Vulnerable groups, virtual cities, and social isolation

Shane Epting

Technology in Society, 2021, vol. 67, issue C

Abstract: The number of people suffering from perpetual loneliness continues to increase, diminishing their wellbeing. While this condition affects people's mental life, research shows that it also significantly impacts physical health. Those enduring such hardships often have superficial encounters, but they lack meaningful social engagement with others. Addressing this problem requires highly specialized and interdisciplinary mitigatory efforts. The increasing economic feasibility of virtual reality equipment can help remedy some of these situations, especially when users can connect in supportive digital environs, “virtual cities.” In turn, this exploratory paper examines how creating specific kinds of virtual cities could facilitate meaningful social engagements, which can improve numerous people's living conditions. The author fleshes out this view, showing that these technologies' progressive nature can be shaped to secure the needed measures to improve the quality of some people's lives..

Keywords: Virtual reality; Cities; Public health; Virtual cities; Social isolation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:teinso:v:67:y:2021:i:c:s0160791x2100186x

DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101711

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