermore, being able to be in control and try once again in case of failure is something that we can only get when we use such technologies. Real life is merciless, brutish, and short: trial and error is punished by law, gravity, and time. And once you remove these constrains, you will feel a whole new degree of freedom, you will feel unchained from the limitations of your own body and your financial capabilities, and anxiety and depression will go away while you enter an immersive and practically limitless world.

So, dear readers, what was the best experience you’ve had in VR and how do you think it contributed in the process of making your life less depressing and anxious?