In these digital online environments, we can play and experience games together, whether working to survive on an island or piloting space ships. I’ve used virtual reality for gaming and keeping in touch with friends states away for years, since this is the closest I can come to seeing them face to face.
Last year, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta with a focus on creating richer social interactions over the internet. Ultimately this can make them less engaging and potentially stifle collaboration. Unfortunately, the flat nature of screen- and phone-based calls doesn’t translate body language, hold attention, and foster a sense of connection that in-person meetings can help establish. According to Pew Research, 59 percent of all employees that can perform their job responsibilities online work primarily from home these days. This necessitated reliance on video and audio calls and meetings has spurred a mass change and wider acceptance of remote work. My commute now, to call it that, consists of me rolling out of bed and walking to my desk at home. With employers forced forced to adopt remote work to get by, apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom have become increasingly more useful. Pre-pandemic, I would spend 90 minutes aboard a train and an additional 15 minutes driving in traffic after the workday ended. And they each have differing opinions on its potential after experiencing it for themselves. While I’ve been experimenting in it for the past year, my teammates and I all got together recently to collaborate for the first time.
Beyond creating an isolated workspace, it’s part of the overarching Metaverse, in which coworkers can join each other “in-person” over the internet. I had been toiling away in Meta’s Workrooms app, which provided that private, distraction-free retreat for my most productive work. The real world is a bleak and cramped contrast to my spacious digital office. As I slowly remove the goggles, I’m greeted by the sight of my fiancée sitting across our tiny kitchen table from me, eating dinner as she types away at her laptop. No, I’m not asleep just yet, but my virtual reality Oculus 2 headset is due to its limited battery life. My vision fades to black and a tri-tone beep rings. After a productive workday, I slowly nod off to a Lo-Fi Spotify playlist as the clock on my computer hits 6 p.m. The Popular Mechanics logo, a collage featuring covers of some of our print issues over the past 120 years, and our latest cover page line the walls. I watch cars pass on a distant bridge, building lights flicker, and the sun reflect off of neighboring skyscrapers.
Gamer headset drawing windows#
As I put the final touches on a rough draft, my eyes can’t help but wander toward the city view just outside the floor to ceiling windows of my top floor office.
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