Now you can digitally create environments like offices, movie theaters, and even malls to collaborate and socialize with other people all over the globe from anywhere with a Wi-Fi signal. This newest frontier is full-scale virtual environments that you can physically walk around in and interact with virtual objects and other people in all new ways using a VR headset or 3D avatar. This upgraded version of the internet that you can “enter” is poised to provide an extremely useful way to communicate your presence digitally over the web and is poised to shake up work, education, and communication in major ways. What is relatively recent is the boom in interest surrounding the Metaverse. We’ve used this vital tool daily since its inception to work, play, and chat with others from all over the globe online in all sorts of ways, from digital gaming to live video conferencing. In fact, next year marks the 40th anniversary of the internet. While you may have spent the past two years connecting with others over the web using apps like Zoom, Slack, or Microsoft Teams, online communication is nothing new. Throughout the country and different time zones, students equipped with a headset and a Wi-Fi signal could meet in groups-looking at each other and making use of physical gestures like reaching out for high fives. He says that this form of communication has especially appealed to people who want to establish and get that social experience remotely.
In fact, Bailenson found that, compared to real-life, he was able to hold a much larger class and students were more likely to approach him with questions. This was something especially apparent during the height of the pandemic in June 2021, as it starkly contrasted to the 6-foot social distancing practices employed in reality. He says students were impressed by the lifelike proximity and feeling of being cramped the virtual meeting space conveyed. Last year his virtual reality (VR) class of over 260 students made headlines because, instead of learning out of the prestigious university’s California classrooms, Bailenson taught his class remotely over the course of six months mainly through the AltSpace VR app, with each student wearing a VR headset. Jeremy Bailenson is the founding director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab.
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