Using works such as the 1999 movie ‘ The Matrix ‘, we will compare the lure of virtual reality with the intrinsic value of reality and explain why it is important to choose reality. Discuss why escaping to virtual reality is a poor choice and the importance of free will and solving problems in the real world.
The movie ‘ The Matrix ‘, released in 1999, begins with the shocking idea that the reality we live in may be a virtual reality created by a computer program. The movie made audiences think deeply about the boundaries between real and virtual reality. This idea of virtual reality can be found in many other media, such as the movies Vanilla Sky and Inception, which use the motif of dreams. The dream setting in these movies is similar to virtual reality in that it’s a new reality that bears a striking resemblance to everyday life. The above movies about virtual reality suggest that people are very interested in virtual reality. This interest is only growing with the development of the technology, and as virtual reality technology becomes more capable of providing experiences that resemble reality, people are becoming more and more immersed in the concept.
These media representations of virtual reality often envision a virtual reality that is better than the real thing. This is often coupled with an optimistic outlook on how the technology will evolve. The various scenarios of how virtual reality can change human life reflect our expectations and anxieties about the future. In the movies above, some people who are confronted with the problems and absurdities of reality are unable to handle the weight of reality and escape into virtual reality. In the movie ‘ The Matrix’, there is a scene where Cypher, who was promised a comfortable life in the Matrix by the machines, betrays the main characters and shoots his companions with a gun. In the movie ‘Vanilla Sky’, the protagonist, frustrated by his face injury, finds vicarious satisfaction in his dreams. When we see characters making these choices under the weight of overwhelming realities, we may be tempted to compare them to our own reality and seek escape.
However, escaping to virtual reality is misguided. Virtual reality is already inherently different from reality because it is virtual. This is evidenced by the great value society places on authenticity. Authenticity and fakes look similar at first glance, even to experts, but society places a huge value difference between them. This is because authenticity has the intrinsic property of being ‘real’. While this is a vague and hard-to-define attribute, society already places a high value on it, and it’s a real value. The difference between reality and virtual reality is also evident in our experiences and memories. While experiences in real life remain in our memories over time and form an important part of our lives, experiences in virtual reality cannot be compared to real life experiences in terms of depth and meaning.
Some might argue that this intrinsic value is lost if we choose virtual reality and become ignorant of reality. However, at the point of choosing between virtual reality and reality, we should not overlook the value that reality has because it is ‘real’. If we choose virtual reality, we may lose all our memories and look forward to a better life, but at the point of choosing virtual reality, we have already given up the intrinsic value of reality. Consider the case of buying a famous piece of art. If the seller sells an imitation that closely resembles the original, does the artwork have the same value as the original as long as the buyer doesn’t know it? Even if the buyer doesn’t know it, the original has a value that is unique to it. These are values that society attaches only to reality, and it is not right to give up these values even if we can live a better life in virtual reality.
Some people may value the comfort of virtual reality more than the intrinsic value of reality. But in this sense, choosing virtual reality is like running away from reality. Even if the real world is hard and challenging, it’s right to endure it. Considering that society loves to celebrate the success stories of people who work harder and succeed when faced with difficult realities than those who give up and accept them, there is great value in choosing to work harder. Escaping to virtual reality may seem like a sweet escape, but there’s more value in living in the hard reality. In this sense, escaping to virtual reality is just a way of avoiding the problems in the real world, not solving them.
Another problem is the question of free will in virtual reality. Consider a man and woman who fall in love in a virtual world. Can these feelings be attributed to the individual’s will? They may be created by the virtual reality’s administrator, or even if they are not, they may be created by the situation. People in virtual reality may think they are truly in love with someone, but it could be a manufactured emotion. If I’m being controlled by a virtual reality system, can I really claim that my actions are of my own free will? After all, virtual reality has the potential to limit your free will and choices.
It could be argued that it doesn’t matter if you don’t know you’re being taken away from your freedom. The emotions you think you’re feeling might actually be manufactured, but if you don’t know that, you might think you’re free. But this is wrong. Imagine a country ruled by a corrupt politician. If the ruler is hiding this fact from the people, is it okay for the people to be exploited because they don’t know they’re being exploited? If the ruler is misleading the people into thinking that the ruler is a good person by giving them information that is not true, can the people think that they freely chose to live in this country? Of course, the people would think that they chose freely, but in this situation, it is difficult to believe that the people made a freewill decision. In a situation where there is a system that manages you, your free will can always be violated, and that’s why we have to choose to live in reality. Moreover, the difficulties and challenges we face in reality are what make us grow and make our lives more meaningful.
There are many people who like to imagine the sweetness of virtual reality against the hard walls of reality. This interest is expressed in various forms in movies, novels, and other media. Virtual reality can help us temporarily forget about our problems, but it cannot be the solution to them. However, we should think about the value of a different reality than virtual reality. Virtual reality may not be the utopia we think it is. We shouldn’t be blinded by the sweetness of virtual reality and make the wrong choice. Thinking deeply about the value and meaning of reality and pursuing growth and development within it will bring us true happiness.
