What Makes Virtual Reality New? | Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business

Despite the popular perception that virtual reality (VR) is a new and revolutionary technology, Daniel Harley, professor at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, asks readers to consider a much more complex history of VR. In his recently published article, Harley explores these claims of newness by examining statements put forward by industry leaders and other professionals. The study examines the discursive frames that VR industry leaders employ, and emphasizes the importance of questioning the narratives that drive technological development. Harley notes,

"Asking what stories and what histories are shared about VR becomes an opportunity to ask who is imagined as participating in this technological future, and who isn't"

Probing the assumptions, ideas, and values that are embedded within our understandings of how we talk and think about VR is a crucial step in imagining a range of possible alternatives to current visions of virtual reality.

Read the full study here.

Image source: Sorkin, S. (2019). Retrieved March 31, 2022, from unsplash.com.