On April 19th, 2024, Utrecht University hosted the seminar “VR for good“, bringing together VR researchers, practitioners, and industry leaders in the Netherlands. The event aimed to map the current VR landscape, discuss ongoing projects, and build a community of practice focused on using VR for societal benefit. Participants critically examined the potentials and pitfalls of addressing societal issues through immersive technologies, sharing challenges and approaches to foster interdisciplinary perspectives on using VR for good. This blog provides a brief recap of the speakers’ talks and the conversations that ensued.

Critical notes for doing good in VR

During the seminar, presenters highlighted various challenges encountered when creating VR for good. Despite their diverse topics, many faced similar issues, for their audiences, their accessibility, and their persuasive goals. The day was kicked off by organizers prof. dr. Sandra Ponzanesi and her PhDs Lisa Burghardt and Laurence Herfs, who are part of the research project Virtual Reality as Empathy Machine: Media, Migration and the Humanitarian Predicament. In this project, the use of virtual reality technology is critically analyzed in the context of humanitarian communication, and more generally as a tool to do good (Ponzanesi, 2024).  As the first presenter, Benjamin de Wit, Director of ITW (Immersive Tech Week held in Rotterdam, previously called VRDays and held in Amsterdam)), presented the audience with several for-good VR that inspired him, such as Being Homeless (Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, 2018), Thousand Cuts (Stanford University Virtual Human Interaction Lab, 2018) and Impulse Anagram (Anagram, 2024). He highlighted their transformative potential to foster empathy and drive action. 

This hope has also been expressed and explored by humanitarian organizations – yet as Dr. Wouter Oomen, director of the Expertise Centre for Humanitarian Communication, noted that while VR holds promise, it is essential to consider the ethical implications of representing humanitarian needs through mediated forms like VR. The reliance of humanitarians on modes of visualizing humanitarian needs to address empathy as a means to overcome distance is not new. Many prior methods have failed and as a result, a range of NGOs are now coming together to figure out how to tell stories differently, such as through VR experiences like Clouds over Sidra (2015), the first VR produced by the United Nations Virtual Reality (UNVR), a project implemented by the UN SDG Action Campaign. Oomen tied these VR products to real life simulation events such as Restaurant Buitensluiting and Nacht zonder Dak, pointing out that while these efforts certainly hold potential, it remains crucial to be critical of the centrality of the audience’s emotions as do-good-ers over the emotions of the simulated.

Laurence Herfs and Lisa Burghardt contributed critical analyses of recent humanitarian VR experiences aimed at fostering empathy. They argued that while VR’s promise as an “Empathy Machine” is compelling, industry claims of its transformative power require careful consideration. They cautioned against viewing VR as a technological quick-fix for complex social issues, noting that VR experiences often focus on eliciting emotional reactions from audiences rather than addressing the root causes of humanitarian crises. Along with Oomen, they stressed that this approach can lead to self-centered engagement with human suffering, prioritizing audience emotions over the experiences of those depicted in VR simulations.

VR affordances: Presence, interaction & self-absorption 

Dr. Martijn Kors, XR design researcher and developer of the VR simulation A Breathtaking Journey (2015), discussed the concept of self-absorption in VR. This phenomenon occurs where users become so immersed in the virtual environment that they lose awareness of the physical world, enhancing their sense of presence While this immersion can positively engage viewers in the storytelling, Kors raised concerns that it may also lead users to focus more on their own experience rather than developing “other-oriented empathy” (Kors et al., 2020). Connecting back to the criticisms voiced by Burghardt and Herfs, Kors questioned whether this self-oriented focus hinders empathy in VR and how to address it.

In A Breathtaking Journey, Kors analyzed that through embodying a reporter of events taking place, the viewers went through a process of reflecting their own position, which helped move beyond self-absorption. Further techniques to avoid self-absorption and generate other-oriented empathy included giving viewers time within the experience, time to “daydream”, to provide “slowness” within the rhythm of the VR as well as designing for moments of  reflection on the user’s own experience. He argued that integrating multi-sensory experiences, where visual and audio experiences mix, is another important element to help users move beyond self-absorption and foster empathy. 

Dr. Mirjam Vosmeer, a researcher in the Lectorate of Play & Civic Media at de Hogeschool van Amsterdam, presented results from an ongoing research project called “VR for Diversity” (vrfordiversity.nl). She discussed Amelia’s Dream (2022), a VR experience addressing gender equality issues, which the project is studying for the impact of interaction on message reception. Contrary to their hypothesis that interaction would have a positive effect, a survey showed that more interaction often overloaded the viewer, echoing Kors’ concerns about self-absorption. However, Vosmeer pointed out, viewers preferred some level of interaction, as it enhanced engagement with the VR message, even though less interaction led to better message retention.

These paradoxical findings raised thought-provoking questions around what choices a VR designer is forced to make. Bregje Benecke, a filmmaker and art historian, discussed the complexities of VR storytelling and the numerous design choices involved. These choices significantly impact user experience and empathy. For instance, deciding whether users should stand or sit, move freely or be restricted, the level of interactivity, the sense of progress-making, and the use of controllers can all influence the effectiveness of a VR experience. Therefore, designers must make deliberate choices tailored to their specific audiences and think about how skilled those audiences are at reading the languages of VR yet – otherwise, she warns, the message will likely be lost in translation

Shifting audiences, producers, languages and accessibilities of VR  

Many presenters noted VR’s great potential for expanding audiences and addressing new interests and needs. However, Mirjam Vosmeer highlighted a critical issue: VR remains predominantly produced by male developers, targeted at male audiences and studied by male researchers with mostly male participants. A positive shift is seen among media studies scholars, where many VR researchers are female. Additionally, fresh voices are emerging from young designers in the VAR4GOOD class taught by Dr. Robert Belleman, a lecturer, researcher and manager at the Visualisation Lab at the University of Amsterdam at the University of Amsterdam. In this class, students create VR projects for various partners, some of which develop into large-scale initiatives. One such a notable project is “Praten op School” (Talking at School), a VR experience designed to treat selective mutism, a rare anxiety disorder in children. This VR experience is used in cognitive behaviour therapy to help school children by gradually exposing them to anxiety triggers. This project exemplifies how new VR design opportunities can explore new audiences and create previously impossible experiences.

Various speakers also observed how modes of accessibility and the privileges thereof are shifting. Dr. Marijke de Valck, associate professor in film and media studies at Utrecht University, discussed the changing presence of VR at film festivals. Major film festivals such as Sundance, she argued, have long served as the locales to access VR, but these institutions sought to build out an accessibility infrastructure to capture the newest art form on the block, boosting their own profiles by being first to ‘conquer’ these ‘new frontiers’ of expanded cinema. Quoting an article by Da Ye Kim (2024) in De Valck’s recently edited special section in NECSUS on VR at Film Festivals, she argued the pandemic brought a halt to this form of territorialization. This led to a shift towards sites of accessibility in online spaces such as the Museums of Other Realities (MOR), VRrOOm, and VRChat as well as towards regional and transcontinental festival collaborations such as Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), Kaoshiung, and Sandbox Immersive Festival. As a result, de Valck argued the circulation of VR projects within the international network has significantly expanded its audience pool, improved accessibility, and somewhat decentred the hegemony of Western leading festivals. 

That modes of accessibility are shifting was evidenced from more presentations. Mirjam Vosmeer introduced us to the LGBTQIA+ museum created for the VR for diversity project, and Jiaxin Liu, a PhD candidate at Utrecht University, discussed her ongoing dissertation work into VR projects in museum spaces such as the Tate (Modigliani VR) and The Art Gallery of New South Wales (Henry VR), pointing out that while improved accessibility for audiences was indeed a positive development, the use of VR also threatens to change the relationship between art and user, especially when affective spectacle is prioritized over authenticity. Dr. Matthijs Leendertse, head of education at SpaceBuzz and lecturer at Erasmus University Rotterdam, discussed SpaceBuzz, an immersive experience for children to experience space from a bus modelled after a spaceship. All projects exemplify an ongoing desire to bring VR as a tool for good closer to general publics and reduce issues of privileged accessibility. 

Yet the speakers were also quick to point out this does not come without its share of problems.  Leendertse recalled that the intent of SpaceBuzz is to immersively provide children with the ‘overview’ effect, a phenomenon described by astronauts whereby gazing upon the earth leads to the startling realization that ‘this is all there is’. Hopes are to activate the children into climate action through this experience. Yet, as Leendertse critically observed, the ability to read and comprehend the language of VR cannot simply be presumed. Prior knowledge of VR, itself very much related to degrees of privilege, plays a major role in the children being able to achieve and grasp the intended effects. This was similarly observed by VR filmmaker Bregje Benecke, who argued underlying privileges exacerbate issues of accessibility – not just in terms of accessing the institution that provides the space of the VR, but more importantly in the ability to comprehend the language of VR and understand what it is trying to tell us. 

VR for Sustainability

Various speakers build forth on Leendertse’s insights on creating sustainability-minded audiences through VR. Prof. dr. Joost Raessens, chair of Media Theory at Utrecht University and director of the Utrecht Center of Game Studies Research, made a convincing case for the green affordances of VR as a mediating force to shape ways of knowing, feeling and acting, arguing that the climate crisis will continue to be entered through multiple media and be refracted into different contexts through the specific goals of those media. In the case of VR, the audience is often rendered ‘interpassive’, that is, led by the system towards affective intensity of experiences. Both Leendertse and Raessens argued that to turn that experience into action-ability and to improve the public’s ability to read the VR, context and paratext materials that help give meaning to and shape the experience are crucial. In the case of SpaceBuzz, this is provided through educational programmes in which students shape and commit to their own local ‘green deal’; in the case of Raessens’ case study Symbiosis (Raessens, 2024) through a symposium and informational booklets.

Layla Farmahini Farahani, a Phd candidate at Wageningen University, and Lindy Damen, CEO of eVRgreen Studio, both provided further important examples of sustainability-oriented VR. Along with Joost Raessens, Lindy Damen, herself a VR artist, notedthere is a crucial lack of imaginaries and practices about the future. Through her VR productions, she hopes to bring awareness and construe the  interconnectedness of humans and the environment for audiences to experience. She provided a glimpse into a prototype version of her VR Climate Simulator, a VR experience that seeks to connect people’s personal choices to visualizations of long term indirect impact of the climate crisis on their environment. While such simulators have created potential for educational purposes, Damen was also quick to point out practical issues related to the high cost of VR development and the difficulty to find funding, as such projects still falls outside of the scope of most grants and developing a profitable business model is equally challenging.

Finally, Layla Farmahini Farahani provided the public with a glimpse into her ongoing dissertation Assessing the Effects of Forest Characteristics on Well-being Using Immersive Virtual Reality​, where she studies the impact of immersing citizens into enhanced restorative environments such as virtual forests, in order to alleviate mental fatigue and negative emotions​. She does so specifically in the context of citizens in and around cities who may not have access to material natural environments, and hopes through her research to identify and formulate guidelines for identifying forest features’ effects on restoration. Evoking the spirit of Donna Haraway, it seemed that for Layla, such a posthuman approach that interconnects the human, the technological and the natural in a nonhierachical relationship through VR is crucial to reimagine better futures for future citizens.

Conclusion

The diversity of the expertises and insights presented at this one-day seminar managed to highlight the different perspectives on VR for good, seen from the point of view of researchers, designers and industry leaders. The event featured critical reflections on the efficacy of VR as a tool for social change, with discussions on the design challenges, audience engagement, and the ethical considerations of using VR for humanitarian and sustainability purposes. Speakers emphasized the importance of thoughtful design to avoid self-absorption and ensure meaningful interaction, while also highlighting the potential for VR to reach new and diverse audiences. The event also made aparent that many of the challenges around VR need to be looked at within their specific use contexts, as sometimes a different context requires different answers. 

Looking ahead, the insights and connections formed during this seminar promise to foster ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in the field of VR. Future efforts will likely focus on refining VR design to enhance developing more inclusive and accessible VR experiences. It remains crucial to ask critical questions about what is the ‘good’ that VR addresses – who gets to serve that ‘good’ and who is its recipients are – as well as to remain cautious of utopian techno-fix narratives. As VR technology continues to evolve, its capacity to contribute to societal good will depend on addressing ethical concerns and ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives shape its development.

Bibliography

• Kors, M. J. L., van der Spek, E. D., Bopp, J. A., Millenaar, K., van Teutem, R. L., Ferri, G., & Schouten, B. A. M. 2020. The curious case of the transdiegetic cow, or a mission to foster other-oriented empathy through virtual reality. In Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’20)* (pp. 1–13). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376748

• Ponzanesi, S. 2024. Post-humanitarianism and the crisis of empathy. In Postcolonial Theory and Crisis, edited by Paulo de Medeiros and Sandra Ponzanesi, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2024, pp. 21-46. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111005744-002

• Raessens, J. 2024. Symbiosis, or how to make kin in the chthulucene. In L. Op de Beke, J. Raessens, S. Werning, & G. Farca (Eds.), Ecogames (pp. 373-394). Amsterdam University Press. https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/436565

• Kim, Da Ye. 2024. “The Two Sides of vr Utopias.” In: Festival Reviews, eds. De Valck, Marijke, Burgess, Diane and Damiens, Antoine. NECSUS Spring 2024. https://necsus-ejms.org/the-two-sides-of-vr-utopias/.