Editorial: The light and dark sides of virtual reality

Abstract

The application of Virtual Reality (VR) is varied, ranging from entertainment, education, and training to therapy, workflow optimization, and scientific research. Over the past decade, there has been extensive work demonstrating how VR can enhance our lives and improve our wellbeing. VR has positively impacted various fields, for example, by facilitating distant communication, alleviating loneliness, providing relaxation support, and improving remote learning. However, as with any innovative technology, there may be unforeseen downsides to VR that may arise from overuse, poorly developed experiences, or unethical purposes. As a result, some positive use cases may have long-lasting negative effects, while use cases originally intended as negative may help users overcome anxiety or treat disorders. For example, VR can allow users to isolate themselves in horror games, which may be engaging but could negatively impact children, or habituate users to gambling with real money in environments where all external stimuli are heavily altered or reduced. With VR increasingly integrated into our daily lives through virtual workplaces, virtual social gatherings, and the Metaverse, it is critical to identify potential risks and establish design guidelines to ensure user safety. This Research Topic serves as a first step in identifying opportunities, potential risks, and new research directions. The research article “Joyful Adventures and Frightening Places–Designing EmotionInducing Virtual Environments” (Steinhaeusser et al.) demonstrates how VR can be used to induce negative and positive emotions in users through the presentation of twelve design guidelines. The effectiveness of the guidelines was evaluated across two user studies. This paper can serve as a valuable resource for researchers and developers seeking to design environments that evoke specific moods. While applications of therapy and mental recovery might benefit from the positive guidelines, other projects targeting either thrill-seeking or certain behavioral changes may benefit from the negative guidelines. In summary, this article demonstrates the potential of both the light and dark sides of using VR. The research article “Dialing up the danger: Virtual reality for the simulation of risk” (McIntosh) investigates the perception and impact of simulating and experiencing risky content in VR. Using thematic analysis and close reading language analysis, this article examines how journalists and media professionals reacted to a VR component during a “Stress Management and Civil Unrest” training session. The participants were found to experience the escalated VR scenario in a direct and active form. While the participants acknowledged that VR-based training can be highly beneficial in preparing for risky situations, they also reported that the simulation could trigger upsetting memories of OPEN ACCESS