Virtual Reality or VR as it is called is the latest in the technology scene that mystifies me. I thought I had really gotten into advanced technology when I started typing on an electric typewriter back then. My high school typing class used manual typewriters. You know the keys really needed a good kick to make the letters stick to the paper. Next came the IBM “Correcting Selectric”. A typewriter that can correct errors simply by backspacing. Wow! Around the same time, there was the emergence of computers that were used in the banking industry for complex calculations, and yes, for word processing. The world was ablaze with new technology that began to change the everyday business world.
The next advancement in technology was the telephone that no longer required you to be connected to a cable. You can pick up the phone and walk around while talking. Wise, smart, clever! Then, before I knew it, it was the car phone for ordinary people. Remember when there were people who bought fake phones just to look cool? And then in the early 1970s, Motorola was the first company to mass-produce the first mobile phone. As I recall, they had a small antenna and you couldn’t get much service, but you were keeping up with the latest technology.
I’ve finally adjusted to my smartphone that isn’t tethered to a cable and can also take pictures, give me directions, track my steps, connect me to the internet, and has tons of “apps” to do every function I may want or need. Do you want music? What about games? You can watch, stream or listen. What’s not to love? Well, there’s that too. My phone is much smarter than me. Almost every day I discover something about my phone that I didn’t know before. All those settings! All those buttons! It’s a little intimidating.
Get into VR! VR is one simulated experience that may be similar or completely different from the real world. Some days this may seem like something we could all use as an escape mechanism. VR requires a headset – which is expensive by the way – and works by immersing you in a “virtual” environment. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment with extensive gaming, education (such as medical or military training), and business, such as virtual meetings.
VR is big business with games of all kinds that take you into an environment where you can manipulate the avatar, the electronic image. Well, here comes the latest in this world of VR commerce. Meta (formerly Facebook) will open an avatar fashion store to sell virtual clothes for real money. Yes, that’s what I said – virtual “clothes” for real money! So, will your avatar be decked out in a trendy ensemble or just something casual, you know, for your virtual reality online game that you can’t touch or wear.
If you decide to buy clothes for your avatar this way, may I suggest you consider a scholarship for our little dog, Carly, too? I really think she would like to go to college to further her education. She is very smart and has learned a lot, so I’m sure she can benefit from your generosity. I will ask her what her degree program will be and let you know. She is an excellent communicator. She relays information through tail wagging, her big brown eyes, and the occasional enthusiastic dance or bark.
If you prefer to do something more meaningful, you can donate to our local United Way, one of the local school systems or Interfaith Compassion Ministry, or any other organization that is meaningful to you. Of course, this might mean that your avatar might not be decked out in the latest style, but who would know? Apologies to those who appreciate this new technology and well-dressed avatars better.
Bonnie Brown writes a weekly column for The Oxford Eagle. Contact him at brown@olemiss.edu.
