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By Laura Perry, Copywriting & Editing Intern at Talent Academy
Innovative. Instant. Immersive. That is Virtual Reality.
We are becoming increasingly reliant on technology as a form of communication. It allows us to connect with people all over the globe in real time. With the rise of Virtual Reality, we will soon become able to see anyone and travel anywhere in the world without leaving the comfort of our living rooms. Sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi fantasy right?
Now what exactly is the difference between Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)?
Well AR is a live view with overlaid information. For example, if you wanted to find out the nutritional information of a particular food, you would hold your device (typically a mobile phone) over it and the nutritional information would appear on the screen.
Whereas VR is a more immersive experience. When using this particular technology (a pair of screen-like glasses), an individual’s sight is completely controlled, as they are transported to any real or fictional place. I know, crazy!
People are even using VR technology to help overcome their public speaking fears. With the ability to generate a judgement-free environment for presenters to practice giving their speech, VR allows people to gain experience in public speaking which reduces their anxiety and increases confidence.
Until this technology is more readily available, try one of our online courses to help overcome your speaking fears!
VR is not only transforming communication and learning, but also the way businesses can market their brand, product or service. Just as visuals add a layer of meaning to text, motion adds meaning to visuals. As we’ve said, VR is an immersive technology, and so users actually feel like they are part of the narrative, whatever form this may be. This makes audiences more empathetic, and enables them to gain a better understanding as information is portrayed in a more engaging and clearer way.
This future that we speak of may not be that far away. Consider Facebook’s movement towards the metaverse; “a concept of a persistent, online, 3D universe that combines multiple different virtual spaces. You can think of it as a future iteration of the internet. The metaverse will allow users to work, meet, game, and socialize together in these 3D spaces.” (Binance Academy). It seems inevitable that communicating via Virtual Reality will become the new norm, making it easier than ever to connect with people anywhere in the world.
It’s hard to imagine a world in which you don’t have to leave your home if you want to see the Roman Colosseum, or the Eiffel tower, and yet VR technology is allowing us to do just that. But does this present us with the challenge of losing touch with reality? Will the virtual world elicit the same emotional responses? Will the technology that is meant to make us more connected, actually make us disconnected? Just where is VR going to take our communication? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Want to learn more about communication? Join our FREE WEBINARS which take place every second month!
Do public speaking situations fill you with anxiety? Well lucky for you, we offer a range of online courses to help you overcome your public speaking fears! Check out our website or get in touch with us to learn more about the communication training services we offer!
References:
Binance Academy, 2021, What is the Metaverse?, accessed 8 Feb 2022, <https://academy.binance.com/en/articles/what-is-the-metaverse?utm_campaign=googleadsxacademy&utm_source=googleads&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3fiPBhCCARIsAFQ8QzXk6mIE7JkC5fsVTj3HfPfNj0LZaJtueAFCD9gNZA0m0JgLjnAqNYAaArd2EALw_wcB>
Francis, E, 2018, Virtual Reality is Already Changing How We Work and Communciate, accessed 8 Feb 2022, <https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/311735>
Petre, E, 2017, The role of AR and VR in corporate communications, accessed 8 Feb 2022, <https://www.pwc.com.au/digitalpulse/augmented-virtual-reality-corporate-communications.html>
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