"You log into a virtual world. Your body is digital: it can't be touched, it doesn't have a scent. And yet, someone leans in too close. Their avatar stares, their avatar's hand reaches toward your face. You feel invaded. You haven't been physically touched, but something more elusive, and no less real, has happened. This is not the future; it's the present of immersive technology."
"In a recent study conducted at Clemson University, researcher Guo Freeman and colleagues examined what many in tech have been reluctant to confront: Harassment in virtual reality is possible, and it feels deeply real. How we respond to it may have less to do with virtual environments themselves than with the power of psychological presence. The team conducted in-depth interviews with 17 people who had encountered harassment in virtual reality."
"What emerged was clear: Harassment in VR is not "just virtual." For those on the receiving end, it feels real, not because of what the environment is made of, but because of what the brain makes of the environment. What exactly do we mean when we say someone is "harassed" in VR? In the physical world, harassment often relies on touch, verbal aggression, or intimidation. But in immersive environments, the rules are fuzzier."
Immersive virtual environments can elicit strong psychological presence that makes experiences feel real even without physical sensation. Participants reported emotional distress, including fear, embarrassment, and powerlessness, when avatars violated personal space or stared. In-depth interviews with 17 people who experienced harassment in VR revealed ambiguity in recognizing and reporting incidents because cues are subtle and context-dependent. Standard safety features and policies often fail to address harm caused by subtle violations of presence. Harassment in VR can therefore produce meaningful emotional and social consequences, requiring safety approaches that account for psychological presence and ambiguous, embodied interactions.
Read at Psychology Today
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