Exploring Virtual Reality as a Potential Care Technology

Virtual reality or VR is a technology that uses computers to generate simulated words. It has been attracting attention lately as, for some, it represents a new frontier in communication, while others are far from convinced. This paper proposes a recasting of VR as a technology for "care ethics." It draws on some examples of work in environmental communication and sister disciplines that show that VR has activated empathy and enabled novel perspective-taking when it comes to communicating environmental issues such as ocean acidification or deforestation. The article also includes a discussion of the opposite, or how VR can activate apathy and desensitize others towards the environment. In addition, two new ideas are presented: One is the idea of environmental wounding or wounds incurred while doing environmental work and how VR could partially help offer some relief. The VIRAL framework, based on care ethics and reimagination, is also proposed. The essay also touches on broader implications for new technologies and how they can be used as tools of care to address environmental and social challenges.