If Technology Is Neutral, Why Aren't We? Emotions in the Metaverse

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social NetworkingVol. 26, No. 4 EditorialFree AccessIf Technology Is Neutral, Why Aren't We? Emotions in the MetaverseBrenda K. WiederholdBrenda K. WiederholdBrenda K. Wiederhold, Editor-in-ChiefSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:14 Apr 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2023.29271.editorialAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail “I'll always take care of you,” a bright-eyed girl with curly hair whispers to her sweet new puppy. Flash forward through a montage of blanket forts and beach days, leaving for college, and moving in with her husband to a quiet scene in which the girl, now grown, softly sings to her pup and gently scratches his grey muzzle while her newborn sleeps nearby. Nothing matters more than more years together. The tagline scrolls as the screen slowly fades to black, and millions of Super Bowl viewers blink back a few unexpected tears.This commercial for The Farmer's Dog pet food was the surprise attention-getter of the 2023 Super Bowl game; though not a Super Bowl frequent flyer like Dunkin’ Donuts or Pepsi, the dog food brand found itself featured in post-game ad roundups.1 Super Bowl commercials, which this year cost up to $7 million per 30-second spot just to air,2 are as big a spectacle as the game for some viewers, and are certainly a significant opportunity for brands to connect with consumers. Because of the high viewership and hefty price tag involved, companies typically do their best to be memorable, relying on strategies that create intense emotional connections with viewers. These can include things such as outrageous stunts, celebrity endorsements, pop-culture tie-ins, or, in the case of the underdog ad of 2023, a strong dose of nostalgia.Regardless of which ad agency managed to crack the code this year, companies have long known that a solid way to create brand loyalty is to establish an emotional connection with users.There are even scientific studies that illustrate how effective ads can be at engaging viewers' emotions. Several years ago, researchers used a combination of biometric and functional magnetic resonance imaging technologies to monitor ad viewers' skin conductance, heart rates, respiration, motion, and brain activation to get a more thorough understanding of how consumers reacted to different ads.3 Findings revealed that brands that appealed to viewers' emotions created the highest physiological arousal, or moments of engagement, from the viewers. In other words, big emotions can lead to a big payday.Quantifying EmotionMeasuring emotions, and the ability to monitor them objectively, is useful far beyond simply selling a product. For one thing, the opportunity to measure physiological arousal and its connection to emotion has been essential in the development of effective psychological treatment tools.As far back as 1907, Carl Jung found a way to objectify what were previously thought of as hidden or unconscious emotions so they could be modified in a way that would benefit the patient. He did this with a simple technology that measured skin resistance—a physiological signal that reacts quickly and recovers slowly when reflecting mental events.4Those of us who pioneered the use of virtual reality (VR) for psychological treatment in the 1990s were able to replicate these types of objective physiological findings and explore how they relate to emotional activation. VR technology allowed us to see what the patient was seeing in real time; as we measured physiology, comparing subjective and objective ratings of emotion, we were also able to witness the input so we could more easily and accurately pinpoint what was causing the corresponding relaxation or the stress/anxiety in the patient.The accuracy of these measurements has only improved over time, with scientists currently using VR to evoke emotions as realistically as possible, demonstrating that the emotions experienced in VR can be as authentic as those in the real world.The Metaverse as a ToolNow, as we move into a world of seamless human and the digital interplay, this type of measurement will become even easier. The presence of ubiquitous sensors and connected worlds will allow therapists to enter virtual settings along with their patients. This type of technological integration promises to overcome many of the current limitations of telehealth, allowing exposure to occur and emotions to be elicited and processed in a near real-world setting but without the control and logistical obstacles that impair in vivo therapy.Monitoring tools could become especially helpful for people who struggle to identify their emotions, improving treatment efficacy as therapists gain insight about a patient's emotions during a session without having to ask directly.5 VR can also be used to enhance emotional skill sets and develop emotional competencies in individuals, including those who are neurodiverse. In addition, physiological monitoring allows therapists to ensure that patients do not become overwhelmed or re-traumatized during exposure therapy. They can develop protocols that progress at each patient's pace, creating a safe space in which to reduce emotional stress and learn to process and heal from unpleasant experiences.The metaverse certainly will not evoke the same emotions for everyone, but there, again, is an opportunity for good. Metaverse technologies such as VR allow for more successful and personalized psychological treatment. Current technology provides immersive and realistic worlds that can often be modified quickly and with little technological knowhow, so therapists can provide stimuli that directly address each user's concerns and experiences.Regardless of the level of realism, identical VR worlds can even elicit different emotions in different individuals. For example, in a stress management world created in the mid-2000s, a patient from Jamaica entered a grove of banana trees with a waterfall and was immediately transported back to her home. Upon visiting the same VR world, a patient from China identified the waterfall as a place she frequently visited in her youth. These patients both brought their own memories and transformed a computer-generated fantasy world into a place they recognized from their past and felt a connection to based on their own history.5 Technology was the tool here, but the patients brought the emotion.As Jung so aptly stated more than a century ago, technology on its own is neutral; its power to harm or heal is dependent on how one chooses to use it.5 I would argue that technology is also powerful. It is a force that can spark and shape our deepest passions. It can spur us to buy things, it can inspire empathy for strangers, and it can help us understand our innermost workings. As we continue on the path toward a technology-enhanced future, let us remember to center emotion. Let us carry on our search for the best way to use these tools, to wield technology to create a future that is better, kinder, and more human.References1. USA Today. Complete results, 1 through 51, from USA TODAY Ad Meter's Super Bowl commercials. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/Ad-Meter/2023/02/13/best-2023-super-bowl-commercials-voted-usa-today-ad-meter/11247208002/ (accessed Feb. 27, 2023). Google Scholar2. Deggans E. Super Bowl commercials, from Adam Driver(s) to M&M candies; the hits and the misses. https://www.npr.org/2023/02/13/1156079585/super-bowl-commercials-from-adam-driver-s-to-m-m-candies-the-hits-and-the-misses (accessed Feb. 27, 2023). Google Scholar3. Fox School. Cutting-edge research combines fMRI and biometric results to reveal key elements in Super Bowl ad success. https://www.fox.temple.edu/news/cutting-edge-research-combines-fmri-biometric-results-reveal-key-elements-super-bowl-ad (accessed Feb. 27, 2023). Google Scholar4. Eder MD, trans. (1919) Studies in word-association; experiments in the diagnosis of psychopathological conditions carried out at the Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Zurich, under the direction of C. G. Jung. New York: Moffat, Yard, & Company. Google Scholar5. Wiederhold BK. Virtual healing. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking 2019; 22:1–2. Link, Google ScholarFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 26Issue 4Apr 2023 InformationCopyright 2023, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishersTo cite this article:Brenda K. Wiederhold.If Technology Is Neutral, Why Aren't We? Emotions in the Metaverse.Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.Apr 2023.225-226.http://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2023.29271.editorialPublished in Volume: 26 Issue 4: April 14, 2023Online Ahead of Print:March 17, 2023PDF download