There has been a lot of talk about the metaverse, that virtual world that seems ideal and that overcomes all technological barriers. Everything moves at a dizzying pace and both the freedom of creation and the possibilities it offers mean that an immersive experience that increases productivity is expected from the metaverse. But what is true in all this? Is the metaverse an ideal place?
Mark Zuckerberg is one of the people who has decided to bet on the metaverse and, perhaps, this has made this virtual world more interesting. But on closer inspection, that idealism begins to crumble. The results of the investigations in this regard have already begun to see the light and one of them is that of Quantifying the Effects of Working in VR for One Week.
Reality or virtual reality, are the effects the same?
The mentioned study investigated 16 people who for one week worked in front of a normal computer screen and the next through virtual reality with specific glasses. The participants spent eight hours performing their tasks with their corresponding breaks, but the most curious thing was the results. There were people who could not continue.
What happened to those participants who had to drop out of the test during the week that it was their turn to test work through the metaverse was that they started having problems with headaches, some of them had migraines and anxiety spiked. The discomfort was very pronounced, something that had not happened to them during the normal work week in front of the computer. This was significant.
Perhaps the weight of the glasses themselves affected those pains and discomfort that the participants presented, although it should also be taken into account that nausea is a common symptom recognized in virtual reality. Some of the people who were in this study got over those initial feelings of discomfort, but others didn’t.
The health consequences of the metaverse
These first details discovered in the study Quantifying the Effects of Working in VR for One Week They suggest that the metaverse is not suitable for everyone. People who already suffer from anxiety can see their problem increasing with the metaverse. Also, this can have other consequences, for example, visual fatigue. This can trigger vision problemsmyopia, astigmatism, etc.
When the participants were asked their impressions after a week working normally in front of a computer and after another experimenting with the metaverse, they stated that during that second week his frustration increased. In addition, that discomfort at the beginning, the increasing anxiety and the weight of the glasses caused poor performance.
Comfort is a fundamental factor for productivity
Perhaps, we are still facing a rudimentary metaverse and, therefore, the results are not quite as expected. Uncomfortable headsets, heavy glasses, the vision problems that eight hours at a time in the metaverse can bring… There are many hurdles that need to be overcome for the metaverse to be viable. Although what will happen to those who suffer from migraines or anxiety?
There are still many unanswered questions and studies like these want to help put one’s feet on the ground avoiding the idealism that the metaverse sometimes seems to have. It has its downside, but it is true that it has certain advantages. However, it is necessary to continue perfecting it and carrying out studies like this one that draw attention to its drawbacks.
