The People in the Room Matter
Your 3 minute SPARK* to Happier
STORY/PICTURE:
Suddenly, the people in the room disappeared.
No, I didn’t faint, or fall asleep, or turn off all the lights.
I was trying out the new Apple Vision Pro, on its first day of release.
I hadn’t come into the Apple Store for this. I’d come for a battery checkup on my iPad…but there it was. The headset to bring the world practically into your brain. Shiny (and pricey) new toy. And there just happened to be an opening in the schedule for a demo! What serendipity!
Sure, why not?
And Oh. My. God. Is it 2024, or 2424? I cannot believe what this thing can do. You control it with your eyeballs. Your EYEBALLS! And a touch of your thumb and index finger.
Apps. Photos, 3D Movies. Immersive views. Like you are right there in Iceland (except for the temperature…and what? No SmellOvision? Maybe next year.)
But. There is this. As I was looking up, down and all around at cute kids blowing out birthday candles on a video (like they are right there with you!- true that), or at marine life coming to kiss me (seemed like it), a weird thing happened:
The people in the Apple Store just disappeared. Disappeared. The salespeople - couldn’t see them. I tuned out what they were saying. The 60 or so customers around me faded into the background, too. Literally.
I barely knew they were there. I felt the table in front of me and was shocked that the “real world” still existed. I felt all alone and isolated except for the scenes in my headset.
And right then I knew I’d say “No thanks,”
(Well, and then of course there is the $3500 price)
Yes, it’s amazing. And yes, futuristic. And yes, you can get lost in that virtual world. So realistic, so colorful, so exciting.
Here’s the thing, though.
I don’t want to get lost in the Virtual World. I have enough trouble getting lost in the Real World. And more isolation is the last thing I need.
And I don’t want to have the people in the room with me disappear, as if they don’t exist.
To be fair, I tend to incline toward human connection. I’m an actor, broadcaster, and speaker on Emotional Intelligence and Human Connection. So I may be a little on the biased side here. Others prize alone time more, I get that. But is lost in a virtual reality the same thing as self-reflection?
Call me old-fashioned, but I’d rather watch a 2D movie with my family or friends around me than be lost behind a headset in a 3D world that I’m not in.
Not to mention that it makes you look like Geordi (LeVar Burton) on Star Trek: Next Generation. It’s a little creepy.
It’s screens on steroids.
So, no thanks Apple. I’ll take the unpredictable and distracting world of Real People.
If I want 3D Immersion, I’ll go back to the Avatar ride at DisneyWorld. At least there will be other humans riding the fake creature right next to mine.
Thanks, though. It was cool.
ACTION STEP:
Choose wisely when considering digital/virtual vs real-world options. We are wired to connect - in person.
RESOURCE:
Screenagers. - it’s about our kids but also about us - An award-winning film that probes into the vulnerable corners of family life and depicts messy struggles over social media, video games and academics. The film offers solutions on how we can help our kids navigate the digital world.
KICKASS QUOTE:
“I remind myself that I’m always more satisfied by human interaction than by a digital connection.”
-Maulik Pancholy
*What's in a SPARK?
Story
Picture
Action Step
Resources
Kickass Quote
