Virtual Reality Technology And It’s Link With Social Media
In this modern and digital world, technology has played an important role by shifting the working lifestyle of humans from manual to completely automated, which can boost the production from the industries so that the economic state of the world can boost up.
As technology advances social media also come miles away from its origin in a comparatively short period. The early stages of social media were MySpace and Friendster and now the technology has designed several social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc.
Even though social media has become the most integral part of human lives. Many new advancements in technology and techniques increase the number of users by delivering new and advanced features that are according to the demand of social media users.
There is a variety of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Augmented reality, Virtual reality, etc these developments show a surge in growth during the time of Pandemic COVID-19 because at that time people increased their engagement towards social media platforms as they became homebound and they found social media the place where they can meet virtually with their family and also can make it a place to earn a decent income.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is itself a new technology that is used worldwide in social media platforms. Virtual reality is designed due to the excessive new developments to connect or explore people virtually or to design virtual worlds for people, like the 3D and powerful gaming sections for humans.
The virtual environment is created through computer hardware and software and even though the regular users of a virtual environment for its creation might need advanced virtual goggles to interact with the surroundings. Virtual reality is widely used in all major industries like education, medicine, gaming, etc.
Its widespread and new digital innovative technology can easily affect social media like ever before. Regular users of virtual reality become so attracted to it that they deeply involve themselves in the VR environment stop the surrounding physical activities suspend their beliefs and accept VR as a real environment.
Humans can easily utilize virtual reality through VR-designed social media platforms like Facebook’s Horizon Workroom and VR chat. These specially designed advanced platforms allow their users to interact in a virtual environment, giving them a more immersive and engaging experience on social media.
Secondly, Social media is using Virtual reality in Virtual Events. These virtual events became more popular after COVID-19 making the physical appearance of individual humans quite difficult, then only VR was able to give individuals and all the attendees of the events across the world the can interact in a more engaging and creative experience by catching up on virtual events by the help of virtual reality technology.
Virtual reality is also used to create engaging content for social media accounts as well by the help of virtual advanced tools. Different brands and businesses use VR to design interactive demos for their newly launched products and even allow customers to try their clothing virtually before purchasing.
This will lead to a more pleasant experience for the customers that will increase the sales for brand and brand loyalty as well. Although VR is currently used on social media platforms in different ways, still technology is evolving rapidly we are hoping that we are going to see even more uses of virtual reality on social media shortly.
Reasons Of Virtual Reality Becoming The Feature Of Social Media
Most of the growth of social media in recent years is dependent on the evolving technology. They have simplified the process of creating and sharing new content with the world and also designed new ways through which people can virtually interact with each other in different sessions and can easily cover their tasks.
The use of virtual reality technology on social media will be a new thing for many humans. So let’s take a dive and find out different reasons why Virtual reality has such a big future in different new social media apps.
1. Immersive:
Whether for entertainment gaming or even on a new social media app, the basic advantage of technology is that it gives a mesmerizing and hypnotic experience to its users. In the initial years of social networks became online, there were only options available for interactions through texts and limited image features.
After some time social media introduced a video interaction option and at that time it seemed that we achieved a big milestone. Now in this advanced era, social media designed new apps and started using advanced technology that as VR that offers immersive and engaging experiences to users. People start having a similar in-person experience when they come across VR.
2. Interactivity:
Social media itself relies on the principle of interactions but after the evolution of VR technology, it polished this element and took it to some new levels. With the help of VR, individuals can do more than just like and comment on posts, they can interact more similar to real life.
Individuals can interact in virtual space and interact with groups of other people as well and even explore the experiences left by other users. New social media apps with VR will have a wide range of options through which people can interact easily.
3. Authenticity:
The human brain always thinks that there is a barrier to authenticity in the designing of social media platforms and this thinking was at times when you were only capable of liking and commenting. The use of VR overcomes this barrier and designs a safe and secure place that is completely authentic where people share virtual space with real images and audio and have the experience of interaction that is similar to when people see and meet each other in person. VR gives the ability to connect with others in real time.
4. Media Options:
VR can also provide different media options that can enhance your experience by adding extra media layers. VR allows the individual to create their room by having images on the walls and videos playing on the screen in the room.
Even user can play music in their virtual room. By this people have the option to create short-time VR films that they can share with others. VR provides the option to design photos videos and audio through its advanced media options.
Social Media Platforms Having VR
In this era, in-person interactions become quite limited because of different reasons but many things are introduced as a replacement for in-person interaction and the first replacement is Zoom. Zoom causes people to spend half of their day stuck to computers attending official meetings, chatting with colleagues and employees, and also enjoying leisure time with friends on video calls.
But Zoom resulted in Fatigue because of the constant exposure of the Screen on video chats and conferences. So experts struggled to innovate new technology and they came across Virtual Reality. Then social virtual reality gained more exposure to the world and this concept is maturing abruptly.
Social virtual reality applications help individuals to design new avatars that can talk and through them, they can take part in different games, concerts, and even work in virtual rooms together.
Facebook also has the social virtual reality experience under Oculus products. There are many new apps designed that have VR technology and after that, you don’t have to purchase hardware to get the VR experience. Individuals simply need to purchase the app and install and directly connect the app to their wearable devices like Goggles and helmets. Let’s dive in to check a few of these apps.
1. Virtual Reality Chat:
VR chat is an online app that gives a free multiplayer experience to individuals, allows people to hang out with their friends and family, offers to design their world or house, and even offers to chat with colleagues or friends through spatialized 3D audio.
There are quite more advanced avatars available that can do lip-syncing as well. There are specific types of headsets available that can connect with VR chat like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive and even if you do not have the headset option you can use the VR chat website or Steam to access the VR chat options without the device.
Calling VR chat another simple name for Video games would be clearly an injustice, instead, you can name it as a surreal virtual reality platform where individuals can meet, attend fairs, arrange official meetings, play different games, and design their art.
2. REC Room:
Rec room is free of cost online social VR space, or a hang-out game, where you can team up with your friends and colleagues to desire their new rooms and get a different experience from the existing customized rooms and houses.
This VR space is a design of hundreds of players-designed rooms and every room offers a unique set of multiplayer activities for new individuals in one room where you can choose to play laser tag while the other individual can choose to play other games.
A rec room is specially certified by the kidSAFE COPPA platform and available on iOS devices like PlayStations, Oculus, etc where the age rating minimum is 9. Rec room is compatible with multiple devices like PSVR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, etc.
3. Alt Space VR:
Alt Space VR is one of the leading platforms for special virtual meetups and real-time experiences. AltSpacee VR offers creators, brands, and different leading businesses to organize their virtual events just like the creation of live concerts, festivals, entertainment shows, official meetings, etc and collaborate with other businesses and companies in real-time.
Even though you, your friend, and even your colleagues can have their avatar hang out in different customized worlds and different new or existing scenarios. There are different options like expressive avatars, spatial sounds, and engaging virtual environments that allow individuals to have a sense of an in-person meeting even though you guys are sitting oceans apart from each other.
4. Big Screen:
Big Screen is an advanced new social media VR app that has enhanced the concept of the way people play, work, interact, and collaborate within an engaging environment. Big screen apps can help you to convert any application running on a desktop into a virtual environment, giving the experience of 3D collaboration space. Individuals can zoom into the screen, observe the objects in a 3D display, annotate the screen while discussing with colleagues, and can make their workplace even more enjoyable.
The big screen is a famous platform because it lets individuals hang out and watch different movies in a complicated library of 2D and 3D movies available for rental. The platform can offer more than movie displays like LAN parties, PC games, and different other multiplayer activities.
Conclusion
In the past meeting individuals in person or physical appearance matters but as time moves toward advancement in-person meetings become quite rare and people start using advanced technologies to meet in immersive and engaging environments whether they are conducting official meetings, comedy shows, etc.
Technology has introduced Social virtual reality along with new social apps that are smoothly removing these geographic boundaries and working on the principle of once for all where individuals from all fields of life around the world with different time zones would be able to unite in virtual spaces by using advance accessories like helmets, goggles, headsets, etc that are compatible to VR social apps.
And then connect with their friends, colleagues, and family enjoying the same immersive and engaging experience similar to in-person meet-ups. This technology is growing abruptly and will be one of the leading technologies in the near future.
FAQs
How is Virtual Reality Technology Used In Social Media?
Social media takes a big benefit by using VR in enhancing advertising efforts. These advanced technologies can be used to design branded filters that attract people and they love to play with them. Similarly, at the same moment, it helps to create brand or business awareness so that your potential regular client will be glued to your brand while using VR social apps.
What Is The Impact Of Social Virtual Reality Technology?
Apart from the wide list of advantages, VR can also have a negative impact on social aspects like creating a sense of isolation, and polarization because VR will lead to the minimum connection of the user to the outside or real-world leading him to become isolated in his virtual environment.