From: Robin Hollands <r.hollands@sheffield.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: SOC: "Make everyone on earth SEE things your way."  Really?
Date: 7 Sep 1995 11:31:17 GMT
Organization: University of Sheffield , UK


From Robin Hollands <r.hollands@sheffield.ac.uk>

Bob's cause for concern may well be genuine, but I think its
unfortunate to single out VR. The powers-that-be have been trying to
make people 'see things their way' for a considerable amount of time,
using any media that happens to be available. The religious
creationists may have claimed the same arguments amount Darwin's
writings during then infamous Monkey trails. Surely no-one can forget
the false reality created by the movie propoganda during various wars
and conflicts. Modern TV and video also does not escape the trap, with
various action groups able to make 'documentaries' presenting their
opinion of the world as it is, whether it be anti-vivisection,
pro-life, or religious fundamentalism.

It is true to say that VR may have a more profound impact on the
psyche than the other media available, but the effect is unlikely to
be much greater than when those media were first introduced.

The key to preventing social brainwashing is to educate the public,
especially young people, to question everything they see. This is a
skill certainly being pushed in the British education system (in fact
to the exclusion of more robust, traditional subjects). One of the
best methods is to make the various media accessable to them. If a
young person can create their own virtual world inhabited by fairy
tale characters, then they may well realise that
govermental/commercial propoganda is doing the same :-)

Cheers,

Robin
(UK VR-SIG Chairman)