Modeling Reality with Virtual World

Today's most controversial trend in the development of new technologies is virtual reality. It's a mix of excitement and concerns that determines how our future world would be like. Besides gaming, there are several ways where virtual world can greatly benefit us as well as potentially making its damage to individual users.

We can benefit from virtual world by using it as a training tool for medical practitioners. It is the best way to ensure medical students receive the right kind of practices by gaining experience to better prepare students for the job. In the past, mentioned in the article "Avatar II: The Hospital", hospital may have to hire actors to train new nurses in preparation for emergency incidents, which is costly and only a limited amount of times available to prepare for the real deal. However, with new technologies,"the virtual world allows a much more immersive experience, Dr. Greci says-and it doesn't interrupt a hospital's regular business." (Simon, 2010). And within the classroom, the tool allows students to take roleplay of the job by experience it on virtual world. Professors will be able to monitor the experience and provide feedback on student's performance. (Simon, 2010). It's safe to say that virtual world as a training tool for medical students and practitioners is a great way to ensure medical skills, and to prepare nurses to gain the right mindset under emergency situations through virtual practices.

Put aside the positive benefits from using virtual world, the downside of using such technology can influence negative social behavioral. A psychological research study shows in the article "Virtual world may impact real-world behavioral" indicates that "just five minutes of role­play in virtual environments as either a hero or villain can easily cause people to reward or punish anonymous strangers," says lead researcher Gunwoo Yoon of the University of Illinois at Urbana­Champaign." For those who develops an obsession for playing video games are most likely to be impacted by virtual reality technologies. Once the user puts him/herself into a roleplay, it's likely that they will be influenced momentarily by that roleplay. Because roleplay requires the person to think and act according to a designed character such as a hero or a villain. Sooner or later into the virtual world, the player will begin to identify him/herself to that of the avatar and risk the chance of carrying that character onto the real world.

However, a virtual world is created for users to experience things they may otherwise cannot practice in the real world due to social constraints or the fear of consequences. Others may argue that virtual world can foster creativity, where users are free to experiment things before confirming an idea in the real world. This can best be use in the science field and technology field where innovations are encouraged. By mapping an idea out in a virtual world, it gives researcher a better control on reducing errors when implementing it into the real world.  Therefore, virtual world can foster creativity in that it cancels out consequences if the result does not match to the expected. Virtual reality foster creativity in that it isn't real, so user is free to experiment anything without constraints and attachment.

As virtual world is expected to continue to develop and innovate, I expect it to be applied and used in ways that is most beneficial in making a better living environment. I happen to watch medical related TV shows, they always demonstrate new technologies of the future and how those new tools make things more convenient. I picture the future of virtual world becoming more realistic, and I hope that it's better for the good.