Sunday, 27 March 2011
Immersed in a 3D World
The television was first sold in the United States of America in the 1930s and since this time the popularity and use of the technology has grown immensely. TV watching has become a regular part of society’s day-to-day life and has created a culture and fan-base that surrounds almost all Americans. This obsession surrounding TV watching has forced electronic companies to constantly produce bigger, thinner, BETTER televisions. The newest of these updated televisions is not particularly different in appearance to standard TV’s found on the market, but it differs greatly from these other sets because its viewer has the opportunity to watch their TV whilst wearing 3D glasses in order to immerse themselves completely in their viewing experience. Of all other televisions on the market, the 3D effects make this new product “real” technology and as Jessica Riskin suggests in “The Defecating Duck” humans have always been driven to create technologies that appear to be real, which means that this technology should quickly gain popularity. While 3D movies have gained popularity in theatres, it seems difficult to imagine that from the comfort of our couches, we can become a part of the world of the characters on screen and ultimately create a new persona of ourselves within this 3D space. This idea of immersion may seem exciting, but one must consider the possible dangers that could be caused from this craze. This immersion would allow for the recreation of oneself as a character as the viewer is taken away from their world and place them in the space of the characters in a TV show. Finally, Roger Stahl warns in his article “Have You Played the War on Terror” that society’s knowledge of war comes from the experience of glorified battle scenes seen whilst playing video games. It is therefore important to consider all of the possible disadvantages of allowing oneself to become completely caught up in the world of television characters, and question whether or not this new technology is necessary, and if building relationships with fictional characters can lead to a decline of real relationships within society.
Since humanity has discovered technologies that allow us to communication with one another and be completely entertained through a visual experience, there has been a demand for the creation of better technologies. These “better” technologies often take the trend of becoming more lifelike and real (as if it can function on its own) instead of appearing to be a machine. It is clear that 3D TV is the closest possible option of “real” viewing experience without actually seeing what is being viewed in person because it allows the watcher to interact with what is on screen. Such interactive machines are not just technologies of the 21st century, but in fact were invented centuries ago. In 1738, Jacques Vaucanson introduced his mechanical duck that could consume food and then relieve itself in a lifelike manner (Riskin 599). Although the decoy duck was not invented to aid society in any way, it provided amusement and also aroused thoughts of the possibilities of other such interactive technologies. Like Vaucanson’s duck, the 3D TV was created for entertainment value after ratings for the movie Avatar were so high due to audiences’ enthusiasm for the 3D effects (Porter 12). Therefore, although these two technologies are vastly different, they represent humanity’s drive to make “living” technology and prove that 3D TV is merely part of the natural progression of entertainment related technologies and a stepping-stone for newer machines of the future.
The fundamental difference between 3D technologies and other entertainment machines of the past is the immersion that one feels as they sit on a couch wearing 3D glasses. By being completely surrounded by the world of the TV show or movie, the viewers can create a new persona for themselves, and as they enter this 3D space become a character within the show they are viewing. In “Reinvention and Encounter: Pause for Theory”, Allucquère Rosanne Stone discuses the idea of becoming a new “self” in the virtual world of the Internet. Although 3D TV wouldn’t allow the viewer to interact with other real characters, Stone’s theories still apply because the viewer would be interacting as a character in a new space. By wearing 3D glasses and entering this new space the viewer can become their created character and interact in a fashion that “resembles that of familiar social systems, but rather than interacting in villages, cities, or clubs they interact “virtually”” (Stone 87). Therefore, a 3D TV experience not only offers the viewer immersive entertainment, but also the opportunity to escape and become a different persona that is involved in the lives of fictional characters.
As a fairly new technology it is difficult to see what the affects that 3D television could have on society, but it is possible that an obsession with entering the exciting and lifelike world of a television show may overtake many users. Although we cannot foresee the popularity of 3D TVs, recent studies have showed that there is a great interest for an immersive viewing experience in the home- more than 26 million households have stated an interest in purchasing such technology (Porter 13). With such high enthusiasm for these at home 3D theatre technologies, one must question if too much immersion in the world of the 3D space will lead to a loss of human contact. In “Have You Played the War on Terror”, Roger Stahl discusses the dangers of war related video games and states that “[w]ar’s technological and rhetorical trajectory in the twentieth century can be thought of as a long process of integration of the home front and battlefield” (Stahl 113). Stahl’s major concern in the article is that society’s knowledge of war comes from video games, and we must learn to separate the glorified battles in these games with the harsh realities of live combat. This concern can also be applied to 3D TV technologies, because if a viewer becomes too obsessed with entering the 3D space, they may find it difficult to separate this virtual world from their real one. As technology continues to advance, society needs to consider the affect these machines have on our interactions with other humans, and that 3D TV may potentially cause a decline in this human-to-human contact.
Overall, humanity has become obsessed with owning the newest entertainment technologies, and as this obsession continues companies must find new ways to entertain their client. The 3D TV proves to be a popular technology in the coming years and studies have shown that by the year 2015 there will be over 100 3D channels worldwide (Indiantelevision.com 1). With all these new statistics surfacing about the anticipated popularity of this new technology, users must be aware of the dangers of becoming too immersed in their 3D space. As teenagers often become obsessed with entering the world of a video game, viewers of 3D television may become more interested with their virtual character and begin to ignore their human relations outside of the 3D space. It is therefore important to note that as these new technologies arise, society must question whether or not this newness is necessary, and if instead they should interact with the 3D world they live in without putting glasses on.
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