Immersive Illness?

    "A challenge that concerns me the most is lurking on the horizon, one we don't yet understand the full scope of. As Immersive Education and other forms of personal virtual reality become more realistic and compelling we're going to see "immersive illness" become more common and more difficult to deal with. Although this is an issue today we're somewhat protected by the limitations of today's personal computers and game consoles (they just aren't powerful enough...yet), but in another decade or more it'll be a different story altogether. Nobody knows exactly what impact insanely realistic, media-rich virtual reality will have on society. We're already dealing with early forms of immersive illness, such as addiction, alienation, mental schisms, and more, but today it's not a problem that affects a large percentage of users. We don't see massive problems today for a number of reasons, including rather low-quality virtual environments and limitations on how much time we spend in these environments. But what happens when the visual and audio quality becomes indistinguishable from reality, the technology becomes truly mainstream, and a substantial portion of education takes place in such environments and not in a real classroom? With massive power comes massive problems. Last week I was asked how big this problem will be, and I responded that nobody knows for sure but I'd estimate that the at-risk population can be calculate by adding the percentage of people with addiction problems to the percentage of society that suffer some form of mental illness. That's a big chunk of society. Is it all gloom and doom? Certainly not, but it's a grand challenge we're not even remotely prepared for today. As with other disruptions society will eventually adapt, but I think we're in for a very rough ride." 

Professor Aaron Walsh from the interview "Virtual reality and higher education: Another perspective" at  http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2007/05/teaching_in_vr_.html 

 After thinking about the topic of immersive illness I find it hard to understand how someone could actually become addicted to technology. I think if a video game or other form of technology began consuming my life I would have no trouble stopping or even getting rid of the device if it was becoming a serious issue. I think immersive illness is real, it's just not something I really understand.

     Today, video games are incredibly realistic. Graphics, audio, and just a characters actions in games make the gamer feel as if they are actually watching or controlling a real person. I can see, in that aspect, how someone can become addicted. I just don't understand what can make a person think that video games should be their number one priority. I can buy a brand new game and play it for a few hours, maybe 4 or 5 at most but I would eventually get tired or bored of it and need a break.

I understand that some video games have a lot of objectives and can take many hours (sometimes days) to finish but I don't understand what the rush is. 

     I can see how someone can get hooked on a video game or new form of technology, I just don't understand how they can let it affect their health and their lives. I couldn't imagine dropping out of school because I feel that a video game is more important then my education.