The social media juggernaut Facebook gives way to Metaverse to supposedly contribute to higher productivity at work. But a new experiment involving volunteers who worked in virtual reality for a week shows otherwise. According to the ‘Quantifying the Effects of Working in VR for One Week’ paper, working in virtual reality does more harm than good.
As we enter the age of digitalization, more and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon to provide employees with viable tools and resources for productivity and complete job satisfaction.
Virtual reality has been in a lot of talks, especially since the biggest social network has promoted this and even changed its name to Meta to reflect its vision for future work. As some experts say, working in virtual reality would become the new norm that impacts workers’ ability to focus. VR would supposedly provide a distraction-free work process that could be used in physical work environments.
However, new research shows that working in VR leads to more anxiety, migraines, and unproductivity. These implications make business owners and employees ask: Should we adopt VR at work and give it a shot?
Deeper dive into working in VR
Researchers behind the paper Quantifying the Effects of Working in VR for One Week via New Scientist explores the nature of working in virtual reality. The experiment involved employees and university researchers who participated in working in VR for a week.
The participants used Chrome Remote Desktop and the Oculus (Meta) Quest 2 VR headset. This was chosen so they could use a physical keyboard for hand tracking, a Logitech K830 with a trackpad.
The experiment didn’t utilize the state-of-the-art headset with the highest specs. So, the set-up would resemble a similar experience in a physical working desktop environment. Moreover, not many people can afford $2,399 to buy a 12K Primax VR headset and a suitable computer.
The test showed signs of simulator sickness and below-average usability ratings. Two participants quit on the first day because of migraines, nausea, and anxiety. It isn’t a great start for something that should contribute to positive effects in the workplace.
Working in virtual reality: a drop in productivity and mental well-being
Many participants had felt that the new VR work process had increased their workload by 35 percent. Frustrations also skyrocketed to 42 percent, and anxiety rose by 19 percent.
Overall, the participants’ mental well-being also diminished by 20 percent. This is not what researchers hoped when starting this experiment. Many experts were keeping their hopes up in believing that working in VR could be the thing that drives mental health to positive levels.
Furthermore, the participants also experienced many adverse side effects, such as increased eye strain by 48 percent. The VR system also decreased usability by 36 percent, the workflow was down by 14 percent, and productivity lessened by 16 percent.
Although this isn’t the end for a VR work environment set-up, this research will undeniably help shape the future of working in VR. By identifying the shortcomings and transforming them into viable systems, VR might still have a shot in the physical work environment.
