In this era, no one can catch a break from technology. With the constant stimulation of phones, computers, and tablets, we are always occupied with screens. The limited time that we are away from our phones is always interrupted by social media and ringing notifications seeking our attention. On that note, Apple recently released the Apple Vision Pro on February 2 in the United States, starting at $3,499. According to Apple, the Apple Vision Pro is a special spatial computing device that allows users to mix digital content with the physical space around them. It differs from other Virtual Reality headsets because it allows users to control digital devices and apps with only their eyes, hands, and voice, which reduces the need for physical controls.
The Apple Vision Pro can also transform any space into a personal movie theater, allowing users to watch shows, and movies, and play video games in an immersive environment, according to Apple. In addition, it also allows people to call their friends and family on FaceTime as if they were in the same room. Users can also relive past memories by looking at spatial photos and videos. However, a particularly notable feature of Apple’s Vision Pro is the ability to change your physical surroundings into a different environment, such as the Moon or Mount Hood. This gives users an immersive experience where they can look around and visually enjoy the feeling of being in a landscape in their rooms.
However, despite all these fancy features, the Apple Vision Pro can undoubtedly disconnect users from reality. The advertisements for Apple endorse the daily use of the Apple Vision Pro, showing users wearing it when working, doing laundry, cooking, or even playing with their children. However, the Apple Vision Pro is not meant to be used in public — it should only be used in controlled environments — and can discourage people from socializing. Despite this precaution, there are numerous cases where people have been spotted in public wearing the Vision Pro, and blamed for trying to hide their faces and use the Vision Pro as an excuse not to talk to others.
In addition, by merging a person’s physical environment with applications and entertainment, the Apple Vision Pro inevitably makes users more inclined to overly rely on their devices instead of making an effort to interact with the world. For example, users might be more inclined to watch a movie by themselves at home instead of going to a movie theater and buying a ticket the “old-school” way. The Vision Pro would also drastically increase screen time and time spent on social media since there is constant and easy access to the internet and applications at all times. Although the Vision Pro is still limited in its features and may not cause these effects right now, the future outlook of Apple is having people using these VR headsets daily, potentially leading to a society disconnected from the world.
The Apple Vision Pro does not only disunite its users from the real world, but it also causes various negative effects on their health. According to a report by The Verge, many users have returned the headset within days of ordering because it has given them headaches and triggered motion sickness. A product manager from The Verge even wrote having a “large, bloody blotch” due to the headset, which later led to a popped blood vessel.
In the long term, the new Vision Pro is worrying many health officials due to the various effects it may have on users’ eyesight in the future. A major concern that researchers found is that upon wearing the headset, users are adjusted to visual distortions and reduced peripheral vision. According to Rabindra Ratan, a professor at Michigan State University, spending excessive time on the headset may cause long-term vision problems and even vision loss. “There could be effects on the way your eyes move around in space, and maybe that could make your vision worse,” Ratan told Scientific American. “We don’t really know what that will do to our brain.”
Instead of critiquing the product in a negative way, other users and companies have stated that the new Vision Pro is very compelling, and could serve as a useful tool in the future. Interestingly, an article from ZDNET described the new headset to be “secretly brilliant.” In other words, the Vision Pro contains multiple pros but has been eclipsed by its multiple cons. Thus, the first step that Apple must take is to fix some of its users’ concerns in order for its benefits to come into play, according to the article. “The technology is brilliant; it’s just not practical yet (this governs everything),” the article stated.
Despite the multiple concerns that users have pointed out regarding the new Apple Vision Pro, it is no surprise that such a revolutionary type of technology was always bound to be met with controversy. A crucial point to consider is that the Vision Pro can grow to become a very compelling tool if harnessed properly by both its makers (Apple) and its users. Instead of purely criticizing the Apple Vision Pro, it is important to remember that a new product, especially one as new as the Vision Pro, can only improve over time.
