Virtual reality, or immersive video games, are quickly becoming the “who-cares-which-reality” reality. Following what seems to be a new book trend about the beneficial social effect of gaming, authors Jeremy Bailenson and Jim Blasocovich‘s Infinite Reality: Avatars, Eternal Life, New Worlds, and the Dawn of the Virtual Revolution hit the bookstores today. Professor Jeremy Bailenson argues that our brain treat this fake reality as real, yet all rules for social engagements are thrown out the window. Translation? You can be anyone you want to be and do anything you want to do in the fake world, but trick your brain to think it’s real.
Hmm, I think on this level I differ from from the younger generations with my old fogey “real world hang-ups”. But hey! As long as my kids are totally satisfied baking fake cupcakes on my iPhone instead of the sticky mess of the real thing, I say Vive la differance!
Source: Big Think