Comment by jv22222 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jv22222 | Hacker News Reader

Is it just me, or does this image of three people laughing with one of them wearing a VR headset seem a bit bizzar?

https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.2365-6/22044141_1...

We've already all but killed social interaction with smart phone addiction.

I can't think how many times I've seen a group of friends at a Starbucks not talking to each other and all looking at their devices.

But, at least, their actual faces are not covered by a huge mask with no way to look into each others eyes.

This picture makes me wonder about where this is all headed. For example, will there be a day when a group of friends are sitting around a table in Starbucks without the possibility of eye contact?

Edit: I'm not against VR I am just musing about what this ultimately means for all of us.

Not at all, have you ever used VR in a social setting? Every time I've used it has been in large groups full of people trying it for the first time. The first-time reactions are usually funny.

As for the eye contact thing, I dunno, but I envision these things as being more solitary devices, more like playing a game at home alone on your console. I always thought that was the market that would keep the industry alive.

" We've already all but killed social interaction with smart phone addiction. "

(Rolleyes). Yeah, uh-huh. We can all agree phones sometimes intrude in ways we wouldn't like but if you think they've "killed all social interaction" you need to find some new friends.

VR is certainly a different matter but humans fundamentally crave social interaction. VR won't change that. AI, eventually, on the other hand...

(rolls eyes back)

https://mobile.twitter.com/jamiesmart/status/918127285387059...

I wonder if this is a generational thing or a location thing. Over here in the UK my family went to the pub (3 families) to eat. The whole pub was mobile phone free. There were one or two on tables, but no one was looking at them, I guess they were there as 'phones' in case a baby sitter needed to phone.

I think your fears are fair. Though in that specific shot, this reminds me of times where with a single headset, we all take turns using it, and the others enjoy watching them do it. Though as a day to day device one wears, I do worry that it removes us from each other too much.

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