While virtual reality (VR) can’t actually create empathy, it’s being used in a variety of environments to help facilitate it. Is bringing it to a war scenario helpful or alarming?
The International Committee of the Red Cross’ aim is “to find out if this kind of personalized interactive approach resonates with the audience and has the potential to change someone’s perception or incite behavioral change.”
Watch the 13-second trailer and think about your own responses. Is there a danger that this particular movie will be viewed as just another entertainment product by gamers who like to test their reflexes or strategy skills with video games? Will those who most need to learn some empathy be the ones who are impelled or compelled to watch it?
The film was shot in Beirut, where there are plenty of bombed-out buildings to use, and available ‘actors’ from war-ravaged countries like Syria and Iraq.
“We want people who aren’t familiar with urban conflict to get a sense of what it looks and feels like,” says the ICRC, which will be monitoring reactions to the movie to help decide the future role VR may have in their work.
What’s your reaction? Do you think VR has a vital role to play in helping humanity; or is a dumbing-down of our faculties; or simply technology that can go either way depending on the scenario and/or user?
As Hamlet said, “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
To have your say on this and other ads, visit the ADDS site.
Read next: What’s It Like Turning 18 In 2018? Here’s The Inside Gen (Z)
You might also like
More from Creative Campaigns
The Reality of Careers in Social Media: Insights from Hootsuite’s Latest Report
What’s it really like to work in social media? Hootsuite’s CMO, Elina Vilk, delves deep into the current landscape of …
Do Google SEO Tactics Work on Social Media?
Do the SEO tactics we use on Google also work on social media? In this article, Hootsuite's Inbound Marketing Strategist, Liz …
YouTube Is Testing AI-Generated Video Summaries
YouTube has recently started testing a new feature that automatically generates summaries of videos using AI.
Meta Prepares To Launch AI Personas To Retain And Engage Users
According to industry sources, Meta is preparing to launch its AI personas feature in an effort to increase engagement with …
TikTok To Discontinue TikTok Now, Its BeReal Clone
TIkTok is pulling the plug on TikTok Now, its BeReal clone, a little over nine month after it was first …
Miller Lite Created Beer Ice Cubes To Cool Your Beer
The Miller Lite Beer Cube Tray lets you freeze beer into small iced beer cans so you can keep your …
Meta Launches ‘Meta Quest+’ VR Subscription For $7.99
The new Meta Quest subscription will give you access to the top titles on the device every month. It costs …
New Feature Helps Creators Choose The Best YouTube Thumbnail
YouTube is trialling a new "Test & Compare" feature that helps creators choose the best YouTube thumbnail for their videos. The …
YouTube Is Adding AI-Powered Dubbing
YouTube is integrating the team from Aloud to help you dub your videos in other languages with the help of …
