Is VR a suitable tool for conservation messaging? An exploration of VR technology and the Oculus series Ecosphere

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) has excited artists, researchers and organizations with its potential to provide users with a different perspective and promote empathy. Studies of VR effects on conservation attitudes and behaviours have found promising, albeit short-term, results. Yet to date, there have been no studies to suggest VR’s ability to create long-term behaviour change. Furthermore, studies on at-home VR use and how casual viewers of VR respond to immersive experiences are severely lacking. This article seeks to address this lack by analysing whether a contemporary conservation-themed VR experience is a suitable tool for conservation messaging. Employing autoethnography, I situate my personal experience with the VR experience within broader issues related to environmental communication, visual constructions of ‘nature’ and the growing problem of e-waste. Aside from the question of whether VR experiences create empathy for environmental issues, practitioners interested in using VR for environmental communication should consider the negative impacts of resource use and implications for obsolescence while also questioning creative solutions to render the technology more sustainable and accessible.