The most important and memorable things in life are often the ones you experience while you’re present and in the moment. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t seem to think so based on their latest Apple Vision Pro advertisement. According to the tech company’s reel showcasing its next-gen 3D spatial computer, it’s good to encourage potential users to utilize futuristic capabilities while doing mundane, everyday responsibilities – like cooking, serving breakfast, or… um, playing with their kids, which, although productive, will undoubtedly result in a few familial rifts.
In addition to the potential hazards you can encounter while distractedly handling objects in the kitchen, this Apple Vision Pro advertisement also follows an unsettling ultramodern trend: ‘VR-ifying’ parts of our lives that don’t need to be. This exact idea is what caused Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s heavily criticized metaverse idea to be overly lambasted on social media. Whether companies believe it or not, aside from genuine gaming joy, many people prefer to make memories in the real world instead of in a virtual version of one.
- Search for Apple Vision Pro at Amazon
The Zuckerberg metaverse conundrum
For those unfamiliar, the metaverse Mark Zuckerberg exhibited in 2022 featured him and a handful of friends and colleagues getting together in a virtual space station to play a quick hand of five-card draw. Naturally, each person had their own uniquely tailored avatar, with one opting to become a big, red, round robot because why not? Predictably enough, this quick glimpse of a life lived in a dystopian utopia quickly garnered plenty of notoriety due to its exceedingly tone-deaf nature, with some even labeling it as “downright terrifying.” Yes, connecting disconnected people is positive, but when a friend or relative is physically near you, why put on some goggles and play soccer?
Don’t get us wrong; the idea behind this VR device isn’t quite as Ready Player One-esque as Zuckerberg’s disturbingly dystopic metaverse idea. Impractical bulky aesthetic aside, the Apple Vision Pro specs showcased in the ad are impressive. In fact, they can serve several different purposes that make people’s lives easier: answering phone calls in a literal pinch, watching movies and videos at the push of a virtual button no matter where you are – and getting a first-hand, panoramic look at a city’s skyline – are just some of the useful and convenient things you can do with it.
However, I cannot emphasize enough how concerning it would be to spend every waking moment of your life in front of a screen, or with one strapped to your head, which is what the Apple Vision Pro video implies. After all, core memories were meant to be made with your utmost and undivided attention. Using this device all day, no matter how helpful it may be, would mean missing out and diluting some of those important and, ultimately, life-defining moments.
