Can our online interactions be made even more sociable?
One criticism of virtual reality is that, at times, it can be somewhat lonely, but combining it with social media could bring a rather unique spin. With a headset, you can join friends in a shared room in any locale you can imagine, show them your next holiday destination, or even just give them a tour of your new house. Technology like this already exists in the form of programmes like Facebook Spaces, which lets you create shared social chatrooms with friends. Another exciting step is the plan to introduce virtual reality venues, letting you enjoy concerts, sports and other events even if you aren’t able to get a ticket to attend in person. VR is also opening up a potential way to help people with social anxiety, introducing them to safe chatrooms with other people where they can have a social experience without the pressure of being there in person.