Elena's welcome note: The butterfly is morphing
Here we are: October is ending, the month dedicated to health on this blog. As this year the objective of the blog is not just to highlight problems, but to also find a way to make a change, this time the article will focus on how we can improve our health.
In particular, the piece will focus on the impact that immersive technologies and the metaverse can have on the lives of people who deal both with pysical and mental health issues. By taking better care of our health, indeed, we can learn to live our life in a fuller way and, like a butterfly, spread our wings.
Earlier this month I was in Vienna to speak at AWE and there I compared the impact that each individual can make to the butterfly effect: no matter how small we are, we always can make a change in the world. However, we need first to make a change within ourselves: it is only by being our best self that we can help others.
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Overview of the topic
Health policies and metaverse policies are not often associated but, if so, the results can make impactful changes on our everyday life. Indeed, more than 80% of healthcare leaders think that the metaverse will make a positive change in this sector.
When it comes to physical health, the businesses are already developing cutting edge solutions that could improve not only how surgeries are conducted (like in the case of VR surgeries) but also the condition of patients with chronic illnesses. In this sense, the metaverse can also be strategic when it comes to improving mental health, but it has to be successfully regulated if we don’t want its possible dangers to outweigh the benefits.
How immersive tech can help physical health
When it comes to physical health the changes that immersive technologies are provoking are already several.
Decentralization: After the Covid-19 pandemic it is an imperative for healthcare workers to perform clinical trials also remotely and the metaverse helps greatly to achieve this objective.
VR Surgery: Virtual reality is being used successfully already in different types of surgeries and its benefits are various. For instance, it can lower the costs of surgeries as it reduces the employment of staff and also prep work for surgeries. It is also more accurate as it provides real-time data regarding the patient.
Non-communicable diseases: Last but not least it is important to highlight the impact that the metaverse can have on non-communicable diseases. These are, for instance, chronic diseases like diabetes or other conditions that are less likely to be seen externally. Thanks to immersive technologies, the difficulties faced by those affected can be more easily communicated and the obstacles put in the way of their recovery removed: for example, someone suffering from chronic fatigue can use the metaverse to train themselves to be more physically active. Similarly, those not affected can empathize more easily thanks to an improved communicative experience.
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How immersive tech can help mental health
The younger population might benefit mostly from the advent of the metaverse and possible improved connection and empathy. However, it can also quickly become detrimental if unregulated: for instance, XR is now used heavily for gaming which is known to cause addiction among teenagers. Moreover, mental health conditions induced by abuse of social networks like eating disorders and depression could become endemic if the metaverse is not fully regulated.
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