The Future

Virtual Reality:

Encouraging Empathy, Providing Self-Representations, Reducing Fear, Hate, & Misunderstandings

Virtual Reality has the Power to change the world.

There are visual images everywhere that focus on the suffering of others to raise awareness, spread news, or promote a cause.

Many of these visual images of suffering contribute to the misrepresentations of the subjects who typically belong to vulnerable populations, such as refugees or displaced people.

These misrepresentations can have real political effects on lives, identities, and futures.

Virtual reality allows for greater self-representations and accurate representations of vulnerable populations, and encourages increased empathy due to its immersive and interactivity properties.

Remember: Virtual reality as a technology has its limitations and flaws.

Suffering of others is not entertainment or a commodity.

The actions and words of one individual do not reflect the thoughts, desires, or goals of a entire population.

It is important to take action to support vulnerable populations, individual people, and ideas.

You do not have to donate money to support vulnerable populations, although you certainly can. If you chose to donate money, be sure you are donating to a reputable humanitarian organization by such researching them; positive examples of humanitarian organizations are American Refugee Committee International, Partners in Health, and the International Rescue Committee.

Donate your time. Support vulnerable populations in our local community by volunteering at homeless shelters or local refugee organizations.

Support refugee resettlement programs by voting for political representatives who support funding for refugee programs.

Educate those around you on the difference between misrepresentations and representations of vulnerable populations.

Voice your support for vulnerable population by correcting people who make false generalizations.

Share self-representations and accurate representations of individuals in vulnerable populations.

Encourage people to try a virtual reality experience centered on refugees or displaced people.

Focus on the individual.

Do not become overwhelmed by photographs showing large crowds of bodies or news reports using large figures and quotas. Keep in mind that every body in that crowd is an individual with their own dreams and desires.

Above: Hanine (left) is hugged by her grandmother and Yasmine is hugged by her aunt upon their arrival in Lubeck, Germany on September 18., 2015. Image by Zohra Bensemra/Reuters.

Virtual Reality & Representations of Suffering

The Future

Virtual Reality has the Power to change the world.

There are visual images everywhere that focus on the suffering of others to raise awareness, spread news, or promote a cause.

Many of these visual images of suffering contribute to the misrepresentations of the subjects who typically belong to vulnerable populations, such as refugees or displaced people.

These misrepresentations can have real political effects on lives, identities, and futures.

Virtual reality allows for greater self-representations and accurate representations of vulnerable populations, and encourages increased empathy due to its immersive and interactivity properties.

Remember: Virtual reality as a technology has its limitations and flaws.

Suffering of others is not entertainment or a commodity.

The actions and words of one individual do not reflect the thoughts, desires, or goals of a entire population.

It is important to take action to support vulnerable populations, individual people, and ideas.

Donate your time. Support vulnerable populations in our local community by volunteering at homeless shelters or local refugee organizations.

Support refugee resettlement programs by voting for political representatives who support funding for refugee programs.

Educate those around you on the difference between misrepresentations and representations of vulnerable populations.

Voice your support for vulnerable population by correcting people who make false generalizations.

Share self-representations and accurate representations of individuals in vulnerable populations.

Encourage people to try a virtual reality experience centered on refugees or displaced people.

Focus on the individual.

Do not become overwhelmed by photographs showing large crowds of bodies or news reports using large figures and quotas. Keep in mind that every body in that crowd is an individual with their own dreams and desires.

Above: Hanine (left) is hugged by her grandmother and Yasmine is hugged by her aunt upon their arrival in Lubeck, Germany on September 18., 2015. Image by Zohra Bensemra/Reuters.

Above: A man throws his child in the air after they arrive safely in Lesbos from Turkey on September 28, 2015. Image by Pierre Crom/Getty Images

The Future

Virtual Reality has the Power to change the world.

There are visual images everywhere that focus on the suffering of others to raise awareness, spread news, or promote a cause.

​

Many of these visual images of suffering contribute to the misrepresentations of the subjects who typically belong to vulnerable populations, such as refugees or displaced people.

These misrepresentations can have real political effects on lives, identities, and futures.

Virtual reality allows for greater self-representations and accurate representations of vulnerable populations, and encourages increased empathy due to its immersive and interactivity properties.

​

Remember: Virtual reality as a technology has its limitations and flaws.

Suffering of others is not entertainment or a commodity.

The actions and words of one individual do not reflect the thoughts, desires, or goals of a entire population.

It is important to take action to support vulnerable populations, individual people, and ideas.

​

Donate your time. Support vulnerable populations in our local community by volunteering at homeless shelters or local refugee organizations.

​

Support refugee resettlement programs by voting for political representatives who support funding for refugee programs.

​

Educate those around you on the difference between misrepresentations and representations of vulnerable populations.

​

Voice your support for vulnerable population by correcting people who make false generalizations.

Share self-representations and accurate representations of individuals in vulnerable populations.

​

Encourage people to try a virtual reality experience centered on refugees or displaced people.

​

Focus on the individual.

Do not become overwhelmed by photographs showing large crowds of bodies or news reports using large figures and quotas. Keep in mind that every body in that crowd is an individual with their own dreams and desires.

Above: Hanine (left) is hugged by her grandmother and Yasmine is hugged by her aunt upon their arrival in Lubeck, Germany on September 18., 2015. Image by Zohra Bensemra/Reuters.

Above: A man throws his child in the air after they arrive safely in Lesbos from Turkey on September 28, 2015. Image by Pierre Crom/Getty Images