Gluttony: one of the seven deadly sins, and a massive problem in America. Everywhere you look, somebody is on their phone, even while driving or at work. We have become so indulgent in technology and the last thing we need is a headset to separate us from society even more. Giving people the freedom to become “fully immersed” whenever and for however long is a horrible idea. We already struggle to cut down phone time, but to take away all outside vision and have a “precise fit” to block out all stray light is unhealthy and will leave people consumed in a fake, digital world.
The Vision Pro will have more pixels than a 4k TV to create the most beautiful view. But what about the beauty in sunsets, in people watching, in finding a hobby you absolutely love? There’s so much more to life than a screen, and it’s so heartbreaking to see people take the free beauties in life for granted. Too much screen time has been proven over and over again to cause weakened social skills, aggression, anxiety, loneliness, sleep deprivation, and so much more. Yet going out and being with society, being in the environment is proven to lower stress, lower blood pressure, increase your mental health, and your overall mood. You don’t need a headset to “magically replace your ceiling with a clear, open sky”; you just need to go outside. Go play in the rain. Go hiking. Go to your local cafe and sit outside. Take in the beauty that surrounds you. This problem has become so severe that author Richard Louv, who wrote Last Child in the Woods in 2005, has coined the term “nature-deficient disorder” to describe the harmful effects of human beings, specifically kids, being less connected to the outdoors and more connected to devices. When we add more advancements to these technologies, it will only get worse.
Technology is an addiction. It stimulates the production and release of dopamine, driving us to use it more and more just like any other addiction, and rich men have no problem feeding into it if it makes them more money. Once it becomes an addiction, nothing you can do can ever make you feel as good as you do when you’re on your device, and that’s exactly what Apple wants so that we keep reliving those “cherished moments like never before” instead of going out and making new ones.
