Augmented Reality Changing Everyday Interactions

El Pais recently wrote an article titled “Augmented reality: An important invention or pure distraction?” where David Lindlbauer, Faculty Co-Lead of the XRTC, was quoted speaking on the impacts of Augmented Reality (AR) in our daily lives. The article starts out by sending us back to 2002 when Minority Report was released. The author touches on how this was our first taste of what augmented reality could look like in a modern world potentially inducing a sense of dystopia. Looking at AR today we might feel those same feelings, especially with the recent release of Apple’s Vision Pro. 

David Lindlbauer was asked about the escapism that AR may have or be perceived to have and he said, “Escapism does not come from the medium of interaction [smartphone, television], but from the content [games, social networks]. AR gives us the opportunity to improve our lives by allowing us to do things that may be difficult, such as communicating with loved ones who are far away; sharing content in a fun way; being productive, but less stressed, or learning new things more easily.” 

The article then goes on to discuss studies done to evaluate the social impact that these new technologies have, saying “people in the real world simply felt less real.”. “Being in public could sometimes feel more like watching TV than interacting face-to-face,” this highlights a potential concern that AR might dilute the authenticity of human interactions. As the article progresses it is made clear that the researchers believe AR is not something to replace normal everyday interactions but rather create new and exciting experiences.

If you want to read the full article, please visit: Augmented reality: An important invention or pure distraction? | Technology | EL PAÍS English (elpais.com)