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Virtual Reality: The New Face Of The Working Environment In A Pandemic

By Chinelo Eze

27 September 2020   |   8:00 am

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Has it ever occurred to you that we all have a new makeup on? It comes in different shades of powder and suits well to an extent, making us worry less. This analogy is used to give a clear picture of how it is right now because since the inception of the novel coronavirus we…

Virtual learning | Photo UNICEF

Has it ever occurred to you that we all have a new makeup on? It comes in different shades of powder and suits well to an extent, making us worry less. This analogy is used to give a clear picture of how it is right now because since the inception of the novel coronavirus we have had a new makeup on called “virtual reality”. Virtual reality, also known as VR, has become the new face of the working environments as we all try to adapt and fit in like jigsaws into the new normal. It is shaping family lives and, in a thousand other ways, has given a facelift to life in 2020. Students’ life and the educational system obviously are not the same. The healthcare system is also undergoing a shift; medically, virtual reality has made waves also felt in the entertainment world in a pandemic stepping in to solve problems, hence still able to continue in our daily activities but with a “but”. Who would have imagined a virtual #Emmy awards stealing from viewers the glitz and glam?

New beginnings start on a cool note of optimism. It has indeed opened new doors that have been shot and never imagined being opened—for example, Zoom application claims to have “300 million daily Zoom meeting participants” from schools, healthcare banks, among many others.

In fact, Google has set the record for being the first major tech company to extend working remotely until July 2021. Virtual reality, in the long run, has stepped in like a superhero to save the day, aiding us to adapt to a new structure and a new approach to life.

Virtual tumour | Photo Market Prime

As reactions and responses to the pandemic continue, in the purview of Nigeria, there seems to be a lot of downside to it with some workers itching to resume work physically. Being heads on with the pandemic, without a doubt, has an advantageous angle notwithstanding the opposite. Still, in our purview, the world has a revamp. Nigeria had to be skyrocketed into the earliest methods of internet and technology. In previous years, this mode of communication and living well speculated to progress in the future but come 2020 the world has literally catapulted faster into the virtual world. Even in trading, soft currencies such as Bitcoin, Etherum and various other virtual cash have become highly placed than the fiscal commodity we use on a day-to-day basis. Through virtual reality, we have been able to work remotely, to live remotely, to converse remotely, and also to exist remotely but still be connected virtually.

Medically, VR has made waves as it is used to treat mental illness and, in the corona pandemic, it has also stepped in to solve problems hence still able to continue in our daily activities but with a “but”.

VR is having a transformational effect on healthcare and now education and workplaces and how we respond to this is all on us, as it has certainly offered innovative ways to exist and deliver services.

Virtual Reality has re-emphasised our need to pick up skills other than being in our comfort zone and which of course is beneficial in aiding our ambition of the seamless way of life. The COVID -19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of being able to quickly step up one’s game by obtaining skills remotely.

Thus, people have since acknowledged then that the future seems bright and livable and the role played by virtual reality should not be underestimated as it acts as the bridge to living in the pandemic.