People talk about FOMO (fear of missing out) and from the way we obsessively capture our every experience, it’s almost as if we’re scared of not remembering. We want others to know what we saw and did, and have proof of it, too. Virtual Reality answers this need. Whether it’s a real or imagined world, we can capture it, share it and escape reality – if only for a while.
Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming more affordable and accessible, but it’s still struggling to go mainstream. Here are five reasons why you should jump on the VR bandwagon, and get excited about life in 360°.
1. VR Lets Us Overcome Obstacles
Having a “real” experience can be challenging for a lot of reasons. Whether you have limited funds or limited mobility, doing something like visiting the pyramids or trekking through the jungle might come with challenges that are too difficult or expensive to overcome. Luckily, a virtual reality experience isn’t fraught with the same kinds of obstacles or danger. You don’t need tons of money or the stamina to hike for days on end. All you need is a working smartphone and maybe a very affordable Google Cardboard headset if you really want to be immersed.
2. VR Gets People More Invested – Faster
Every wonder why you understand something best when you can “see it for yourself”? Human beings are highly visual. According to Huffington Post, we process visual information 60,000 times faster than written information. It’s the reason why written content is usually accompanied by some kind of visual image. With 360° photos and videos, the user not only sees something for themselves, they get to experience it for themselves. Having viewers understand your content or cause better gets them more deeply invested as a result.
3. VR Let’s You Relive Your Own Experiences
Have you ever wished you could go back and relive a moment in time? With 360° photos and videos you can. Capturing a memory in 360° lets you go back and revisit a trip to the museum or check out that sunny beach in a way you can never do with 2D. You might even see things later on that you missed the first time!
4. VR Helps You Share 100% of your experience
With 360° you can share more of your experience with friends and family. VR content is immersive, so you can share your total experience, including everything you saw, heard, and maybe even felt in that moment. Just think – you’ll never miss another family reunion!
5. With VR You Can Achieve the Impossible
Some things just aren’t possible, or at least not yet. Thanks to 360° you can now experience them. Whether it’s taking a trip around Mars, flying an airplane, or becoming Batman in a video game, VR lets you experience the impossible.
To learn more about 360° photos and videos and how to add it to your WordPress site, check out my presentation at Wordcamp Toronto.
Chris’ session is The Future is Now! Virtual Reality for WordPress on Sunday, October 1st, at 1:30pm.
