FINAL: Social Networking and Future (VR and AR)

Mariano Montague

MCS 224

Professor Brucker Cohen

5/19/19

Social Networking and The Future (VR & AR)

In 2019 communication and their technologies have been a major  impact in today’s society. Communication technologies have dated back to the 1800s so it is no surprise that many years later we have advanced to half the entire population using the internet, and that doesn’t include the basic ways of communicating using these technologies. Since the 90s, the use of social networking have been very beneficial to society by uploading a profile and making/meeting new friends. Today, one of the major ways of communication is by social networking. I believe virtual reality and augmented reality will play a huge part in social networking and become the next utopia of connectivity.  

With social networking, connecting to users across the world has never been easier. For businesses, and people trying to creating their own business, the use of meeting people on social media has been extremely important and beneficial. Since almost everyone has social media, it can be used as a way for the business or company to gain awareness and be familiar to other users since 60% of people on Instagram say they discover new products on the platform according to the Facebook business website. Businesses with social media feel more authentic because it makes the page more humanized when users view it. Real business relationships can be made because of this, and you can show examples of how real existing customers have gained from it. Not to mention, The use of putting ads on social medias can help reach thousands of people across the world and send them to your website or anywhere else you would like to redirect them. Lastly, partnering with other influencers is the most important benefit you can get. When you meet someone with similar goals and ambitions as you, you can share and receive any new information you didn’t know prior, as well as collaborating and giving shoutouts. Shoutouts can multiply the amount of traffic to your page and more people, brands, and celebrities could be able to discover you and want your product.

In the healthcare and clinical world, social networking has been taken into effect. One way of this has taken place was the use of spreading information and data to improve the way that it is practiced in the community and in the public. In the article “How social media is shaking up healthcare”, Shannon Dosemagen speaks on the key effects social networking has in healthcare. She states that “ Social media can both help facilitate information sharing and be problematic in spreading rumors during normal (or seasonally expected) health events and health crises. Public health agencies and other organizations can use social media to disseminate time-sensitive health information, promote information sharing to encourage behavioral changes (including corrective changes during potential health crises), be a platform for conversation between agencies and constituents (rather than just as an information provider) and allow the public to provide useful information and feedback”. Important ways this is effective include the use of providing education on a global scale, giving patients access to videos explaining  rare diseases, making online support groups, and speaking to other medical professionals about the challenges being faced with the public health. While social networking has many benefits, it also has its drawbacks. Shannon Dosemagen also mentioned “ social media is a two-way street, and allows non-experts to share information just as rapidly as health agencies, if not more so. Managing misinformation during health crisis is an important role that health agencies and other organizations have been forced to take on during events such as the 2014 Ebola crisis”. It is very important that public health agencies and organizations have strategies before major problems and have, educational material, and a social media management plan to counter information that is not true.

When we talk about about the ramifications of social networking, the number one issue that is revolved around it is how the use of social networking affects the mental health. Social media can be shown to be very addictive. In the article “ 6 Ways Social Media Affects Our Mental Health” by Alice G. Walton, she says, “ …neglect of personal life, mental preoccupation, escapism, mood modifying experiences, tolerance and concealing the addictive behavior, appear to be present in some people who use [social networks] excessively.” (They also found that the motivation for people’s excessive use of social networks differs depending on certain traits…”. It can also cause more sadness, being more socially isolated. When your on social media and networking, you see the lives of many other people. Constantly comparing your live with other peoples online. Many people get stuck doing this, and start to judge their own worth. Even when you think you’re better than someone it still gives you depressive like symptoms. This leads to the jealousy factor so the user would try to make their life look better than what it really is. The authors of one study, looking at jealousy and other negative feelings while using Facebook, wrote that “This magnitude of envy incidents taking place on FB alone is astounding, providing evidence that FB offers a breeding ground for invidious feelings.”

With the use of social networking, we tend to forget how to interact with others face to face due to the feeling of social isolation. I would like to build a social network where people can be productive, and use new innovations while actually having a sense of better social skills and public speaking. I want to create an app that involves virtual reality and augmented reality by connecting to people in real time so that social networking can feel as realistic as possible, and people will feel more comfortable if they were to meet in face to face. With this VR & AR app, you are able to realistically communicate to someone showing body language and emotion with the convenience of being in your own private space. Business interviews can be used by this as well as school lectures if you’re sick and unable to make it. We have already began to use VR and AR in college. In Lehman college we have free public speaking virtual reality sessions where you can practice giving presentations while getting graded on your speaking skills. With virtual reality, social networking’s mental health issues can decrease. You won’t be feeling socially isolated since you can become virtually connected to your peers. It will give you the therapeutic effect of spending time with your friends in real time, while being virtual. There will also be less jealousy. The VR and AR app will have virtual worlds where you can be the person you want to be, making everyone have equal freedom so there won’t be comparisons within one another.

VR and AR can help the social networking of business improve as a whole. In the future there can be ways to promote products through VR and AR so that you can see what you’re potentially going to purchase. Also virtual tours can be the next business move. People can pay to virtually travel the world to have a short experience to make sure its worth it. This method will be more cost efficient instead of actually paying for expensive flights and not enjoying the travel. Also this can accommodate people that have disabilities and aren’t able to travel anywhere easily. Eventually there can be schools and training programs that can be offered through the VR and AR system so that education can be offered, being in the comfort of your own home. This can help people get certifications to jobs and also give opportunities to people who don’t have a high school diploma or GED.

VR and AR will also be beneficial in the health field. Surgeons can network, meet and train on replica humans to perfect their skills on operations in the real world making better trained, and better performed surgeons. “Medical students can perform ‘hands on’ procedures but in a safe and controlled setting. They are able to make mistakes – and learn from them but in an environment where there is no risk to the patient. They interact with a virtual patient and as a result of this, learn skills which they can then apply in the real world”. According to the article, Advantages of virtual reality in medicine, “ virtual reality isn’t only confined to medical schools. Dentistry is another area in which it plays a part. For example, there is a system known as ‘HapTEL’ which is based upon haptics (Greek for touch) in order to train new dentists. This virtual dental chair includes a training scenario in which the student is shown a 3D set of teeth that they work on. They perform a range of procedures, e.g. a filling using a virtual drill which replicates the movement and pressure of a real drill by means of force feedback. This feedback takes the form of subtle changes of pressure which enables the student to adjust their technique accordingly.

Works Cited

“Advantages of Virtual Reality in Medicine.” Virtual Reality Society, 28 June 2017, www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality-healthcare/advantages.html.

“Create Awareness.” Facebook Business, www.facebook.com/business/goals/build-awareness.

Dosemagen, Shannon, and Lee Asae. “How Social Media Is Shaking up Healthcare.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/how-social-media-is-shaking-up-healthcare.

“Virtual Reality Training Academy & Development Lab.” Lehman College Virtual Reality Training Academy & Development Lab, lehman.edu/vr/.

“Virtual Reality Uses for Business.” Business.com, www.business.com/articles/virtual-reality-business-use-cases/.

Walton, Alice G. “Jealous Of Your Facebook Friends? Why Social Media Makes Us Bitter.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 23 Jan. 2013, www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2013/01/22/jealous-of-your-facebook-friends-why-social-media-makes-us-bitter/#338a361a35cc.

Walton, Alice G. “6 Ways Social Media Affects Our Mental Health.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 3 Oct. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/06/30/a-run-down-of-social-medias-effects-on-our-mental-health/#70996bb12e5a.

 

 

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