ABSTRACT
Virtual reality has become a widely publicized technology and as such has provoked a great deal of speculation about the effects it might have on both individuals and society as a whole. This chapter seeks to evaluate the social dimensions of virtual reality. It begins by addressing the nature of the reality representation which virtual reality seeks to achieve by means of simulation, and goes on to highlight philosophical and socio-cultural questions related to the construction of consensual meaning around the concept of reality. Virtual reality is a simulative device which is embodied by current technological development. Virtual reality may be viewed as a high-fidelity simulation of a model world or environment. Simulation may reflect reality in terms of a model of an existing environment, for example, the teleoperation of a device. Technology at its most basic level of interpretation is simply a collection of physical objects which present themselves as an objective and tangible reality.
