Does virtual reality offer us a better life, or is it just an escape from reality? What value should we choose between reality and virtual reality?
The 1999 film begins with the shocking premise that the reality we live in may be a virtual reality created by a computer program. This movie made the audience think deeply about the boundary between real reality and virtual reality. Such a setting for virtual reality can be found in various media, such as the film that uses the motif of a dream and the movie. The dream settings in these films are similar to new realities that are incomparably different from everyday life, and thus they are similar to virtual reality. The above-mentioned virtual reality movies indicate that people are very interested in virtual reality. This interest is increasing with the development of technology, and people are becoming more and more immersed in the concept as virtual reality technology becomes capable of providing experiences that are similar to reality.
These media about virtual reality usually assume a virtual reality that is better than reality. This imagination is often combined with an optimistic view of technological progress. The various scenarios of how virtual reality might change human life reflect our expectations and fears about the future. In addition, the above film also shows a scene in which some people, faced with the problems and absurdities of reality, cannot bear the weight of reality and escape into virtual reality. In the movie, there is a scene in which Cypher, who was promised a comfortable life in the Matrix by the machines, betrays the main character and shoots his colleagues with a gun. There is a scene in the movie where the main character, frustrated by a facial injury, feels a sense of satisfaction in a dream. When people see characters who make such choices in the face of an unbearable reality, they may be tempted to escape by comparing it to their own reality.
But escaping into virtual reality is wrong. Virtual reality is inherently different from reality because it is virtual. This is easy to see when we consider that society places a high value on real products. Genuine and counterfeit products, which even experts have difficulty distinguishing, look similar at first glance, but society places a great deal of value on the difference between genuine and counterfeit products. This is because genuine products have the essential quality of being “real. The nature of essence is ambiguous and difficult to define, but society already attaches great value to this nature, and this is a real value. In addition, the difference between reality and virtual reality is clearly evident in our experiences and memories. Experiences in reality remain in our memories over time and form an important part of our lives, but experiences in virtual reality cannot be compared to real life experiences in terms of depth and meaning.
Some may argue that if we choose virtual reality and lose our knowledge of reality, we lose the value of that essence. However, at the point of choosing between virtual reality and reality, we should not overlook the value of reality because it is “real. Choosing virtual reality may erase all memories and lead to a better life, but at the point of choosing virtual reality, we already give up the essential value of reality. Let’s consider the case of buying a famous work of art. If the seller sells a fake that is almost identical to the original, does the value of the piece to the buyer equal the value of the original as long as the buyer doesn’t know? Even if the buyer doesn’t know it, the original has its own value. This value is a value that is only given to reality in society, and it is not right to give up this value even if you can live a better life in virtual reality.
Some people may value the comfortable life they can have in virtual reality more than the intrinsic value of reality. But choosing virtual reality in this sense is like escaping reality. Even if the situation in reality is difficult and challenging, it is right to endure it. When faced with a difficult reality, society is more enthusiastic about the success stories of people who succeed by working harder than those who give up and accept it. This shows that there is great value in choosing a difficult reality and working hard. Escaping into virtual reality may seem sweet, but there is more value in living in a difficult reality. In this respect, escaping into virtual reality is just an avoidance of the problems in reality.
Another problem is the question of free will in virtual reality. Let’s take a couple in love in virtual reality. Can we say that these feelings are the result of the individual’s will? They might be feelings created by the virtual reality manager, or even if they are not, they might be feelings created by the situation. People in virtual reality may think they are really in love, but these feelings may actually be created. Can we really say that our actions are the result of our own free will when we are under the control of a virtual reality system? Virtual reality contains elements that can limit individual free will and choice.
Some may argue that it doesn’t matter if they don’t know they have been deprived of their freedom. The emotions they think they’re feeling may actually be created, but if they don’t know that, they may think they’re free. But that is a false idea. Take a country that is ruled by a corrupt government. If that government hides that fact from the people, are the people who are being exploited unaware that they are being exploited and therefore okay with it? If that government provides information that is different from the truth in order to make the people think that it is a good government, can the people be considered to have freely chosen to live in that country? Of course, people may think that they have chosen freely, but in such a situation it is difficult to believe that people have made decisions with free will. In a situation where there is a system that controls us, our free will can always be violated, so we have to choose our reality. Moreover, the difficulties and challenges we face in reality promote our growth and make our lives more meaningful.
Many people imagine a sweet virtual reality after hitting a hard wall in reality. The interests of these people are expressed in various forms in media such as movies and novels. Virtual reality can temporarily make us forget the problems of reality, but it cannot be a solution to the problems. However, we should think about the value of reality that is different from virtual reality. At first glance, virtual reality may not be the utopia we think it is. We should not make wrong decisions because we are blinded by the sweetness of virtual reality. Thinking deeply about the value and meaning of reality and pursuing growth and development within it will bring us true happiness.
