Matt Mulham

Professor Padgett

1/31/17

English 102

Inquiry: Does virtual reality have the potential to change our lives as we know it?

Proposed Thesis: In my mind, the world is about to be revolutionized by the use of virtual reality

headsets, due to the fact that its uses are extremely wide. Some of these uses include treating

eating disorders, training and treating stroke victims, and revolutionizing the world of sports, and

many more.

Introduction

Throughout the past century, there have been plenty of technological advancements that

changed the lives of many. The computer, iPhone, wireless internet connection, and so many

more have left lasting impacts on the population. Now, a new technological advancement has

people wondering what the future holds. This piece of technology is Virtual Reality, and it is

taking the world by storm. The wave of excitement surrounding this advancement is evident,

and companies are beginning to use said reality for different purposes. Virtual Reality is now

being used as an alternative medicine, such as combatting eating disorders. On top of this, it can

also be used as a form of therapy for those recovering from a stroke. Lastly, it also strives to and

will ultimately change the way the common sports fan watches their favorite game.

Wolff, Alexander. "The Revolution [Will Not Be Televised]." Sports Illustrated 12 Dec. 2016: n.

pag. Web. Vol. 125, Issue 19

In this article, Wolff talks about how far sports have come in the world of television. He

references the creation of the DVR, as well as the large channels bundles offered by cable

companies. All of these things have enhanced the sports market, but why stop there? Wolff uses

a quote from the NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, that only enhances the argument that Virtual

Reality is the future of sports entertainment. He stated that "The Jack Nicholson seat is the best

in sports, only it doesn't scale, but with virtual reality it does. Anyone anywhere can have the

same view the referee has." This is the key to the importance of virtual reality. Jack Nicholson,

for those who dont know, is the famous owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, and his seat is

famously always courtside. The use of VR can give the viewer the experience of an extremely

expensive seat for a fraction of that price.

Gutirrez-Maldonado, Jos, Brenda K. Wiederhold, and Giuseppe Riva. "Future Directions: How

Virtual Reality Can Further Improve the Assessment and Treatment of Eating Disorders and

Obesity." CYBERPSYCHOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING 19 (2016): n.

pag. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO]. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.

This article outlines one of the many positives that virtual reality can bring to the world. It

represents the research done by three scientists, Jos Gutirrez-Maldonaldo, Brenda K.

Wiederhold, and Giuseppe Riva, and their findings were somewhat revolutionary. It is known

that an active therapeutic approach to those with eating disorders is to present them with

photographs of food, stimulating psychological and physical responses, making them more prone

to eat. Now, we are taking this approach to the next level with virtual reality. These scientists
aim to use virtual reality to display more life-like versions of these photographs, hoping to

trigger more responses. There findings mimicked what their hypothesis stated. Those who were

diagnosed with an eating disorder were mentally and physically affected more than with the plain

pictures. I believe that with continued research and development, this has the potential to be a

great tool in combatting the growing problem that is eating disorders.

Schmid, Ludwig, Andrea Glassel, and Corina Schuster-Amft. "Therapists Perspective on Virtual

Reality Training in Patients after Stroke: A Qualitative Study Reporting Focus Group Results

from Three Hospitals." Stroke Research and Treatment 2016 (2016): 1-12.Academic Search

Complete. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.

In this journal, the main goal of virtual reality is to assist those that recently suffered a stroke,

and help them with the rehabilitation. The concept is simple, virtual reality has often been used

to recreate a certain world for the user, per say, allowing the user to immerse themselves in it.

Whether they control this fictional avatar completely or only control the upper limbs, the user

has control in the world of virtual reality. This principle is being implemented in rehab for stroke

victims. The goal of the rehabilitation is to allow the victims to slowly regain their motor skills

in a less strenuous way. Usually, stroke victims have a hard time with hand eye coordination,

holding certain things, etc. The object of this is to give the victims a feeling of success, such as

holding a pencil in virtual reality, when in real life, they are holding their hand in that position,

with nothing physically between them. The main goal of the implementation of this virtual

reality simulation is to give the victims a sense of purpose and achievement. I know first hand

that this is tough to do. A few months ago, my grandfather suffered a stroke, leaving his right
side of his body powerless. His speech was slurred, and his arm and leg immobilized. Slowly

but surely, he made his way back, but not without strenuous rehab. Ultimately, he felt defeated,

and it was heartbreaking. Finally, as he was improving, so were his spirits. This is something

that all stroke victims should feel, and hopefully the implementation of virtual reality can do that.

Zorowit, Jane. "It Just Got Real." Coaches like Bret Bielema and Bill Belichick are getting on the

virtual-reality wave. NBCSports. NBC, n.d. Web.

This article was a bit different than the others that I read, in that instead of focusing on the

entertainment aspect of virtual reality, it looked at it as a learning tool for teams and coaches.

This gives players interactive learning tools, such as a simulator, to practice certain situations.

We might be playing (Texas) A&M, Coach Belima states, and it wont be A&M bodies

actually performing the plays, but we can simulate it as if it were A&M bodies, and all of a

sudden our offense is more prepared for that game because they know what to expect. This

type of use is just another way in which sports are being revolutionized by the use of virtual

reality, and I believe that we will be seeing this type of coaching/preparation in the near future,

on all levels of sports.

Vignais, Nicolas, Richard Klupa, Sbastien Brault, Damien Presse, and Benoit Bideau. "Which

Technology to Investigate Visual Perception in Sport: Video vs. Virtual Reality."Human

Movement Science 39 (2015): 12-26. Web.

In this journal, an experiment was conducted to test reactions and reflexes, comparing a video

clip to a virtual reality simulator. The experiment was very straightforward, including catching a

ball, blocking one, and other athletic feats. The results for the video clip were standard, but the

result with the virtual reality headset blew the opposition out of the water. The subject

performed much better in all of the feats using the virtual reality. These findings can be viewed

as a stepping stone to an article by NBCSports that I referenced earlier, for the use of virtual

reality in a practice-mode for sports teams can give them an advantage that is too great to

overlook. This coupled with the increasing accuracy of the simulators could create a great

environment for practicing sports.

Stein, Scott. "The Dangers of Virtual Reality." Online Technology Reviews. CNET. CBS

Interactive, 29 Mar. 2016. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.

In this article, Scott professes his concerns with the up and coming technology that we know as

virtual reality. He makes three main claims throughout the article. They include making you

physically sick, being unsafe to use, and a screen is very close to your eyes. While all of these

arguments on the surface are legitimate, I am not sure that they should be a cause for concern.

First off, when he refers to being sick, Scott is refrencing nausea, or motion sickness. In my

mind, this is a fair knock on the virtual reality technology, but on the other hand, it also depends

on the user. While at any amusment park, I always stay away from things like the teapots and

things of that nature, due to the fact that I know they make me feel sick. The same principle can

be applied here. Secondly, the article about the virtual reality headsets being unsafe revolved

around the wires, and the proximity to other things in your house. You are oblivious to your
surroundings while wearing the headset, so as long as you give yourself ample room and make

sure you dont trip over any wires/keep them in safe places, you should not run into any

problems. Lastly, the fact that the screen is that close to your face is an argument that I dont

have a great answer to. I can only say that you should take frequent breaks when using virtual

reality, as Scott claims the safety manuals explicitly state.

Matt,

Its really clear that you have a bunch of interests all around this topic of virtual reality. I think

this level of interest and excitement serves you well as a writer. You do a good job summarizing

these sources and offering a general idea of what theyre saying. I think you have cast too wide

of a net. There are articles about VR for audiences, VR for training, and VR for medical

purposes. While these are all fascinating, they are all too disparate to belong in the same paper.

So, youll have to make some cuts or some changes. The article about stroke patients seems, to

me, to have to most potential in terms of conducting further research. But my sense is that your

real interest isnt here. VR in for sports audiences doesnt seem rich enough to make an academic

argument about, unless youll be making a quality claim on the value of experiencing the world

this way. In other words, if we experience the world so much trough VR, what might we be

losing, experientially? This makes me think of research about what being out in nature does to

serotonin levels in the brain verses in more artificial environments (like at home or in a city).

Youre going to need to decide on a specific direction, which means a good deal of these sources

here will need to get cut and replaced. Let me know if you have any questions on this.