Behavior in the Virtual Environment

Can we think of a day in our life without a mobile phone or access to a computer? If you look at the figures regarding our use of smartphones, the emails that we write, and the purchases that we make through the Amazon or other portals, the overall numbers have been increasing steadily and substantially. This chapter begins with some statistics to show our dependence on technology not only for formal work or chores around us, but also to highlight that such dependence on technology has opened new vistas, transforming our traditional social relationships. This effect is not merely confined to the i-Generation but has slowly escalated to the older generations, too. Technology has become so pervasive that the consequences of using it have begun to show several pathological effects. Addiction to the internet, cyber bullying, technostress, and overloading of mental operations were hardly known two decades ago, but now such problems are as common as the common cold and flu. The next section of the chapter focuses on the effects of gaming in the context of its cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social gains. Beginning with a description of the classic Turing Test, the chapter moves on to explore virtual reality which has redefined the role of technology in our life. Citing the work of Turkle and others, the chapter illustrates how technology tends to merge with the functioning of our own self, contributing to our tendency to anthropomorphize and leading to the development of the “second self.” The chapter ends with the applications of virtual reality in education, therapy, and industry, in addition to its impact on our behavior in social settings.