I don't believe humanity or any civilization could survive. It's pure hedonism, really. How does reproduction even occur? And if everyone in the first world is plugged in, what keeps a third world nation from just taking everything? Or killing off the power grid? It would take a massive scale of agreement to even allow that to work.
Outside of that, I am a big believer in, well I don't know the name for it. But you must experience sadness to feel happy. And bad times to realize good times. Anyone in a virtual world would likely never choose scenarios that cause such things. So there'd be no real true joy in this virtual life. Life is fleeting.
From a health standpoint, I don't believe a human body could exist long in a pure virtual world(thinking of something like, The Matrix). Still people tend to get disease, blood clots, stroke, and more. And bones and muscle too weak to even walk when the grid goes down. Am I thinking about the scenario wrong?
Sorry I don't have all(or any) of the answers to that question, mostly just rambling, but the thought makes me really sad.
> Anyone in a virtual world would likely never choose scenarios that cause such things. So there'd be no real true joy in this virtual life. Life is fleeting.
Why not? I watch sad and scary movies all the time to experience those emotions.
You can also have virtual struggle and striving to achieve virtual items that are to many people just as rewarding as real world items.
Those emotions are controlled. You feel sad because something sad happened, but not to you. This is basic empathy. But it's not the same. And the only reason you feel empathy, typically, is because you can relate. But you wouldn't be able to relate if you had no sadness yourself. Because you never allow bad things to happen in your little metaverse.
How does your mother die in VR? How does your best friend die in a car crash? How do you learn your Grandpa doesn't recognize you anymore? Or to learn you have a terminal illness? How do you get so nervous to meet a person your face feels like it's on fire, work up nerve, get rejected, and go home wanting to die? Those are real feelings entertainment cannot reproduce.
Nothing virtual is real. No movies are real. Not yet, at least.
Outside of that, I am a big believer in, well I don't know the name for it. But you must experience sadness to feel happy. And bad times to realize good times. Anyone in a virtual world would likely never choose scenarios that cause such things. So there'd be no real true joy in this virtual life. Life is fleeting.
From a health standpoint, I don't believe a human body could exist long in a pure virtual world(thinking of something like, The Matrix). Still people tend to get disease, blood clots, stroke, and more. And bones and muscle too weak to even walk when the grid goes down. Am I thinking about the scenario wrong?
Sorry I don't have all(or any) of the answers to that question, mostly just rambling, but the thought makes me really sad.