QUESTION:
To what extent have the boundaries between the virtual reality and the real world been blurred, and does this affect development.
I. Has virtual communication technology changed social behaviours and understanding
A. Virtual communication technology
1. Any interactions through virtual reality
a. Virtual reality refers to cyberspace
b. Typically defined by the use of technological hardware
c. Used for social, professional, educational or other purposes
2. Technology has globalized the communication process
3. Helps people communicate more easily
4. Problems
a. Identity fraud
b. Changes to social behaviours
(1) Reduces peoples sensitivity to different situations and what they say
(2) Changes in generation sensitivity
(a) Desensitized
(3) Reliance on virtual communication technology
c. Individuals lying about their gender
d. Ability to read nonverbal communications (facial expressions and hand gesture) are lost
e. non-existent world that can distort and for some replaces reality
(1) Virtual Communities
(a) Groups of people that communicate through the communication media
(b) Different levels of interaction and participation
(c) Helps us explore, discovers and develop knowledge
(d) Opinions and beliefs are able to be shared
i) Collaboration
5. Encourages freedom of speech
6. Can become substitute form of communication between people who actually know each other
B. Social Behaviours
1. Helps develops intercultural understanding
2. Communication is a two-way process
3. Ability to create a new identity if we are unhappy with our real identity
a. Individuals are free to act without outside factors (social norms, history and culture) influencing them
(1) Authenticity
C. How do we draw the line between what is virtual and reality
1. Virtual vs reality
a. Constantly being in the virtual world can make the the real world seem less clear and bizarre
(1) Boundary between then can become blurred
(2) Means of distracting from reality
b. Quality and complexity of the virtual can become more addictive and appealing
c. An inability to distinguish between reality and virtual worlds can cause serious mental health issues
(1) Virtual world can become addictive
(a) Mentally some individuals feel they need to escape the real world so turn to vitality
d. Is the virtual world we chose to escape to a hope of creating our own perfect world
(1) Concept of utopia
(2) Is virtual communication technologies a means of putting our opinions of how to change the world out there
(a) It takes change more than one person to change the world
i) Leadership
e. What happened to creating our own real experiences
(1) People losing interest in reality and spending more time in the virtual world
(a) Virtual world influences individuals reality
f. Virtual Reality
(1) Advances in technologies are important in many future developments
(2) Can be defined as a three-dimensional, computer-generated simulation that can be navigate around and interact with
(3) Provides a reality that imitates our actual reality
D. Awareness
E. Psychological manipulation
1. Could an awareness of the manipulation change the way we view technology
II. Does an awareness of the unnatural world we have created affect the way we perceive authenticity
III. Are new leadership initiatives a solution to solve the problems created by our unnatural world and social behaviours
A. Ambition and possibility to change the world
B. QUOTE: ‘The best way to predict the future is to invent it’ Alan Kay
1. Less possibilities and opportunities to apply change
a. More individuals turn to virtual world
C. Fewer people have desire to be ingenious
It all starts with one persons opinion
Society is educated about the real world through the virtual world, and resulted in a disconnection with the real world and the importance of physically experiences.
