Virtual Reality
Modern Virtual Reality systems are pretty obtrusive and unconvincing. While video games, movies, television, and the internet continue to push forward technologies related to VR, the ultimate form of VR is likely very different from anything we can imagine from present consumer electronics and digital media.
The logical endpoint for Virtual Reality is a direct-to-nervous system interface. The reason for this is that it would be far cheaper and less energy intensive than something like Star Trek’s holodeck, and more convincing than gloves and goggles could ever be.
Most people would choose to spend as much time as possible in VR worlds, because they could live a lifestyle simply unobtainable in the real world. Even billionaires cannot have a new palace every day. Boring commutes would be all but eliminated. Long-distance relationships would be easy. A wealth of incredible new experiences would be available to all VR users.
Everyday life in a time with advanced VR (probably many decades from now, at minimum) would be defined by the experience of moving between worlds. I imagine these are some worlds people will want to move between.
Real World: People will primarily do things that must be done physically, an ever shrinking set. For example, people with manual labor jobs will work in this world. I expect a world that has technology advanced enough for this level of virtual reality would probably have eliminated virtually all manual labor, and automated most production. Most people will only use this world for physical exercise, eating, bathing, procreation, etc.
The Real World will likely changed significantly by ubiquitous VR.
Work Worlds: People who commonly do office work/creative work will want to be able to coordinate and communicate in real time with their coworkers. Face to face communication is still the best, most fulfilling way to do this. And for some projects where coordination is necessary, face to face communication is essential. However, VR would eliminate the need to commute, a good way to save time and energy. VR would also allow for eliminating office noise and other distractions and interruptions during times when solitary work is best. Another benefit of using VR for a work world, is that ideal, highly customizable work spaces could be created cheaply and on-demand: a huge benefit for small organizations. Imagine brand new startups being able to have their own Googleplex.
Home Worlds: The Home World would be like a person’s home. With VR a person could design a mansion, palace, castle, volcano lair, etc. This would be the place a person goes to rest, relax, enjoy leisure activities like swimming, horseback riding, reading, cuddling with loved ones, etc.
Since this is virtual reality, a person might also have several “nonplayer characters”, to act as servants, pets, or sex partners.
